Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has carried this franchise through eight seasons of near-misses, and on the debut episode of the Gruden Family Football Show, brothers Jon and Jay Gruden couldn’t agree on whether that’s still the right plan heading into 2026.
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Discussing Buffalo ahead of its season opener, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden didn’t hold back in explaining what he believes has held the franchise back.
“I’ll be honest, I’m sick of Buffalo always relying on the same guy,” Gruden said on the show. “They lost to Denver. They scored 30 points. They still, Josh Allen turned it over. I want to see their defense step up. That’s why they haven’t gotten to the Super Bowl; that’s why they haven’t won a Super Bowl.”
That loss clearly stuck with Allen. After the game, he had admitted, “I feel like I let my teammates down tonight.”
The Broncos beat Buffalo 33-30 in overtime in January’s AFC Divisional Round. The Bills put up 30 points, but it still wasn’t enough to get them through. It’s become a familiar pattern for a team that’s leaned on Allen to carry nearly every close game, while the defense struggles to make winning plays when it matters most. So, Gruden didn’t stop at the general complaint. He called out specific names he wants to see step up on that side of the ball in 2026.
“I want to see Bradley Chubb, I want to see Russo, a healthy Ed Oliver,” Gruden said. “They drafted T.J. Parker. They got all these second-year players, Maxwell Hairston at corner. They got this big defensive tackle, Walker from Kentucky. Where the hell’s T.J. Sanders?”
Co-host Jay Gruden, also a former NFL head coach, pushed back on the framing without dismissing the concern entirely.
“I agree,” Jay Gruden said. “However, I want to put a lot on Josh Allen because he’s damn good. I love this guy. But I do want to take some pressure off of them.”
Jay Gruden sees more help for Allen on offense. He pointed to the Bills’ offensive line, tight end Dalton Kincaid, and running back James Cook, who led the NFL in rushing last season. The idea is simple: if those players can keep the offense moving, Allen doesn’t have to do everything himself.
“Let him cook, cook,” Jay said, playing off Cook’s name. “That takes a lot of pressure off Josh and it takes a lot of pressure off the defense.”
That said, Buffalo has already tried to ease some of that burden on Allen. DJ Moore came to Buffalo in March when the Bills acquired the wide receiver in a trade with the Chicago Bears. There’s already some familiarity there. Moore played for Brady in Carolina in 2020 and 2021, before Brady eventually joined Buffalo and became its offensive coordinator. Brady was promoted to head coach in January 2026. Now, Brady has another weapon to work with, while continuing to challenge Allen in practice with different protections and blitzes.
“Everything that you do, you’re trying to be intentional about how do I continue to make Josh Allen’s life easier, right? And how do we challenge him with a protection or a blitz that’s going to put some stress on him?” Brady said.
That question gets an immediate answer on Sunday. Buffalo opens at Houston, where Allen is 0-4 all-time. Last season, he lost 23-19 there after taking eight sacks and throwing two interceptions against a defense that ranked No. 1 in defensive EPA per play.
Sunday will not settle the bigger debate, but it gives Buffalo’s defense an early chance to answer Jon Gruden’s criticism. For Allen, it’s another opportunity to finally beat the Texans in Houston.