What's Wright - NFL Playoff Reaction: Bills LOSE, McDermott FIRED, Allen to BLAME? Bears FALL SHORT + Miami-Indiana

Welcome to What’s Wright with Nick Wright, episode four-seventeen; the boost sign went dark mid intro, so I’m roasting production and Monze before we dive in.

Quick hits: a brutal injury for Jimmy Butler that could mark the end of his superstar phase, and the Warriors feel cooked, so even the Giannis dream makes no sense now. All-Star starters are out and, precedent or not, LeBron needs to be in; coaching carousel notes include Eric Bieniemy back to the Chiefs, Bob Salah to the Titans, Kevin Stefanski to the Falcons, and Jeff Hafley to the Dolphins—skeptical on Hafley, cautiously optimistic on Salah if Cam Ward is the real deal.

My bad on the sign, and yes, every time mom visits I end up with a new shirt.

Did the roster fail Allen, or did Allen’s turnovers sink Buffalo?

First, sympathy for Denver: you win at home, your quarterback plays his best ball, then he breaks his ankle on a nothing play and needs surgery—that’s a stomach punch. Bo Nix delivered in two massive moments and proved me wrong this season.

Now to Buffalo: four Josh Allen turnovers, including a cartoonish pre-halftime fumble and two late misfires that could’ve won it, are why they’re out. If you’re billed as the most talented ever, you don’t get a mulligan the next day when you implode.

He even said he let the team down.

Exactly—he owned it more than some of his boosters; being great is about maximizing gifts and managing risk, and he still plays loose with the ball. He’s still the second-best QB to me, but four giveaways in January tells the story.

What’d you make of the Bills players crying after the loss?

It looked like a scarred group that felt the road finally cleared without Kansas City, which is why it hit so hard. If they weren’t already set on firing McDermott, that emotion said you can’t just run it back.

And the Brandon Cooks play—were the complaints legit?

The officials got the big ones right; screenshots don’t show control through the process, and Cooks didn’t complete it the way Davante did. Blaming refs from the plane and spinning TV-schedule conspiracies is weak, especially for a team already granted rule changes after that overtime heartbreak yet still awful in overtime games.

On my ‘Mahomes passes,’ I’m open about rooting for the Chiefs—and he’s earned extra rope with five Super Bowls and absurd playoff numbers; Allen hasn’t.

As for Buffalo’s vacancy, if you’re in win-now with a not-yet-thirty MVP, I’d call Belichick for a three-year sprint rather than gamble on a first-timer.

Rams escaped in Chicago; Caleb pulled off crazy stuff, then threw the overtime pick. What did you make of his game and season?

Caleb’s year was a clear win: elite arm, poise, and escape ability with footwork and accuracy to clean up. He delivered two outrageous fourth-down throws in back-to-back weeks, but in OT he chased a kill shot when a field goal would do, and DJ Moore didn’t help on the route.

I thought about going for two, but with the Rams’ timeouts and their short-yardage issues, I get the choice; still a missed chance. The Bears should feel stung, while my Super Bowl pick, the Rams, have advanced without playing well yet, and I expect Stafford to settle in versus Seattle.

Patriots back to the AFC title game; did New England win it or did Houston lose it?

New England has cruised twice despite Drake May’s jitters and fumbles, which is ominous for the AFC. Houston’s defense was ferocious, but CJ Stroud was so off I’d have tried Davis Mills at halftime; that pick-six flipped the game, and he’s not getting an early extension after this stretch.

Seattle smashed the Niners; are the Seahawks rightful favorites?

They’ve earned it after steamrolling San Francisco and flipping games with Rashid Shaheed’s returns, but I expect a tight NFC title game and I’ll trust Stafford late. Charbonnet’s loss matters, McDonald’s defense is legit, and the Eagles have to be sick that that Niners team won in Philly.

Did this change your view on Purdy?

He was bad, but the whole roster face-planted, so I’m not changing my stance off that alone.

How’s the Niners’ window—open, closed, or closing?

Call it a transition, not closed, because Shanahan’s that good; health for Kittle, McCaffrey’s workload, and staff losses are real questions.

Billy asks why Allen gets kid-gloves while Mahomes, Jalen, and Lamar get hammered.

Race touches everything in America, including QB coverage, but I also think Lamar often gets a softer landing while I get painted as anti–Black QB; it’s messy, and I’ve been sky-high on Mahomes and Caleb. The bigger point is consistency—hold everyone to the same standard.

Eric asks if Allen is LeBron pre-2012 and due for the same leap.

LeBron already had MVPs and multiple Finals by then, which Allen doesn’t, though I still believe Allen gets a ring. Just leave some headroom in the praise so there’s somewhere to go when he does.

Back Thursday; if you crown him now, what’s left—hand him a peace prize and invade Greenland? See you then.