Gloomy Josh Allen receives grandmotherly support on heels of Bills' two-game skid
Posted October 23, 2025
Josh Allen has been in the dumps lately.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback is amid a two-game losing streak, during which he has been seen on the television broadcast at various times sporting a gloomy look on his face. His bleak demeanor has left fans wondering the cause for Allen’s glumness, while many have expressed concern for his mental well-being.
Well, those interested were provided some good news on Wednesday afternoon when Allen revealed that a recent conversation with a beloved family member may have helped lift his spirits.
Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) flips the ball in the air during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
“My grandma called me and said, ‘I just want to see you smile,’” said Allen, grinning from ear to ear.
Allen added that his grandmother watches every Bills game, calling her a “gamer.”
“She felt (I wasn’t smiling enough),” he said. “I must not have been. It’s no fun losing. And maybe that’s why. But it’s a lot easier to smile when you’re winning.”
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen takes a look around waiting for play to start during final seconds in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Oct. 5, 2025. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Bills quarterback alluded to his grandmother's words of encouragement as a source that has helped spur a newfound focus for him and his teammates.
"In practice, making sure that we’re really emphasizing, we score, go celebrate,” said Allen. “Going out there and just trying to execute and having fun with it.”
Allen and company will have the opportunity to do just that come Sunday afternoon, when they return to the game field to take on the Carolina Panthers in a 1 p.m. road matchup.
Under Head Coach Sean McDermott, the Bills have never lost coming out of a bye week, while their last three-game skid came in 2018. And with their QB in good spirits thanks to grandma, all signs point toward this being a bounce-back week.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski shoots down Shedeur Sanders possibility
The 2025 Cleveland Browns have struggled this season. They are 2-5 and have had a rotating cast of quarterbacks. They started the year with Joe Flacco as their starter and went into the season with four quarterbacks. They traded away Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco and only have their rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Gabriel is starting, but there is a lot of speculation around Sanders.
At the team's press conference, browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media that Shedeur Sanders is not getting practice reps with the first-team offense. Sanders is the backup, but Gabriel has been cemented as the starter. Stefanski reasoned that Gabriel is also a rookie, and he wants him to get as many reps as possible as a young quarterback, whereas with Joe Flacco, it could be more split.
“With a young quarterback, with Dillon starting, you want to ensure he gets many reps. It's different when you have a veteran with Joe,” said Stefanski, who also noted that Sanders is “still getting reps in a bunch of periods.”
Sanders was upgraded to the backup role for the last two games after being listed as the emergency third quarterback for the first five games.
Since being upgraded, Sanders has split scout team reps with practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe. Stefanski noted that Sanders and other young players also get reps in post-practice sessions.
The Browns are 1-2 since they moved to Dillon Gabriel and traded away Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. He got his first win as a starter this season when they beat the Miami Dolphins 31-6. So far, Gabriel has completed 59.8% of his passes for 546 yards and three touchdowns.
Stefanski is a great NFL coach known for developing some solid offenses. He seems to be one of the best coaches to try to establish Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as rookies.
Shedeur Sanders attracts much attention because of who he is and his dad. There will always be questions about that, and there is the added storyline that Sanders fell so far in the 2025 NFL Draft after being projected as a first-round pick.
