Getty Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills during the first half of the game against the Miami Dolphins on September 25, 2022.
Bill Belichick doesn’t think a midseason slump is knocking Josh Allen off the top of the league’s quarterback ladder.
The New England Patriots coach shared some praise for Allen ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills, taking note of his dual threat as a passer and ballcarrier. Allen is shaking off a midseason slump that included a stretch where he threw six interceptions over a three-game span, but has since led the Bills to two straight victories. A win for the Bills against the Patriots would at least temporarily break a tie atop the AFC East and help them stay in contention for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
Belichick Sees Allen as MVP Candidate
Speaking to reporters this week, Belichick said the Bills quarterback can will his team to win in a number of ways, using both his arm and his legs. Allen is the team’s leading rusher with 561 yards and five rushing touchdowns, ahead of running back Devin Singletary who has 552 yards and three touchdowns.
Belichick said he believes that puts Allen in the running for league MVP.
“They’re explosive [in the passing game] on offense,” Belichick said, via SI.com’s Patriots Country. “Allen’s the leading rusher, so that tells you all you need to know about what you have to defend every time he touches the ball, it could be any number of things and does them all well. Great player, certainly an MVP candidate. He does a lot for their team in a lot of ways.”
Josh Allen last 4 games vs Patriots (including postseason)
W-L 3-1
PPG 32.0
TD-INT 13-0
Allen came into the season as the odds-on favorite to win MVP, but has since fallen off as he slumped and the team lost two straight.
They have the chance to continue on the right track with a win over the Patriots, and Allen has had plenty of success in New England as of late. Over the last two games at Gillette Stadium, the Bills quarterback has thrown for 634 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
Allen Back to Full Health
Allen will go into Thursday’s game at full health after having spent the last three games bothered by an elbow injury suffered in the November 6 loss to the New York Jets. He was a full practice participant for the first time since the injury.
So just how fast did Josh Allen throw this football?
The ball traveled 45.1 Air Yards in 1.566 seconds. That means that Josh Allen threw this football ~58.91 MPH 🤯
The Bills will still be dealing with a number of other injuries, however. Starting left tackle Dion Dawkins was ruled out of Thursday’s game after suffering an ankle injury in the Thanksgiving Day win over the Detroit Lions. Edge rusher Von Miller will also miss the Patriots game after suffering a knee injury last week. Though there were some initial fears that he may have torn an ACL, Miller revealed his week that he suffered a lateral meniscus injury and could return in a matter of weeks.
Miller said this week that he hopes to miss only one game, saying he could return for the team’s rematch with the Jets in Week 14.
“It’s going to have to be addressed, but I do feel like I can play through that,” Miller said on the November 29 episode of The Voncast on Bleacher Report. “So, I’m just gonna wait a little bit, wait a little bit, let the swelling go down for about seven to 10 days. And hopefully, right before the Jets game, I will be back.”
“I can tell you this: you have not seen the last of Von Miller,” Miller added. “I’m gonna miss this week, but I think every other week after this, I should be able to give it a shot.”