Josh Allen is looking a lot more like the 2019 version

[Real McClappy]

3 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Call me crazy, but I kinda like that we can be clearly out of synch and still put up 35 points on a division opponent while shutting them out. Try to imagine this year’s D with last year’s offense. That is still quite possible. We could be VERY dangerous late in the year when trophies are being handed out. 

Thank you Augie. 

 

Once it all gets into Sync we will be a juggernaut. If this is winning ugly I can't wait to see what a pretty win looks like. 

[Mikie2times]

36 minutes ago, billybrew1 said:

Yes, it must be defenses are taking away what Josh excels at and I would say that he excels at deep medium passes that are fired in there. 

Most great QBs go thru rough times where things are taken away and the QB must grow. Hopefully Josh can adjust, grow and hopefully start hittting arcing over the shoulder passes.... I think if he can do this, our offense will start making big plays in bunches, and defenses back off of taking away what Allen does (or did) best.

Right know, or, after two weeks, Josh has been pretty poor so it is up to everyone else to get us past Washington and Houston. We absolutely need the good Allen to beat the chefs....

 

BTW, I would not count his last two playoff games as Josh Allen bad games. His receivers were all beat up and most were just decoys out there. That wasn't Josh's fault. Josh's poorer play started this year and probably has to do with signing that contract and defenses catching up to him.

 

Josh has two weeks to get back to Josh Allen 2020.

I don't have a problem not counting the playoff games. He looked the same, but it's the playoffs. So a little different.

 

As far as the defensive adjustments I think teams learned a few things last year. Daboll is happy to act like Marv Levy in our first Super Bowl, our OL is below average, and don't blitz Josh. Then the game plan becomes simple because all three concepts run together. Play 4 man fronts, drop everybody, try and get pressure with your front four using max coverage.

 

The Bills will still throw into it as we have saw. As we saw against Pittsburgh, eventually the line doesn't hold up. Blitzing Allen is futile. He just side steps blitzing players in an uncontrolled rush, it telegraphs your defense and just minuses a defender.  So all these things that teams did last year because that's just how you play normal defense, they aren't doing this year.

 

One way to get around all of these problems? Develop a real running game. If people don't recall, Josh is also elite in Play Action. I put this just as much on Daboll as anybody. Josh isn't going to get it done against the looks he's seeing. 

[SCBills]

2 hours ago, Process said:

He's been really, really, REALLY bad. Completely different player than last year. 

 

Hopefully he snaps out of it. We have 0 chance against KC with this version of Allen. 

He has not been REALLY bad.  
 

Posters like you make others shut down over what should be a legitimate conversation. 
 

Allen has been REALLY average through 2 games.   And yes, average is not beating KC.  
 

He needs to figure it out, because even his most ardent defenders would admit that they don’t feel very confident at all in him back there at the moment. 
 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by SCBills

[DJB]

We have played two teams with really good corners. 

 

Not worried at all atm. 

[Vertig0]

6 minutes ago, Logic said:

I watched the first game from the stands and the second from my couch, and it's seemed very clear to me that he hasn't had the same sharpness and accuracy that he displayed last season. I'd count roughly 8-10 plays so far where he just flat out missed a receiver that he wouldn't have missed last year. Yes, the line has failed him at times and yes, the playcalling has been puzzlingly bad at times. There have also been OTHER times, however, where Josh has a good playcall, has time, gets the open look he wants...and just misses his guy. 

 

100% agree.

 

Again, I think he'll be fine, but he's always been a self inflicted victim of hype. He came out of the tunnel in Buffalo to 'MVP' chants, he was given a $150+ million contract, he's getting national media attention and ads for the first time ever and the Bills are a super bowl favorite. 

 

Bundle all of that up given his personality and he's back to thinking that he needs to win the game every play. He's over throwing, over thinking and putting way to much pressure on himself. You can almost see it in his eyes. He wants it too badly and despite it all, you can't hate him for that. 

 

Give the kid a little time to re-ground himself, let his teammates show him "look Josh, you had a ***** day and we won 35-0, we got you, you don't have to do this alone, this is a team game" and let him realize that he doesn't need the constant self pressure and he'll be back to 2020, zero expectations Josh Allen. I'm confident he'll get there. 

[Marvlevydraftdaygenius]

20 minutes ago, ganesh said:

I am surprised they are not sending McKenzie down the sideline more often

I am hoping Marquez Stevenson, but yes McKenzie must be that guy that keeps that free safety deep.  If McKenzie can do that, I believe the Bills and Josh will be back of track.

[SCBills]

5 minutes ago, DJB said:

We have played two teams with really good corners. 

 

Not worried at all atm. 

I’m semi-worried, but expect Allen to get it together soon.  
 

That said, he doesn’t need kid gloves.. Derek Carr lit up the Steelers through the air today. 
 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by SCBills

[LanderPoke]

O line sucks ass this year and didn’t the Bills win 35-0 lmao. This thread smh

Edited September 20, 2021 by LanderPoke

[Logic]

7 minutes ago, Vertig0 said:

 

100% agree.

 

Again, I think he'll be fine, but he's always been a self inflicted victim of hype. He came out of the tunnel in Buffalo to 'MVP' chants, he was given a $150+ million contract, he's getting national media attention and ads for the first time ever and the Bills are a super bowl favorite. 

 

Bundle all of that up given his personality and he's back to thinking that he needs to win the game every play. He's over throwing, over thinking and putting way to much pressure on himself. You can almost see it in his eyes. He wants it too badly and despite it all, you can't hate him for that. 

 

Give the kid a little time to re-ground himself, let his teammates show him "look Josh, you had a ***** day and we won 35-0, we got you, you don't have to do this alone, this is a team game" and let him realize that he doesn't need the constant self pressure and he'll be back to 2020, zero expectations Josh Allen. I'm confident he'll get there. 

Great points here. I hadn't really thought of it from this angle.

I believe there's a good chance that you're correct.

It definitely seems like he's pressing, rather than just letting the game come to him. "Wanting it too bad" is obviously not the worst flaw a quarterback can have.

Quality post. Thanks!

1 minute ago, LanderPoke said:

O line sucks ass this year and didn’t the Bills win 35-0 lmao. This thread smh

The team played well enough to win, largely powered by a dominant defense and a quality running game.

Josh Allen, for the second week in a row, played just okay, with sub-60% completion percentage.

Both of these things can be true.

Normalize admitting that the quarterback has room for improvement while still being happy that the team won.

 

[Mikie2times]

26 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Call me crazy, but I kinda like that we can be clearly out of synch and still put up 35 points on a division opponent while shutting them out. Try to imagine this year’s D with last year’s offense. That is still quite possible. We could be VERY dangerous late in the year when trophies are being handed out. 

Honestly the truth is likely in the middle. Allen likely turns it around, who knows if it's to 2020's level, but much better than what we have seen. The defense likely takes a step back. All I'm basing this on is the fact that we have played two really bad offenses and two really good defenses. If I had to put confidence  in which one likely stays closer to it's current form as far as this season, I'm guessing defense. We will see. The defense is very encouraging. Rousseau is a steal for us. Epenesa is also turning it around. Kudos to the Bills for being patient with Epenesa. They seemed to have a vision of what he could be but that vision was a couple years out just with the way they wanted him to transform his body. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by KzooMike

[AuntieEm]

2 hours ago, CapitalRegionBillsFan said:

I rarely post because I most enjoy reading and learning but this topic has me frustrated. I get it, it’s two games and we can’t draw season-long conclusions with such little data. However, call it a feeling, Josh just doesn’t look the same. He’s missing what he made last year. He threw two lobs today that very easily could have been picked. 
 

I know we won and overall it was a nice road win. Defense was outstanding today. I’m thinking ahead, thinking division and playoffs because we are good enough to do that this early in the year but the Josh we have seen these last couple games isn’t going to cut it against good teams. 
 

I love Josh and I’m not saying anything silly like “it’s over” or “Josh isn’t the guy.” Nowhere near that sentiment. Just a little concerned. 

    

    Well Bills are now playing a division leader schedule. So he's gonna see better teams for one.  These first 2 games were against quality defenses, most knowledgeable fans will agree.  Now that Josh has arrived he's taken more seriously by opposing teams.  You won't hear many opposing players saying stupid stuff like. Jalen Ramsey's famous 'He's trash..." rant and that's mostly from respecting him as a gifted top QB, so they are gonna wanna look good by besting him. 

 

   They tried blitzing alot last year he was beating those attempts so defenses are trying new things and so far the team and Josh (it takes all players on offense to make it hum.... ) haven't figured out what are the best counters to what they are seeing on defense.  They will figure it out shortly, I don't doubt that with the players we have they are just learning this teams identity.

 

    And while 2020's identity was fun to watch offensively it still didn't get the job done so yes some tinkering is needed to get it just right.  Only so much you can tinker without seeing how your opponents play you and also how your team plays having last years success means you gotta be a few steps ahead of defenses who will be studying your film rather than shrugging you off as hey its only the bills as likely happened more often in the pre McBeane era.  So you have added more motivated opponents.  The good part is if the team can gel with proper counters then they become that much better of a team which is the goal to any successful season.  So let's see how the team identity this year unfolds as I'm still expecting a Lombardi at the end of this season.  I think we see Josh become better at reading defenses and getting the job done whatever works best.  

 

   I'm sure Josh wants to be racking up all the passing yards etc.  We all know he's capable after last year all 31 other teams dcs just watch his tape to know he's capable.  So he's lost the element of surprise that I think he still benefited from much of last season.  

    

     Does not mean he won't be pulling out a few new tricks during this season as he learns to counter what defenses are bringing this year.  

 

    Good news is the defense is playing better than last year so with playing a tougher schedule they aren't needing Josh to carry the team.  That takes a bit of adjusting to as well, especially when it got him mvp consideration, 2nd to Aaron Rodgers in votes.  

  

     Let's see how he plays against teams that don't have the defensive talent and abilities that Pitt and Miami do.  Context is important.  I think we see 2020 offense then.

[SCBills]

One thing I noticed was that he overthrew Singletary on a rope, and then followed it up throwing lollipops all over the place - one that Diggs managed to catch.  
 

I think he’s just in his head right now.  

[Weatherman]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

Faced two tough defenses so far. Give the offense some time to work it out. It's a long season.

 

We want the team to be hitting on all cylinders at the end of the season, not right now.

How’d he do against the Dolphins and Steelers last year?  He’s regressed this year so far and it’s not disputable. 

[Draconator]

[FireChans]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

Faced two tough defenses so far. Give the offense some time to work it out. It's a long season.

 

We want the team to be hitting on all cylinders at the end of the season, not right now.

McCorkle and Derek Carr played both those tough defenses.

[par73]

He struggled in the playoffs, and now in the first two games this year. He is lucky he didn't have a couple more picks today. His issues must be resolved, if the team wants to accomplish the ultimate goal.

[Dr.Mantis_Toboggan]

He's in his own head... I wasn't 100% sure after week 1, but the constant issues with ball placement, and then that bizarre under throw to Diggs???

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Dr.Mantis_Toboggan

[CincyBillsFan]

2 minutes ago, par73 said:

He struggled in the playoffs, and now in the first two games this year. He is lucky he didn't have a couple more picks today. His issues must be resolved, if the team wants to accomplish the ultimate goal.

Against a very good Indianapolis defense IN THE PLAYOFFS Allen went 26/35 for 324 yards and 2 TD's.  He also rushed 11 times for 54 yards and a TD.  That's a total of 378 yards and all three Bills TD's.  I would say Allen did not struggle in that playoff game.

 

Allen did not struggle in the Baltimore game.  He played as well as any QB could given the windy conditions.  And for sure he outplayed Lamar Jackson in that playoff game.

 

The narrative that Allen has "struggled" in the playoffs is BS IMO. Even in his two losses Allen played average, not great, but he was hardly awful in those two games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, Weatherman said:

How’d he do against the Dolphins and Steelers last year?  He’s regressed this year so far and it’s not disputable. 

Pretty small sample size don't you think?

 

 

[AuntieEm]

45 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

So you think the way our offense is playing is good enough to take us far in the playoffs? 
 

C’mon man…

 

    Yes, bottom line is the final score is the only factor that matters in the end.  Style points are maybe important for fantasy football, but in the real world its the only thing that matters. 

 

    I'd love for Josh to go on a amazing 500 yd per game, do nothing wrong, can't be stopped  whatever the defenses bring,  string of 15 games to finish the season as the most amazing defuting factor in "accuracy cannot be learned".  Fact  anything is learnable that doesn't require specific physical traits. For example,  I'm pretty confident that in a limbo competition that lil dirty McKenzie has a distinct advantage and be my pick to win over Josh Allen.  In the end though I don't care how the team wins the Lombardi at the end of the season.   First Td of season  Allen to Davis  kinda of appropriate  to quote Allen Davis "Just Win Baby". 

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, ScottLaw said:

He seems to get in his head a lot….. it’s the difference between him and Mahomes. 

Having Kelce also helps, but I wouldn’t disagree.