Getty Josh Allen scrambles in a playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Buffalo Bills put a big emphasis last offseason on quarterback Josh Allen taking fewer risks with his runs, hoping to cut down on the number of hits he would take over the course of a season and lowering the chances of injury.
As one insider notes, that message appears to have gotten through in a big way — but could be hurting the team’s offense.
Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski noted that Allen has been dedicated to staying in the pocket more often, sometimes turning down opportunities to take open running lanes and the chance to make up some big yardage on the ground. But with the Bills struggling on offense over the course of the last two games, that strategy is starting to get some criticism.
Josh Allen Avoiding Rushes
As Skurski noted, Allen has sometimes turned down the chance to scramble for big gains, which he has done in the past to great success. The Buffalo News reporter questioned if this was the right decision as it eliminated a big aspect of Allen’s game.
“It’s fair to wonder if the Bills have over corrected slightly when it comes to Allen running the football,” Skurski wrote. “One of the advantages of sitting in the press box is it’s often high enough up to really see the play develop, and on at least a few occasions this season, it has appeared like running lanes have been available to Allen, but he’s failed to take them.”
Though the Bills are still third in the NFL with 28.0 points per game, they have struggled on offense over the course of the last two weeks, an October 8 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and an October 15 win over the New York Giants. They were shut out for most of the first half against the Jaguars and did not get on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter against the Giants.
Skurski suggested that the Bills should take the reins off Allen a bit, allowing him to scramble more often as a way to “jump-start the offense.”
The new strategy is now surprise, however. After Allen played through much of the 2022 season hampered by an injured elbow, general manager Brandon Beane stressed in the offseason that the star quarterback needed to take fewer hits.
“The only thing I’d get on to him is he’s got too many bruises on him,” Beane said, via the Democrat & Chronicle. “And we’ve got to work on taking less hits. That’s the only reason I’m going to ever criticize Josh is just take less hits.”
Bills Have Chance to Rebound
The Bills could have a chance to turn things around this week as they face the 1-5 New England Patriots, who have one of the league’s worst defenses.
The Bills are not taking the divisional foe lightly, however. Head coach Sean McDermott noted the team’s history of success under head coach Bill Belichick, even if those fortunes have declined since the departure of Tom Brady in 2020.
“We’ve got great respect for the Patriots and what they’ve accomplished,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “They have a deep history of winning and that’s not easy to do in this league.”
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Insider Criticizes Big Change in Bills QB Josh Allen’s Game