The Buffalo Bills escaped Sunday with a tighter-than-expected 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns. It pushed Sean McDermott to 97 wins in his first nine seasons. Still, the head coach sounded more concerned than celebratory. Soon after the game, McDermott made it clear where his head was at.

“Offensively, I thought we started well,” the coach said. “Second half, not so much. Defensively didn’t start as well. Came back in the second half and did some things to help us win the game there. Obviously, toughness overall, the football team. Good to see. But still plenty to work on. So we need to do the basic things better.”

Right now, the biggest red flag sits in the run defense. Simply put, it is a mess. The Bills are getting pushed around up front. They allow 144.3 rushing yards per game, near the bottom of the league. Worse, backs are ripping off 5.4 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the pass defense has quietly been elite. Second-best in yards allowed. Top ten in efficiency. Still, none of that matters if teams can bleed the clock on the ground.

Because of that, the Browns hung around longer than expected. Even with Dawg Pound concerns after Quinshon Judkins went down early, Cleveland kept pounding away. Judkins left with just 22 yards. But it did not slow them down. The Browns still rolled up 160 rushing yards and a score on 31 carries. Even more alarming, they entered this game averaging a smidgeon under 93 rushing yards per game. Yet against the Bills, they looked comfortable.

Then there was the offense. Early on, it stayed ahead of the chains. First-down success kept Josh Allen out of trouble. Third downs were rare. That changed after halftime…

Suddenly, the Bills were behind schedule. Third-and-long became routine. Drives stalled, and momentum was gone. So, Sean McDermott spelled it out plainly.

“We were doing what we intended to do in the first half,” McDermott said. “In the second half, we ended up with three for eight, I believe it was. So, too many third and longs. I think the average I have it down is seven yards. So we go from almost no third downs to a handful or more, and then they’re not shorter third downs or longer third downs.”

For the Bills, the message is clear. Fix the details. Or these close calls will catch up fast. But right now, the biggest issue is how their star QB is playing.

Josh Allen had an uncharacteristic game

The Bills are riding a four-game heater after a shaky mid-November stretch. Yet Josh Allen has not carried the offense the usual way. During this run, he is averaging just 174 passing yards per game. Still, Bills Mafia is cheering results over fireworks in the Queen City.

In three of those four wins, Allen failed to cross 200 yards through the air. Instead, he has leaned into control. Smart reads. Safe throws. Complimentary football. That approach keeps the Bills winning, but it also explains why this stretch feels different. Even again on Sunday, the MVP struggled to find rhythm.

Then came the road sweat against the Browns. The Bills survived, but Allen’s stat line raised eyebrows. He completed only 12 passes. He threw for just 130 yards. On the ground, he added 17 yards on seven carries. Most telling, he finished with zero total touchdowns. That marked only the third time this season he failed to account for one.

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Meanwhile, the comparison stung a bit.

Across the field, rookie fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders stole the spotlight. The young quarterback threw for 151 yards and a score. He also significantly outran Allen with 49 yards on four carries.

Still, context matters. Allen has led the Bills to a month of winning football. That cannot be ignored at Highmark Stadium.

However, by the numbers alone, the MVP is not lighting up the league right now.