Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a polarizing player. Some see him as a potential franchise savior while others are more skeptical of his NFL readiness. One thing that’s for certain, however, is the fact that he has the potential to thrive in Buffalo.
The buffalo bills news today is a blog post from the Buffalo Bills website. It discusses how Josh Allen can thrive, but the team needs to find balance on offense.
6 a.m. ET
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ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg
NEW YORK’S ORCHARD PARK — After the team’s 23-16 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, Emmanuel Sanders revealed a difficult reality to teammate Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Sanders informed his buddy, “Man, these next seven days are going to stink.”
After beginning the season 0-1 and facing the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, Sanders claimed the Bills were left with a “terrible taste in our mouths” (1 p.m. ET, Fox). The offense, which came into the season with great hopes, particularly when it came to quarterback Josh Allen, bore the brunt of the blame for the disappointing defeat.
Allen had a near-MVP-caliber season in 2020, ranking second in MVP voting after throwing for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns on 69.2 percent of his throws. He outperformed his prior seasons to the point that speculation in the lead-up to the 2021 season focused on whether his performance could be maintained.
Naturally, those concerns were reinforced when the Bills labored against one of the NFL’s most probable top defenses, with Allen completing 30 of 51 passes for 270 yards and a score.
In a Week 1 defeat to the Steelers, Josh Allen and the Bills offense didn’t have their finest day. USA TODAY Sports’ Mark Konezny
Jim Kelly, a former quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, knows the expectations that come with being a part of a Super Bowl contender.
As part of the Your Cancer Story campaign, Kelly, a three-time head and neck cancer survivor, talked with ESPN.
Kelly echoed Allen’s view, saying, “One thing I’ve learned in my life is you put those bad things behind you, you learn from them, and you go on.” “You don’t simply let things soak in and remain there in your head. You have to learn from them, and I’ve been extremely successful at that, going to Super Bowls and not winning them. You put it on the back burner and go on with your life.”
The Steelers were held responsible for a lot of things, including the offensive line. Daryl Williams, the right tackle, battled against T.J. Watt, the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player. Allen completed 3 of 14 throws for 29 yards while under pressure versus Pittsburgh.
Instead of dwelling on the flaws, the quarterback is attempting to turn the experience into a learning experience.
This week, Allen remarked, “You learn more in defeats than you do in victories.” “Having it early on, particularly, really sort of reset our focus, and [forced] us to concentrate on certain areas we need to improve on,” says the author.
“Perhaps we wouldn’t be working on some of the things we’re working on today if we had won that game. There’s always an advantage to it, particularly early on, but you don’t want to make it a habit.”
With a game on the road against a division opponent, the Bills are looking to avoid their second 0-2 start under coach Sean McDermott. Fortunately for the Bills’ offense and Allen, the Dolphins haven’t presented much of a challenge over the last three seasons.
Allen has 20 total touchdowns, four interceptions, a 64 percent completion rate, and an average of 258.7 passing yards per game in six outings versus the Dolphins. The Bills are 5-1 in those games, with five games scoring 31 points or more (all wins).
Allen, for example, has played five games versus the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, but has scored less than ten touchdowns in each of those games.
• Kelly: Offensive balance can help Allen • Steelers’ Heyward becomes better with age • Williams eyes big contract year • Raiders’ Crosby isn’t complacent • Eagles’ Smith is breaking out of his shell
Allen, according to Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, “doesn’t have any flaws.”
However, the Bills’ offense struggled on third downs in Week 1. After topping the league in third down conversions in 2020, the club went 8-of-18 (44 percent) this year (49.7 percent ).
One of the reasons for this was the difficulty in gaining yards on first and second down. On those downs, Allen averaged 5.03 yards per attempt, which was the second-lowest in Week 1. (Matt Ryan, 4.87).
Playing against the Dolphins may provide you a chance to develop in this area. New England converted 68.8% of third downs against Miami (third most in the NFL in Week 1).
Another thing the Bills should concentrate on this week? Kelly was the one who brought it up.
The Bills’ great quarterback stated he’d want to see Buffalo run the ball more — Allen passed 51 times in Week 1, and the Bills only had 15 rushing attempts, though Devin Singletary had some success (11 carries for 72 yards). Last week, the Dolphins gave up 125 running yards to the Patriots.
“[Allen’s] learning, even though he didn’t play very well this past game, I don’t believe anybody did,” Kelly added. “But the basic truth is that he’s extremely talented, a terrific athlete, and he’s coached well.
“They’ve put him in a system where he can flourish, and he’s surrounded by wonderful people. I just wish they utilized the running game a little bit more, because No. 17 shouldn’t be under too much pressure.”
The buffalo sabres news is a blog that covers the Buffalo Sabres. It was founded by Jim Kelly, who played for the Buffalo Bills.
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