Nuri Sahin has always moved fast. At 16, he broke a record as the youngest ever Bundesliga player. At 36, he's coach of last season's Champions League runner-up Borussia Dortmund.
Just 13 games into his tenure, it's falling apart fast, too.
Sahin and Dortmund face Leipzig on Saturday with the coach's future in question following three losses in a row in all competitions — five in away games — and with a squad ravaged by injuries.
“It's not about me, it's about the club, and I'm in a position of responsibility as the coach,” Sahin told broadcaster Sky. Dortmund management is publicly backing Sahin, with sporting director Sebastian Kehl calling on the club to “stand together” in adversity.
There are other factors to consider besides the results, too.
Sahin has faced criticism for the way Dortmund collapsed against Real Madrid from a 2-0 lead to lose 5-2 — especially for his decision to add an extra defender just before Madrid's comeback — but few teams even get a 2-0 lead at Madrid in the first place.
Just how well Dortmund should be playing is up for debate, too. The squad arguably overperformed by reaching the Champions League final last season, when it was fifth in the Bundesliga. Being seventh in the table right now isn't a drastic decline — not yet, anyway.
Then there's the injury list. Sahin was down to a bare-bones squad at Wolfsburg on Tuesday, with two midfielders covering for injured defenders. His bench options were limited to reserve team players and Marcel Sabitzer, who was playing with a back injury.
Firing Sahin this soon could perhaps backfire on Dortmund's management, which hurried to promote him when Edin Terzic resigned following the Champions League final.
Exactly how and why Dortmund's relationship with its most successful coach in years broke down remains unclear, though an apparent conflict with defender Mats Hummels — who was allowed to leave the club in the summer too — seemingly played a role.
Some fans wonder if Dortmund could have done more to salvage its relationship with Terzic, or if the club needed to take more time to consider other coaching options.
Still, Sahin's potential seemed clear.
Inspired by Dortmund great Jürgen Klopp, Sahin took his first steps while injured during his playing days at Dortmund, coaching his hometown's ninth-tier club in his spare time.
Spells as a player at Real Madrid and Liverpool gave him an up-close view of how other top clubs worked, and he was a top-tier coach for the first time at 33 with Antalyaspor in Turkey, a role he left to become Terzic's assistant back at Dortmund.
Also this weekend, Vincent Kompany can keep Bayern top of the Bundesliga — despite its difficulties in Europe — when his team hosts Union Berlin on Saturday. Champion Bayer Leverkusen takes on Stuttgart on Friday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Dortmund's head coach Nuri Sahin, right, talks to teammate Nico Schlotterbeck at the end of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Real Madrid won 5-2. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Dortmund's head coach Nuri Sahin looks on ahead the Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund at WWK-Arena, Augsburg, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Dortmund's head coach Nuri Sahin looks on ahead the Bundesliga soccer match between FC Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund at WWK-Arena, Augsburg, Germany, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo its first road playoff victory in more than three decades, 27-24 over Jacksonville in the AFC's wild-card opener Sunday.
With linebacker Devin Lloyd bearing down on him, Allen found Brandin Cooks for 36 yards just before the two-minute warning and then capped the go-ahead drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in which Jacksonville let him score.
On the play before his score, Allen gained 10 yards on a sneak, refusing to go down while being pushed and pulled to the goal line.
“Just trusting everybody on the field,” Allen said. "Great win, great team win. All we’ve got to do is play our game, find a way to win a football game. We’re on to the next.”
Buffalo will play at Denver or New England next week, a chance to build a road winning streak after a decades-long skid.
“We got to go do it again. We got to go do it again," Allen said.
Focused on getting rid of the ball quickly and negating Jacksonville’s pass rush most of the game, Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He ran for two scores, was sacked just once and played turnover-free football. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards for the Bills.
It was necessary considering NFL rushing leader James Cook was mostly bottled up, finishing with 46 yards on 15 carries.
“You know, we’re going to play for each other, we’re gonna fight to the very last second, and you saw that here today,” Allen said.
Buffalo (13-5) intercepted a deflected pass on Jacksonville’s final drive to seal the victory.
The Bills had been 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under coach Sean McDermott, starting with a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in the 2017 wild-card round. The Bills had dropped eight consecutive postseason games on the road since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game. It had been the NFL’s second-longest, active road playoff skid.
The Jaguars (13-5) took the lead with 4:03 to play on Trevor Lawrence’s third TD pass of the game, but they couldn’t hold it against the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Lawrence completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards, with TD throws to Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Travis Etienne. Washington finished with seven catches for 107 yards.
Coach Liam Coen surely will get questioned for not running the ball more against one of the league’s most porous run defenses.
Etienne and rookie Bhayshul Tuten combined for 118 yards on just 14 carries.
Allen, meanwhile, showed his toughness. He twice ended up in the medical tent in the first half but didn’t miss a snap. He got hammered in the head twice during one play, with Josh Hines-Allen landing on the side of his helmet right after teammate Travon Walker tackled him to the ground. His left ear appeared to be bleeding, but he got checked out and returned.
Allen later slammed his right hand into the helmet of right guard O’Cyrus Torrence after releasing the ball. And he completed the injury trifecta when his left leg got bent awkwardly on his 2-yard TD run.
Allen stayed on the ground following that last hit from Hines-Allen and gingerly walked to the sideline and back into the tent. But, as usual, the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder powered through and was back on the field making plays.
The Jaguars had a chance to tie the game at the end of the first half, but Cam Little was wide left on a 54-yarder. The miss ended a streak of 20 consecutive field goals made for the second-year pro from Arkansas.
Little kicked the two longest field goals in NFL history this season — a 68-yarder at Las Vegas and a 67-yarder last week against Tennessee.
He got a chance after the Bills were flagged for being offside following a 34-yard completion that got Little into range.
Bills S Jordan Poyer (hamstring) was ruled out to start the third quarter, a huge loss for an already banged-up secondary. It left the Bills to play with rookie Jordan Hancock and second-year Cole Bishop. WR Gabe Davis, who played for Jacksonville last season, injured his left knee in the fourth and was carted to the locker room and ruled out. WR Tyrell Shavers injured his left knee during a punt return but returned in the second half.
Jaguars RG Patrick Mekari (back) left in the third. LG Ezra Cleveland also was banged up and alternating plays with rookie Wyatt Milum. WR Parker Washington was evaluated for a concussion in the first half and cleared to return.
The Bills will play at Denver or New England next weekend.
The Jaguars will turn their attention toward improving a roster that lacked enough difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Buffalo Bills' Ray Davis, bottom right, fumbles a kickoff return from the Jacksonville Jaguars as teammate Baylon Spector (54) and Jacksonville Jaguars' Devin Lloyd (0) try to recover the ball during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets up after collecting a first down near the Jacksonville Jaguars end zone later in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) pushes in for a first down as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) tries to stop him during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
