‘We didn’t have an answer’: Here’s what Bill Belichick said to Josh Allen after AFC wild card game
"Obviously he’s one of the, if not the, greatest coach of all time."
If you ask Josh Allen whose respect he values among NFL coaches, Patriots coach Bill Belichick would be high on the list.
So when Belichick approached him after the Bills’ dominant 47-17 victory in the AFC wild card game on Saturday, Allen was honored.
“He came up to me, which is really cool,” Allen told the Pat McAfee show on Thursday. “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.”
Allen was phenomenal: 21-for-25 as a passer with 308 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. Pro Football Focus gave him the highest quarterback rating of the year.
So what exactly did Belichick tell Allen?
“Just more respect,” Allen told McAfee. “Like, ‘What you did out there was awesome. 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 was complimentary of the Bills in his postgame press conference on Saturday.
“Obviously they did a great job,” Belichick said. “We just couldn’t keep up with them tonight. Certainly deserved to win.
“Well coached, team executed well and we just couldn’t do much of anything. So we’ll just pick up the pieces, go back to work here and find a way to be more competitive.”
The Bills play the Chiefs on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.