Orchard Park, N.Y. — Stefon Diggs looked like he was searching for answers on the sideline late in Sunday’s divisional-round playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after the Buffalo Bills ended another drive without points.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen and quarterbacks coach Joe Brady had their heads buried in tablets trying to figure out what was wrong with an offense that scored nearly 30 points per game during the regular season.
The Bills had the ball just eight times against the Bengals and managed just two scores in a 27-10 blowout loss - the first home playoff loss of Sean McDermott’s head coaching career.
Diggs looked like he was upset. It wasn’t a shocking development because he’s seemed frustrated for months.
Back in November against the Cleveland Browns, Diggs needed McDermott to calm him down when he had just one catch in the first half. Then in December in a tight game against the Miami Dolphins, Diggs reacted when Allen didn’t see him and instead threw it incomplete. When he got to the sideline, sideline reporter Laura Okmin said she heard him say he wanted the ball.
Diggs famously stood around and watched the Kansas City Chiefs celebrate winning the AFC Championship game against the Bills two years ago. The image was tweeted and shared millions of times. After another disappointing playoff loss, Diggs leaves another lasting image for fans to think about as the team enters an offseason filled with questions. It’ll be the image of his outstretched arms, standing a few feet away from his quarterback, perhaps looking for answers.
Diggs would have been asked about that interaction with Allen, but he had left the locker room by the time the media entered after the game.
Allen was asked about why Diggs was so frustrated and the 26-year-old quarterback chalked it up to his receiver’s desire to win.
“I’ll get a better grasp of (why Diggs didn’t get the ball more) after watching this. Unfortunately, it’s our last one so it is what it is at this point,” he said. “He’s a fiery competitor, he wants the ball and whatever it was that we couldn’t get him the ball tonight we’re gonna have to learn from.”
Diggs, one of the Bills’ nine captains, reportedly stormed out of the locker room past a group of media members. He had to be retrieved and brought back into the room by coaches and practice squad running back Duke Johnson. Bills coach Sean McDermott said Diggs was in the locker room for his postgame speech.
“That’s what matters most,” McDermott said. “He’s a competitive guy. That’s what makes him good is what you saw. He’s very competitive like we all are. We work extremely hard at these jobs to be the best we can possibly be, and it hurts. I wouldn’t want a guy that doesn’t hurt, right? So when you put it all on the line out there, we put it all on the line, and tonight it wasn’t good enough. That’s the part that stings.”
Diggs led the Bills with 10 targets in the game but his four receptions were less than tight end Dawson Knox and running back Devin Singletary, who both finished with five in the game. Allen was 25 of 42 (59.5%) for 265 yards and one interception. His one touchdown came on a quarterback keeper in the second quarter.
When it comes to the offense struggling, Diggs has been open about how he sees his role in getting it back on track. He also admitted before the Bills faced the Chicago Bears that he’s an emotional player.
“I feel like in those situations, I want to provide a spark for my team,” Diggs said in December. “I want us to stay in the green area and be making plays at a high level. We got a lot of guys that can do that. But when I say that that’s more so a piece of me trying to get it going and trying to stay in the right mind frame and stay on schedule.”
The Bengals’ offense was on schedule for most of the game. McDermott said part of what impressed him about Joe Burrow was his ability to keep their team on schedule and how he effectively got the ball to all of Cincinnati’s weapons.
Allen and the Bills offense struggled to find a rhythm. Bills slot receiver Cole Beasley said Diggs should be upset.
“Yeah, he should be frustrated, we’re all frustrated,” Beasley said. “He’s a fiery guy, competitor, but that’s what you love about him. So, if he was happy about the situation, you wouldn’t want the guy on the team. So, he’s right in the way that he reacted.”
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