The internet is buzzing after former NFL MVP Cam Newton suggested Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen deserved a big share of the blame for how the season ended and what happened next with head coach Sean McDermott. Newton said it on First Take, and the clip immediately took off online.
It came right after Buffalo’s season ended with a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the playoffs. Not long after that, the Bills announced they were moving on from McDermott after nine seasons.
Cam Newton’s “People Are Losing Jobs” Line Turned Josh Allen’s Night Into A Conversation
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On ESPN’s First Take, Newton tied Allen’s performance to the aftermath of McDermott’s firing. “Why are we tiptoeing around the obvious issue?” Newton asked while breaking down the loss.
Then he went even further.
“It’s the under-performing Josh Allen… This was supposed to be his year… You had an opportunity to win and you didn’t. So, as we critique Josh Allen, people are losing their jobs because of Josh Allen. Out of all of the turnovers, the worst turn over, for me, was the one right before the half. It caused a 10-point swing right there. And how much did you lose by? Three points.”
What made the moment even heavier was how Allen handled it right after the game. He walked into his postgame interview with tears in his eyes, and he put the blame on himself. Allen said, “It’s been a long season. I hate how it ended, and that’s going to stick with me for a long time.”
Newton pointed to four turnovers by Allen, and he focused on the mistake before halftime because of how quickly it flipped momentum. In his mind, it was the kind of play that changes an entire season.
The McDermott Firing Lit The Spark, Then Bills Fans Debated Who Deserved The Heat
The Bills fired McDermott after the loss, ending a nine-season run that included multiple AFC East titles but no Super Bowl appearances. Some fans thought the Bills had no choice, while others felt McDermott still deserved more time.
Once Newton called out Allen, the comments turned into a full-on fight. One fan wrote, “Why is it so hard for yall to accept Josh Allen ain’t who yall think he is 😂” and another followed with, “Lmaoo finally thank you cam newton😂😂😂😂😂😂” as if someone finally said it out loud.
Other people went even harder, saying, “The Josh Allen d**k riders out in full force today. Yall criticize every qb but when it’s time for Josh Allen to get talked about all of a sudden ‘he did everything he can’. GTFOH he had 4 turnovers it’s his fault they lost.” The wording is wild, but the point is clear. If a quarterback has four turnovers in a playoff game, he is going to take the blame.
Still, not everyone agreed. One fan pushed back with, “Josh had a bad game, not a bad career. Dude’s still elite.” Another joked, “‘People are losing their jobs cause of Josh Allen’ 😂 Josh has kept those m*** employed the last 8 years.” Either way, the Bills are heading into a new era. Allen is still the face of the franchise, but the pressure is only going up from here.
And that’s the part Buffalo can’t escape. The Bills can change the coach, tweak the roster, and run it back again, but the conversation will always circle back to Allen in January. If he bounces back and delivers in the biggest moments, this whole week becomes noise. If not, Newton’s words are only going to get louder next season.
Published: Jan 20, 2026 02:43 pm