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Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNDec 30, 2024, 05:08 PM ET
- Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer who covers the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her via Twitter @agetzenberg.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will start Sunday’s Week 18 game at the New England Patriots to keep his consecutive starts streak going but then soon after come off the field, coach Sean McDermott said Monday.
The final regular season game has no implications for the Bills (13-3) with the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs already clinched, so the game can serve for some players as a bit of a bye week. The Patriots would clinch the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft with a loss.
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“One of the things that we know is very, very important to [Allen] is his consecutive starts streak, if you will, and it’s important to him for a great reason,” McDermott said. “He wants to be out there with his teammates and so he will be out there for a very, very short-lived amount of time and then he’ll be off rather quickly there.”
McDermott said that for the rest of the team, it will be a mix of normal starters and “some guys who we want to take a look at as well.”
Since 2000, Allen has the 11th-longest start streak, including playoffs, amongst quarterbacks and the longest active streak (Jared Goff, who will start a 54th straight on “Monday Night Football,” is the next closest). He has started 114 consecutive games and has not missed a start since his rookie year despite dealing with a variety of injuries over the last six seasons.
