Getty Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
The Buffalo Bills have the best odds to win the Super Bowl heading into the 2022 NFL season, and one of the biggest reasons the franchise has earned such hype is because superstar Josh Allen is their quarterback.
Last season, Allen threw for 4,407 passing yards and 36 touchdowns, and with an upgraded offensive line, and new weapons in the receivers room, the 26-year-old quarterback looks to have another break-out year.
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According to Fox Sports 1 analyst Emmanuel Acho, Allen is the obvious No. 1 “Scariest QB” in the NFL, outranking Kansas Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady, Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, and Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers.
Allen “is scary because he’s an aggregation of all these dudes on the list,” Acho says. “He can be in that perfect zone coverage, and Josh Allen will have that ball zoom right by you. Or he might tuck and run right that joint. And then worse, [he’s] big enough to truck you if you sleep. At 6-foot-5, 240 [pounds] — If you sit here and try to squat down and make the tackle, you might end up on your back.”
“You’ve seen him hurdle tackle several defenders,” Acho continues, noting how “he can embarrass you with his legs and his arms.”
In fact, the word “scary” when describing Allen has become a popular term this offseason. Former Bills quarter Ryan Fitzpatrick appeared on Rich Gaenzler’s “Bull in the Basement” podcast on June 2, during which he discussed the mounting fear surrounding the former No. 7 overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft.
“He continues to get better and better every year, which is a really scary thought,” Fitzpatrick said.
“I think we can all remember he was a 50 or 52 … 55% passer a couple of years ago and now, he’s just absolutely deadly. The accuracy, the decision-making. … He looks bigger and different from anyone else on the field. Couple that will guys love playing with him and playing for him, that’s a pretty good combination right there.”
Allen finished the 2021 season with a 63.3% completion rate, per Pro Football Reference.
NFL.com Ranked Allens as the No. 2 ‘Scariest QB’
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While Allen is forever No. 1 in Bills Mafia’s hearts, according to NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks, he still ranks behind his AFC rival, who has Mahomes in the No. 1 spot.
Like Acho, Brooks points out Allen’s dominating stature, calling him a “freak show at the position, possessing super-sized dimensions with A-plus arm talent and athleticism” while having “the capacity to throw the ball over the top of the defense or run through a defense on designed QB runs and impromptu scrambles.”
“As a modern-day single-wing quarterback with a unique set of skills, opposing coaches must craft game plans that account for a dynamic runner and thrower at the position,” Brooks continued.
“With few defenses housing enough athletes, particularly at the second level, with the size, length and strength to get Allen to the ground, the stuff the box or fall back into coverage dilemma created by Allen’s skills make it hard for defensive coordinators to rest easy when prepping for the Bills.”
The Biggest Question Mark Concerning Allen Is How He’ll Fare Without Brian Daboll
GettyJosh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills talks to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll during training camp at Highmark Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
The discussion over whether Allen would be where he is without former offensive coordinator Brain Daboll, and how Daboll will fare as head coach of the New York Giants without an elite quarterback leading the team, is an X-factor for both men heading into the 2022 NFL season.
Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson tweeted on June 16, “If Josh Allen never happened, Brian Daboll’s resume looks verrrrry different. & I think it’s pretty unclear who or what was primarily responsible for Allen’s development. This is a downer of a tweet, but just struck me today looking through his career.”
NFL Draft analyst Joe Marino believes the credit goes beyond just Allen and Daboll. Marino tweeted, “Boring response but I believe the person most responsible for Josh Allen’s growth is Josh Allen. He embraced the areas he needed to get better and made it happen. Daboll, McDermott, Beane and Jordan Palmer deserve plenty of credit but Josh himself gets the most credit IMO.”
A Cover 1 sports host used an outside example in his argument. He tweeted, “If Tom Brady never happened, Bill Belichick’s resume looks verrrrry different. & I think it’s pretty unclear who or what was primarily responsible for Brady’s development. This is a downer of a tweet, but just struck me today looking through his career.”
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