For a split second on Sunday, Bills Mafia saw their entire season flash before their eyes — and it was covered in blood. Josh Allen left the field with his nose gushing, and every fan in Buffalo knew the truth: if Allen goes down, so do the Bills’ 2025 hopes. However, the quarterback returned and helped the team win in Week 2. But the question is: Is he really fine and good to go in the next game? On Monday, Sean McDermott finally gave the update everyone was waiting for.

The head coach tried to play doctor as he gave the fans an interesting update on Josh Allen’s nose: “His nose didn’t get any bigger, I don’t think. It’s always looked good to me. I think it still looks good. So, I think we’re in a good spot,” he said. McDermott also admitted that he didn’t know if the nose was broken or not, but it was “just gushing blood.”

This update was rather hopeful. But let’s pull back a gear and talk about how it all went down. Early in the first quarter, Josh Allen scrambled on second-and-7 from Buffalo’s 23 and took what looked like a glancing shot to the face as he went down. Moments later, blood was pouring. Allen sprinted to the sideline, trainers rushing to pack his left nostril with gauze as he sat on a cooler. Just two plays later, though, he was back, as if nothing had happened. Allen himself downplayed long-term worry with a grin.

“We can breathe, so it’s good,” he said after the game. The QB casually went on to finish 14-of-25 for 148 passing yards, while adding 59 more on the ground. He led the Bills to a 30–10 win over the Jets.

And McDermott’s positive update means everything. Losing Josh Allen, even briefly, would be devastating. Just think back to Week 1: Allen delivered one of the wildest comebacks you’ll ever see, throwing for 394 yards on 33-of-46 passing with two touchdowns through the air and two more on the ground to pull off a 41–40 thriller over Baltimore. He’s very much in contention to pull off yet another MVP season.

And even though he came back on the field after the blow, it didn’t really calm the nerves. Nose injuries can be deceiving — sometimes the blood looks worse than the damage, other times there’s barely a drop but a break lurking underneath, the kind that can even require surgery. And McDermott saying his nose doesn’t look any bigger? Well, OT Spencer Brown thinks otherwise.

When asked if Josh Allen is being made of in the locker room, he said yes, in a not-so-subtle way. “It’s definitely bigger… He looks like Joey Bosa now,” he said. So, will Allen be under observation next week? According to Sean McDermott, the answer is no. Allen isn’t on the injury report and is “good to go” for Thursday night, at least based on the early read. It fits Buffalo’s stance: treat it as short-term, let him play through it, unless further testing says otherwise.

But while Allen looks ready to suit up next week, the injury report is far from empty.

Sean McDermott’s wider injury update

Allen’s nose wasn’t the only update to come out of McDermott’s words. First, defensive tackle Ed Oliver missed the walk-through with an ankle issue. McDermott explained Oliver “got stepped on” in practice, leaving his status uncertain. Given that Oliver was a force in Week 1 (six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble), his absence would be a big blow to the interior rush.

And linebacker Matt Milano sat out Monday’s walk-through with a pectoral issue. McDermott admitted it’s still unclear whether the injury is short- or long-term. Milano had logged significant snaps on Sunday before the problem emerged, so the team is carefully monitoring his workload.

It’s important to take the roster upgrades into context. Buffalo beefed up its pass rush in the 2025 offseason by signing Joey Bosa to a one-year deal ($12.6 million). A proven veteran presence on the edge. If Ed Oliver ends up missing snaps, Bosa’s power and experience could be crucial in keeping the defensive line from tipping over.