Getty Former Super Bowl champion and NFL MVP Kurt Warner (L) offers his brutally honest assessment of Bills quarterback Josh Allen (R) ahead of the playoffs.
When the Buffalo Bills take on the New England Patriots for the Wild Card Playoff game on Saturday, January 15, all eyes will be on quarterback Josh Allen, as he’s single-handedly taken the team’s offense on his back to lead them into the postseason.
The 25-year-old franchise star ranked eighth in passing yards (4,407), and seventh in passing touchdowns (36) during the regular season, and because Allen’s a dual-threat stud, he also recorded 763 yards rushing, including 54 rushing first downs, per The Athletic, and six rushing touchdowns.
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Despite this, Allen was snubbed by the Pro Bowl this year, and former Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner offered his opinion on why this is to Go Long‘s Tyler Dunne.
Warner was critical of Allen’s performance last year, and he remains doubtful that the 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback can deliver this postseason. Why? Because his “technique” is still lacking,
Warner explained, “The thing about Josh is he doesn’t quite make enough layups for me to say he’s there yet. Whether that’s the right read most of the time or, when he sees it, to make the throw he’s supposed to make. He still misses too many throws for me because of his technique. He still misses too many reads for me.”
Josh Allen scrambles in a 2 minute situation where the Bills have no timeouts.
After he gets a chunk of yards he ends up pitching it to Knox who gets out of bounds and stops the clock. Embrace the chaos of Josh Allen.
This is also why Warner won’t be betting on the Bill to make it to the Super Bowl:
When you get to the playoffs against good teams, you don’t get the ability to have an off day. If you don’t hit those plays, usually you’re going home because you’ve got to do that three or four times in a row and most guys don’t fall into three or four games in a row of consistency and making the layups when that’s not who they are yet or what we’ve seen in the past.
Warner Says Allen Keeps Missing ‘Those Layups’ That Top QBs Usually Make
GettyJosh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills scrambles against the New York Jets during the first quarter at Highmark Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York.
Warner, who spent 12 seasons in the NFL, “may watch more film of quarterbacks than any ex-player,” according to Dunne, did offer numerous compliments about Allen’s fearless style of play.
“He overcomes it a lot of times — especially against more average teams — because he’s a freak. I mean, he’s ridiculous,” Warner said, noting how much Allen’s has grown and improved since joining the NFL.
Kurt Warner breaking down one of Josh Allen’s throws from the 2020 season. Really great breakdown that shows Josh’s maturation
via Kurt Warner x QB Confidential on YT
“I just think he’s a really good athlete right now who’s getting better in the pocket. He’s probably the best example we have right now of a playmaker that has evolved and gotten better as a passer to the point where he elevates this team and gives this team a chance.”
However, Warner said Allen “hasn’t quite crossed over that threshold yet for me to say he’s a really good pocket passer that has extra. The top guys in the league make those layups most of the time. Josh isn’t there yet where he’s in the ‘most of the time’ category where it’d really transcend himself to that next level.”
Allen’s Performance Dips Sharply in Cold Weather
GettyJosh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Highmark Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York.
It may seem superfluous to discuss how cold it will be in Buffalo in January, but when the Bills host the Patriots on Saturday, there’s a 30% chance of snow in what’s expected to be single-digit temperatures, and Allen doesn’t play as well in frigid weather.
The Athletic‘s Matthew Fairburn reported, “Allen has played five games in his career where the temperature at kickoff was 31 degrees or colder. The Bills are 3-2 in those games, and Allen has a completion percentage of 50.3 percent with 883 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions.”
While inclement weather will obviously affect the Patriots’ performance as well, “the difference is the Bills lean on their passing game a lot more than the Patriots do,” Fairburn noted.
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Former NFL MVP Rips Apart Bills QB Josh Allen: He ‘Isn’t There Yet’