Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has consistently said he doesn’t care much about personal accolades.
The same apparently applies to criticism.
Allen spoke out this week about being voted the league’s “most overrated” player from an ESPN survey of 100 anonymous players. Appearing on “The Facility” on FS1 on September 20, Allen shared some strong feelings about the poll and how much stock he puts into it.
Josh Allen’s Three-Word Response to Poll
In his Friday appearance, Allen was asked by former teammate LeSean McCoy what he thought about the poll naming him the league’s most overrated player. Allen said he saw it as a reflection of his and the team’s success over the last seven seasons.
“I loved it,” Allen said. “I’m a logical guy and I understand what the NFL is. There’s 32 teams. There’s 31 other fanbases and players that I hope despise me and are absolutely sick of me, because that means I’m doing the right thing on the field for the Buffalo Bills.”
Allen added that he sees the title as a positive, adding that the only opinions he really values are the ones inside his own organization.
“I think it’s a term of endearment and respect when guys don’t like me or don’t think I’m that great,” he continued. “I can tell you one thing, the guys that are in this building don’t think that way.”
It’s more than just opposing players calling Allen overrated, however. In ESPN’s preseason ranking of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, an unnamed league executive called out Allen for his mistakes and said he was one of the league’s most overrated players.
“One of the more overrated players in the NFL,” the executive told ESPN, according to Jeremy Fowler’s July 15 story. “Immense talent but he makes a lot of mistakes. He’s underdeveloped at winning at the line of scrimmage, tends to lock on to targets, more of a thrower than precision passer, forces throws into traffic.”
Bills general manager Brandon Beane stuck up for Allen, telling WGR 550 reporter Sal Capaccio that he doesn’t put any stock into anonymous criticism.
“These things that come out,” Beane said. “I know people love the rankings of whoever, but when you don’t put your name to it and you make comments like that, like, who is this executive? Executive’s a loose term. I was probably referred to as an executive well before I should have been.”
When asked why he might think others see Allen as overrated, the Bills general manager had a succinct response.
“Sal, there’s idiots everywhere,” Beane replied.
Josh Allen’s Singular Focus
Allen has gotten off to a strong start this season, completing 73.8% of his passes so far this season for 371 total yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Allen added another two rushing touchdowns.
Though he has been named as an early MVP candidate, Allen said on Friday that he’s more concerned with another trophy.
“I can give two ‘you know whats’ about winning the MVP,” Allen said. “The only thing I care about is raising that Lombardi Trophy.”
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