Josh Allen's grandmother gives Bills quarterback advice amid 2-game slump, urging him to smile

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen began his bye week stewing over consecutive losses. Then the Bills quarterback received a valuable piece of advice from a beloved source.

“My grandma called me and was like, ‘I just want to see you smile,’” Allen said on Wednesday, when the Bills returned to practice following their weekend break.

It’s a tip he’s taken to heart as Buffalo (4-2) prepares to play at Carolina (4-3) on Sunday.

First, even though Marion Von Allman watches every game, Allen called it rare for his maternal grandmother to offer advice.

“So, obviously, when she says something, I’m going to be listening,” Allen said.

What struck the quarterback even more was not realizing how much he’d lost his happy-go-lucky approach during sloppy outings against New England and Atlanta. Buffalo combined for 34 points in those games, and Allen’s four touchdown passes matched his turnover count (three interceptions and a lost fumble).

“It’s no fun obviously, losing. And maybe that’s why. It’s a lot easier to smile when you’re winning,” Allen said.

“A lot of people look at this position, they draw sometimes strength from it, or can be inspired by this position,” he added. “So it’s going out there and obviously working extremely hard and doing my job and leading from the front. But also having energy and juice, and not putting my head in the sand.”

There’s no hiding from the deficiencies that have the five-time defending AFC East champion Bills sitting second in their division behind New England (5-2).

Aside from the offense misfiring, Buffalo’s defense has sprung leaks. After allowing former Bills star Stefon Diggs to finish with 10 catches for 146 yards in a 23-20 loss to New England, Buffalo allowed 210 yards rushing in a 24-14 loss at Atlanta.

Coach Sean McDermott had such difficulty shaking the bitter taste of the losses that he followed his wife’s advice to do something about it last weekend.

“I was itching a little bit and fidgeting, and my wife’s like, ‘Hey, you need to go in?’” the coach said Wednesday.

With wife Jamie's blessing, McDermott spent part of Buffalo's break alone in his office, poring over video.

“She knows. She used to be a teacher. So she was like, ‘When my classroom wasn’t set, you get that kind of uneasy feeling,’” he added. “So I needed to go in there and watch the film and be by myself just with my thoughts. It’s powerful. You come out of it with better clarity on where we’re at, and where we need to go.”

The problems, McDermott said, are easily correctable, and date to the struggles the Bills had in a 31-19 win over New Orleans on Sept. 28.

“I would say that overall we’re very capable of performing at a higher level. And like anything else, it’s the detail and the discipline that leads to execution,” McDermott said. “We just haven’t been there, or haven’t been there consistently enough.”

Reinforcements are on the way for a defense that ranks 15th in the NFL, allowing 323 yards per game, and 31st against the run.

Defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi resumed practicing after completing their respective six-game suspensions for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers. The veterans were signed as free agents in the offseason.

McDermott has yet to determine whether either will be in position to play this weekend.

Hoecht, who joined Buffalo after four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, spent a majority of his time working out in Buffalo and is itching to make his Bills debut.

“I was screaming at the TV sometimes,” Hoecht said.

“It’s fun to get people back. But I think the focus is not, ‘Oh, Larry and I are coming back and we’re going to change everything,’” he added. “It really is about just all 11 playing good 11-on-11 defense.”

Ogunjobi, entering his ninth season, spent the first three weeks of the season working out in Colorado before joining Hoecht in Buffalo.

“I don’t think it’s anxiousness. I think preparation and just being ready,” he said. “I’m just excited to go.”

Meantime, the Bills activated cornerback Maxwell Hairston off injured reserve, opening his three-week window to practice. The first-round draft pick out of Kentucky has been sidelined since spraining his right knee a week into training camp.

The Bills plan to ease Hairston back, meaning they’ll likely take the entire three-week period to determine whether to activate him to the roster.

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