Bill Belichick paid a visit to the Buffalo Bills locker room shortly after the New England Patriots' blowout wild-card loss. One reason for his appearance was to commend Josh Allen for a historic performance.
Appearing Thursday on "The Pat McAfee Show," Allen recalled his memorable encounter with the Patriots head coach. The Bills quarterback described how Belichick showed him the utmost respect.
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“He came up to me, which is really cool,” Allen said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for him and what he’s done over his career, and obviously he’s one of the, if not the, greatest coach of all time.
"So for him to come up to me after a game and give me some kudos and dap me up meant a lot to me, just knowing the type of coach that he is, the type of players that he’s been around and he’s coached, and obviously the success that he’s had throughout his career. It was a pretty cool moment for me.”
So, what exactly did Belichick tell Allen in the locker room?
“Just more respect. Like, ‘What you did out there was awesome,’ Allen said. “‘You played well tonight. We didn’t have an answer.’ Again, I shared respect right back, obviously, because I’m a big fan of his and I could go on and on about the accolades that he has. But again, for a coach to do that, that high caliber, was pretty special.”
Belichick wasn't exaggerating by telling Allen the Patriots didn't have an answer for him. Allen completed 21 of his 25 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns for a 157.6 passer rating. He also tacked on 66 rushing yards on six carries in the Bills' 47-17 win. Those eye-popping numbers made for one of the best statistical performances in NFL postseason history.
Allen and the Bills will visit the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Kickoff for that matchup is set for Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.