- One of the best early stories of the NFL season has been the success of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
- The highly criticized first-round pick seems to have turned the corner in his third season.
- But has he? Or is his apparent success due in part to lesser competition?
Three weeks into the NFL season, the favorite to win MVP is none other than Russell Wilson. Of course, Patrick Mahomes is within striking distance, as are Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, and Kyler Murray. The most intriguing possibility is a guy no one saw coming—Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
But with what he has done so far, it is impossible to exclude him from the conversation. Many in the media already have him there:
“Josh Allen has it all going on and is the most entertaining player in football right now.”
📺: @GMFB pic.twitter.com/YdhMAUwgYd
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 28, 2020
Allen has completed 71.1% (seventh in NFL) of his passes for 1,038 yards (second) and ten touchdowns (second) with just one interception. Not only that, but he has tacked on two additional touchdowns in the run game, has the fourth-best QBR (85.0), and second-highest passer rating (124.8).
Oh—and hiss Bills are 3-0.
So, not only does he look fantastic, but he is getting results. Bills fans will make sure his name remains in MVP conversations in the future. But they would also like something else, not for themselves, but Allen.
Respect.
The Josh Allen Apology Form
When Allen came out of Wyoming following the 2017 college football season, many draft analysts saw great things in his future. Others thought differently, and it is not hard to see why. His stats did not look good as a starter (barely completed 56% of his passes) against the lesser competition of the Mountain West Conference.
He didn’t win games, either. As a starter, his record was just 16-11.
But the Buffalo Bills were believers and took him with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 draft. But after two lackluster seasons, many were starting to consider him a bust—then the 2020 season got underway.
The ‘bust’ talk is now gone and has been replaced with MVP talk. But loyal fans have not forgotten what people have been saying about their quarterback. Now that everyone wants to praise him, they are demanding an apology—and even created a form to make it easier to fill out:
While he has played well this season, that was not the case for the last two seasons. It is not unusual for players to turn the corner in Year 3, which raises a question.
Is It Time to Jump on the Josh Allen Bandwagon?
No one likes to be the last to jump on board the bandwagon when a new star takes off. But the answer to the question is no. It is not time to jump on the Josh Allen bandwagon.
Yes, he is off to a great start this season with 300+ yards passing each game and a 3-0 record. However, three great games do not erase two lackluster seasons. That is especially true since two of those wins are against the Sam Darnold and the dismal New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.
Okay, so the comeback against the Rams was remarkable. Allen shredded their defense for 311 yards and four touchdowns. It was a great game on his part, and the final touchdown throw was a beautiful one:
For the win! #LARvsBUF | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/1RuUkISEjF
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 27, 2020
But had they not gotten that pass interference call on fourth down late in the game, they would be 2-1, and no one would be talking about them.
So—bandwagon time?
Not yet. Wait until Allen and the Bills face Cam Newton and the Patriots in Week Eight. If they win, then absolutely jump on board…if you can find room.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
