Josh Allen, Bills feel 'high sense of urgency' vs. Steelers

Thu Nov 27 10:33am ET
Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen understands the reality at hand.

Buffalo (7-4) faces a tough test against the host Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) on Sunday afternoon. The game carries significant implications for both teams as they try to boost their playoff hopes.

Some players might deflect the importance of the matchup. Allen isn't one of them.

"Extremely high sense of urgency," Allen said with the Bills three back of the Patriots in the AFC East. "We understand where we're at. We have full confidence in ourselves, but ultimately it comes down to executing on game days."

Buffalo is coming off a 23-19 loss against the Houston Texans in a primetime Thursday night contest. It was the fourth loss in the past seven games for the Bills, who still have aspirations of competing for a championship but first must secure a postseason berth.

Allen has tried to do his part. The reigning NFL MVP has completed 69.7% of his passes for 2,709 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 11 starts, and he has posted a passer rating of 101.6.

Dealing with a right elbow injury that landed him on the injury report to begin the week, Allen was sacked eight times by the Texans. The 29-year-old signal-caller said he and the Bills have plenty of reasons to stay positive.

"We've had some good, had some bad, throughout the year," Allen said. "I think there'd be a lot of teams that are wishing that they were 7-4 in a spot that we are. So it's also about that opportunity in front of us of hey, let's go out, let's play as hard as we can, let's put our best foot forward and try to get a victory on Sunday. That's ultimately what it comes down to."

The Steelers will try to spoil Allen's hopes.

Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses throughout the past four weeks. The Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12 on Nov. 16 but are coming off a 31-28 loss on the road against the Chicago Bears last week.

Aaron Rodgers will start at quarterback against the Bills, the team confirmed Friday. Rodgers sat out last week because of a wrist injury, and Mason Rudolph completed 24 of 31 passes for 171 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his absence.

"He was a full participant today with no designation for the game," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said about Rodgers on Friday. "So, it's all systems go."

Rodgers has led the Steelers to victories in six of his 10 starts this season.

Jaylen Warren leads the Steelers with 604 rushing yards, and DK Metcalf is tops in the passing game with 573 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 42 catches.

James Cook has rushed for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bills, and Khalil Shakir has caught 54 passes for 564 yards and three scores.

Wideout Brandin Cooks joined the Bills this week as a free-agent signing.

"Bringing a guy like him in, being a veteran presence for our room, he's come in here and he's already basically learned our playbook," Allen said. "The way that he carries himself, the way that he is in meetings, already it's very apparent that he is a true professional. ...

"We appreciate him coming here and, hopefully, helping us out."

Buffalo will be without several key starters Sunday. Left tackle Dion Dawkins (concussion), right tackle Spencer Brown (shoulder), linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow) and receiver Curtis Samuel (elbow/knee) have been ruled out. Receiver Josh Palmer (ankle) and tight end Dalton Kinkaid (hamstring) are listed as questionable. Offensive lineman Tylan Grable, out with a concussion since August, was activated from injured reserve on Saturday.

For Pittsburgh, offensive tackle Broderick Jones (neck) and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee) have been ruled out. The Steelers placed Jones, who was hurt against the Bears, on injured reserve on Saturday, with Andrus Peat expected to start in his place at left tackle. The team also elevated cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who was signed on Nov. 12, from the practice squad for Sunday's game.

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Value Picks: Week 13

Player Notes
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Kimani Vidal Nov 30 6:50pm CT
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Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal bounced back in a big way during Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. In Week 11, Vidal posted a season-low 13 yards in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 24-year-old came ready to play out of the bye week this weekend. His biggest play of the game came in the third quarter when he rushed 59 yards for a score to give his team the lead. Vidal ended this game with a season-high 126 rushing yards on 25 attempts with one touchdown in the win. It remains to be seen how the workload is going to be split up once Omarion Hampton (ankle) returns to the mix. Fantasy managers will need to check back throughout the week to see how that situation shakes out ahead of Week 14.

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Devon Achane Nov 30 6:40pm CT
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Jordan Addison Nov 30 6:30pm CT
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison ended Sunday's shutout loss at Seattle with five catches for 36 yards on a team-best 10 targets. At the end of the day, it was yet another horrific showing from the Minnesota offense, which started undrafted rookie Max Brosmer at quarterback. The rookie threw four interceptions, including one for a touchdown, as the Vikings were shut out for the first time since 2007. Addison, for his part, had multiple drops but cobbled together a few late catches from a day in which the Vikings gained only 162 yards. Addison may see another quarterback change next week if J.J. McCarthy (concussion) can return, though managers can't be faulted for not trusting the Vikings' offense ahead of a Week 14 game against Washington.

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T.J. Hockenson Nov 30 6:20pm CT
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Dont'e Thornton Jr. Nov 30 6:20pm CT
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Max Brosmer Nov 30 6:10pm CT
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer had a forgettable first NFL start, throwing four interceptions in a disastrous 26-0 loss at Seattle. The undrafted rookie on the road against one of the NFL's top defenses went as expected, as Brosmer finished 19-for-30 passing for 126 yards and threw an awful pick-six in the first half that gave Seattle a double-digit lead it held for the rest of the day. From a fantasy perspective, playing Brosmer was a huge risk that came up totally empty. Star receiver Justin Jefferson finished with two catches and four yards receiving, while the offense gained only 162 total yards. Whether Brosmer plays again will be determined by starter J.J. McCarthy (concussion), who would need to clear protocol to return for a Week 14 game against Washington.

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Chuba Hubbard Nov 30 6:10pm CT
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Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard hasn't given fantasy managers much value outside of the first few weeks of the season. That changed this weekend as Hubbard posted a strong performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Hubbard took a screen pass for a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The 26-year-old continued having success throughout the game as tied his season-high with 17 rushing attempts. Hubbard rushed for a season-high 83 yards on those 17 attempts, while hauling in two receptions for 41 yards and one score in the win. This was a nice performance from Hubbard, but he continues to split up the backfield duties with Rico Dowdle who saw 18 carries on Sunday. We'll see where Hubbard is placed on the depth chart after the team comes out of their bye week in Week 15.

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Jacoby Brissett Nov 30 6:00pm CT
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Davante Adams Nov 30 5:50pm CT
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Tyrod Taylor Nov 30 5:30pm CT
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Trevor Lawrence Nov 30 5:20pm CT
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Bryce Young Nov 30 5:00pm CT
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Nick Chubb Nov 30 4:53pm CT
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Bijan Robinson Nov 30 4:50pm CT
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