Can Josh Allen finally break out for the Buffalo Bills in this critical season?

With Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, high expectations were placed upon the Buffalo Bills to take over as AFC East Champions. This is a team that has a stacked defense that will make opposing quarterbacks quiver at the knees and added star receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason.

But there’s one question mark that can potentially hold back the Bills: quarterback Josh Allen. But given the amount of talent surrounding him, is this the year Allen finally earns himself a Pro Bowl nomination?

The Buffalo Bills need Josh Allen to make a big step up

Despite playing at Wyoming, Allen was a highly-touted prospect entering the 2018 NFL Draft. He had the prototypical build and hand size that team scouts gawked over, and boasted insane throwing power. But, he did have issues with accuracy, which became a divisive topic among draft experts. Some thought it was on him, while others believed it was due to his lackluster receivers.

No team loved Allen more than the Bills, as they looked to trade up at numerous occasions to select him. Luckily for them, the Buccaneers bit at their offer and received their franchise signal caller.

If there’s one bright spot to Allen’s game at the pro level, it’s his mobility. Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Allen rushed for 1,141 yards and 17 touchdowns on 198 carries (5.8 yards/attempt). He’s no Lamar Jackson, but he’s effective.

But when it comes to passing the ball, Allen has been frustrating to watch. In particular, we’re talking about placing the ball in his receivers hands. In 2018, 78 of his 320 pass attempts were deemed poor throws (25.7%), according to Pro Football Reference. Even with a “better” receiving corps this past season, Allen’s accuracy numbers were almost as bad. On 461 passes, 88 of them were determined to be bad (20.3%).

So in his rookie season, one out of every four throws were bad. In 2019, one-of-five Allen passes were uncatchable. Those are numbers you don’t want to see out of your starting quarterback.

For comparisons sake, Lamar Jackson (17.5%), Patrick Mahomes (18.3%), and even Sam Darnold (17.8%) had lower bad throw percentages than Allen.

Final decision

The addition of Diggs isn’t going to help Allen become a Pro Bowler if he can’t hit any of his receivers between the numbers. Allen can throw the ball as hard and as far as he wants, but it doesn’t matter if he single-handedly hinders Buffalo’s chances of clinching wins while on the field.

Until he finds a way to improve his accuracy, Allen shouldn’t expect a trip to the Pro Bowl following the 2020 regular season.

Answer: No

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If you expected Josh Allen’s contract to come close to Patrick Mahomes’, you’re in for disappointment.

The Kansas Chiefs shocked the world by signing Patrick Mahomes to a 10-year contract worth potentially up to $500 million, an incomprehensible number and the largest contract in sports history.

There are tons of angles to consider here: How does the contract compare to other top-paid athletes? Is Mahomes, or any NFL player for that matter, worth the money? Considering the latter question, some players may come to mind in Mahomes’ region, but Josh Allen is not one of them.

If you wanted to be sure, though, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News let us all know that is the case. Skurski cites Mahomes’ Super Bowl trophy, MVP award and reputation as one of the league’s fastest rising quarterbacks in history as reasons for that. Allen is a good quarterback with a bright future, but not quite with merit like Mahomes. As such, he will come nowhere close to Mahomes’ contract when an extension is in store.

Josh Allen is unlikely to receive an offer from the Bills like Patrick Mahomes’.

Skurski knows that too, which he pointed out in his Buffalo News article.

Drawing any conclusions on what Mahomes’ contract might mean for Allen is, at this point, a waste of time.

If discussing the implications is pointless, then why do it?

Well, that’s not for us to decide. Regardless, Skurski does make some interesting points, primarily in what Mahomes’ contract means for two other quarterbacks due to be paid, Dak Prescott and DeShaun Watson, while drawing insightful comparisons as well.

Maybe the headline should have been a little different, though.

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An AFC East coach doesn’t see Cam Newton starting Week 1 for the Patriots.

Apparently, there’s an AFC East coach who doubts Cam Newton‘s starting abilities.

According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, one AFC East head coach she spoke with doesn’t think Newton will even be the starting quarterback for the Patriots when the season starts.

While Russini is just doing her job, this is precisely why the New England Patriots have won the AFC East 17 times in the last 19 years. During his two decades of dominance, Bill Belichick is a major reason the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets have run through head coaches like Larry King does wives. New England has made those three franchises look so stupid.

If there was a division you’d hear a quote like this emanating out of, it would be the AFC East -1000 if a Las Vegas sportsbook wanted to set a line for this kind of inherent dysfunction. By saying Newton’s not going to start Week 1, that means he’s going to start Week 1 and single-handedly destroy everything you hold sacred on the football field. Yes, Belichick is that petty.

Whether you want to call it an investigation or what it really is, a witch hunt, we’re absolutely going there in trying to find out which AFC East head coach was dumb enough to text that to Russini. Surely, that source has been burned after he’s now swimming in a pool of three. So which of these three amigos said it: Sean McDermott, Brian Flores or Adam Gase? We need to know!

Which AFC East coach doesn’t think Cam Newton will start Week 1?

Sean McDermott

Head Coach Buffalo Bills

Sean McDermott used to be on the Carolina Panthers’ coaching staff.

When Sean McDermott’s name comes up associated with this type of nonsense, the first thing you think of is to immediately cross his name off the list. His Buffalo Bills were, and still may be, the favorites to win the AFC East this year. What he and general manager Brandon Beane are building in Orchard Park has the potential to be something truly special.

One would think McDermott and his Bills are too focused on winning to worry about what the Patriots are doing. However, no team has been owned more shamelessly by the Patriots for the last two decades than the Bills. Buffalo going 0-for vs. New England is a Western New York rite of passage. Plus, let’s not forget where McDermott used to work before he came to Buffalo.

McDermott was the defensive coordinator under Ron Rivera with the Carolina Panthers. They are the former employer of both McDermott and Newton. While Newton was insanely talented, a hard worker and a likable guy, his reputation for being high maintenance and a lot of work have stuck with him throughout his 10-year NFL career out of Auburn. McDermott may have some thoughts.

Buffalo had every opportunity to bring Newton in as Josh Allen’s backup. They are of a similar Ben Roethlisberger prototype as starting quarterbacks. Yet, the Bills decided it’ll be either Matt Barkley or Jake Fromm who back up Allen this year and that’ll be good enough. McDermott and Leslie Frazier’s defense can game plan against Newton, but McDermott too smart to say this, right?

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The Buffalo Bills should still be the favorites to win the AFC East in 2020

With Cam Newton signed, sealed and delivered to the New England Patriots, fans in Boston are already dreaming of another trip to the postseason and potentially to the Super Bowl. With all due respect to Newton, a former NFL MVP, are those fans kidding?

While there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Newton and his move to the AFC East, let’s not pretend like the Pats are immediately the favorites to once again bring home the division title. You simply can’t just write off the Buffalo Bills, folks.

FOX Sports radio host Colin Cowherd thinks Newton will help the Patriots win nine games and finish behind the Bills in the AFC East that suddenly could be a compelling race.

“Sports are fun if you win… Nobody in New England is going to have fun winning 9 games and finishing second to the Buffalo Bills.”@ColinCowherd reacts to comments from Randy Moss that Patriots offense will have more fun with Cam Newton: pic.twitter.com/9xUHTMlUsI

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 1, 2020

Injury concerns will surround Cam Newton throughout the season in New England

Are we forgetting that the Bills had an unreal campaign in 2019, and are only going to get better on offense after trading for stud receiver Stefon Diggs? Last fall, Buffalo shocked plenty of NFL fans, going 10-6 and earning a Wild Card spot. The Pats finished 12-4, of course, leading to their AFC East crown.

However, just because Newton is in town, that doesn’t mean New England is going to be as electric as we’re used to seeing. The big question mark surrounding Newton is if he’ll be able to stay healthy for a full season, something he hasn’t been able to accomplish since 2017.

There’s a reason the Pats only signed him to a one-year contract. With all of his injury concerns, there’s a worry he could get banged up again. If that’s the case and the Pats need to turn to presumed No. 2 quarterback Jarrett Stidham, there’s just no way New England will cruise to an AFC East title.

Regardless of who’s the starter for the Patriots, Buffalo only got stronger this offseason and is poised to send a strong message to the rest of the AFC this campaign. While Pats nation might be riding high right now with the Newton signing, Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Diggs and others will be ready to silence them in the coming months.

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Josh Allen just went all-in on challenging himself, thanks to a catchy nickname. 

Josh Allen needs a nickname, but it’s never going to be “Captain Checkdown.”

The Buffalo Bills franchise quarterback is entering his third year out of Wyoming. While his team has been one of the better clubs in the AFC in the last three years, Allen isn’t about to change the way he plays the game of football.

“I’m not going to be Captain Checkdown,” said Allen. “I’m going to continue to play the game the way I love it.”

When Allen went No. 7 overall to Buffalo in the 2018 NFL Draft, it was met with both praise and criticism. On the positive side of things, he was going to a team with a strong defense and a great coaching staff. His howitzer of a right arm and mobility would be great fits in the harsh Northeastern winters. Though raw as a prospect, Buffalo was an ideal landing spot for him.

As for the criticism, Allen got worse in his final year at Wyoming. He struggled mightily against Power 5 competition vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Oregon Ducks in 2017. Accuracy issues and not exactly dominating the Mountain West as an upperclassmen were major concerns about the high variance he’d have as a pro prospect with major bust potential. It doesn’t look to be the case.

Don’t tell Josh Allen to be a game-manager at the quarterback position.

Despite never completing 60 percent of his passes in his first two years in the league, Allen has gone 15-12 in 27 career starts. He went 10-6 last year, as the Bills made the AFC playoffs for the first time with him on the team. Allen completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 3,089 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s really finding his own in Brian Daboll’s offensive system.

All the while, Allen has emerged as one of the better dual-threat playmakers in the game. He has 1,141 career rushing yards on 198 carries and 17 additional trips to pay dirt as a ball carrier. Though he’ll never lead the league in most major passing statistics, Allen can be a Pro Bowler as early as year three in the league out of Buffalo. His style of play is working, if you can believe that.

Despite his ball security issues, which were firmly on display in the AFC Wild Card game loss on the road to the Houston Texans, the Bills don’t need him to become “Captain Checkdown”. Frankly, it wasn’t all that long ago they had the epitome of “Captain Checkdown” starting games for them in Trent Edwards. That passing philosophy led to a lot of not making the NFL playoffs.

With the addition of Stefon Diggs as Buffalo’s undisputed No. 1 wide receiver, look for Allen to get over the 60-percent completion threshold as early as this season. We won’t go as far as saying he’ll complete 65 percent of his passes and approach 4,000 yards through the air, but the next progression of Allen as a passer is inevitably coming.

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Buffalo projects as the third-best team in the AFC behind the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs in some order. Should the Bills win the AFC East and maybe a playoff game or two, look for Daboll to become an NFL head coach for the first time in the 2021 season. By him helping Allen get the most out of his talent, it’s clear Daboll is on the fast track of leading his own team soon.

Though it may feel a little extra at times, don’t look for Allen to change how he plays quarterback.

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Cole Beasley champions his full support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Cole Beasley realizes somethings are more important than catching footballs in the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills slot receiver has carved out a solid eight-year career after going undrafted out of SMU. As one of the better slot receivers in the game today, Beasley is one of the more recognizable players on Sean McDermott’s Bills. He is using his platform to speak out on social justice issues in the fight for racial equality in the very important Black Lives Matter movement.

On Wednesday, Beasley tweeted out a lengthy message on how he feels about these issues at hand. The aspiring rapper released a song titled “United Hates of America 2020” as a way he can affect change, with all the proceeds from the streams and downloads going towards 9inety-10, a non-profit that gives underprivileged kids access to living healthy through sports and exercise.

“Too long…for far too long in my life I have looked the other way,” Beasley said. “As a father of three bi-racial kids and as someone who loves to rap, I am embarrassed, really. Growing up as a white kid, I never had to go through the hardships that black people endure every day in this country.”

“One of the first steps to recovery is first admitting that you have a problem or that you were wrong. I have been wrong for a long time. I have remained ignorant as much as it kills me to say. Not only have I failed black people, but I have failed my sons and daughter up to this point by turning the other way.”

“This is too important of a time in our country to just sit by and scroll through everything that is happening before us. Every single person matters. No role is too small. Nothing you do is too little. Every bit is going to matter. Just please do something…#BlackLivesMatter.”

Cole Beasley is affecting change in the fight for racial equality.

Beasley plays in the same media market where police officers think it’s okay to shove a 75-year-old man to the concrete and watch him bleed profusely out of the back of his head continue on with their day. All major cities have been affected by the George Floyd protests of the last few weeks, but that Buffalo episode was a complete and total disgrace by law enforcement.

The Bills are everything in Western New York. Despite playing in one of the smaller media markets in the country, Buffalo should field one of the better teams in the AFC this year. Maybe the Bills will win the AFC East for the first time since Jim Kelly was still playing for them in the mid-1990s? If Beasley and the Bills offense matches the strong defense, this team could be very special.

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Once again, somethings are bigger than football. Beasley admitting publicly that he’s been silent for far too long on the racial injustices in this country is a huge step in the right direction. He may not be the face of the Bills franchise, but he too has a platform where he can affect change right there in Buffalo, as well as his native Texas. Good for him to putting something positive in motion.

Beasley may have “looked the other way” before, but he knows somethings are too important.

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Tremaine Edmunds’ rise as a leader means big things for the Buffalo Bills.

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is well on his way to being a superstar in the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills linebacker already has a Pro Bowl nod under his belt after only two years in the league. Nobody has made more tackles than the 236 ball carriers Edmunds has wrapped up the last two years. Not only does he stem from a proud football family with a Pro Bowl father and his two brothers playing nearby with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Edmunds only just turned 22.

While the Bills have been a good football team throughout the entire Sean McDermott era in Orchard Park, Buffalo has lot two key leaders on the defensive side of the ball over the last two years in linebacker Lorenzo Alexander and defensive tackle Kyle Williams to retirement. Fortunately, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier thinks it’s Edmunds’ time to lead in Buffalo.

“When you look at the fact that he’s just going to third season and just turning 22, so young, so much promise ahead of him, and he’s achieved so much already,” said Frazier to CBSSports.com. “I mean, to already be recognized as one of our leaders on our team and on our defense. We’re very, very fortunate to have him.”

“He’s the epitome of what you would want to one of your star players to be, one of your leaders to be. A guy you don’t have to worry about late at night. You know he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be, you know he’s going to do what he’s supposed to do when it comes to football. We’re just very very fortunate to have him as a star player for the Buffalo Bills for sure.”

Tremaine Edmunds can lead by example towards an AFC East division title.

Frazier is part of an impressive coaching staff in Orchard Park. Along with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, both could end up being candidates for head-coaching gigs if all goes according to plan for Buffalo this fall. So will this be the first season since Jim Kelly was their superstar quarterback that the Bills finally win the AFC East? They are favored to do so in 2020.

For the Bills to win the division, they will need Edmunds to take on a bigger leadership role on the defensive side of the ball. We know he’s going to do that because that’s the upward trajectory of where his promising NFL career is going. However, the Bills need to see more out of his draft classmate Josh Allen at the quarterback position to ensure it’s going to happen.

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With Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his free agency, it leaves the door wide open for all four AFC East teams to fight for the division crown. Buffalo may have the best shot of doing it, but New England, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets will all have a say in which of them hosts a home playoff game in January 2021.

Buffalo has the football culture and the talent to win around 10 or 11 games this season. Though the schedule is a bit tougher than it was a season ago, people are high on the Bills, viewing them as possibly the third-best team in the AFC behind only the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs in some order.

When you have a player like Edmunds who is young, talented, disciplined and of high character, you have yourself an incredible building block to formulate a winning culture around. Buffalo may never win games with a high-octane offense like with the K-Gun in the 1990s, but the Bills can win big with the team they’re building up in Orchard Park. Edmunds is a huge part of their future.

As Edmunds continues to improve as player and as a leader, so too will the Bills as a team.

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Tom Brady’s decision to leave New England leaves the AFC East open for the Bills. Josh Allen can lead Buffalo to a division title in 2020.

2020 is shaping up to be a make or break season for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. For the first time in ages, the Patriots look vulnerable which leaves the AFC East there for the taking. The question is whether or not Allen can play well enough to lead Buffalo to the promised land.

Allen clearly has the physical tools to be a high-level NFL starter. His running ability makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses to gameplan against. He also has the arm strength required to make every throw in the playbook.

Allen’s inaccuracy is what has held him back during his young career. He only completed a shade over 58 percent of his passes in 2019. That isn’t good enoguh to build an efficient offense. Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons to believe Allen can take a step forward in 2020. Read on to discover the top five reasons why Allen can lead the Bills to a special season.

5 reasons Josh Allen can lead the Bills to wins in 2020

5. An underrated head coach

Sean McDermott might be the most underrated head coach in the NFL. His talent has been somewhat obscured by coaching in the same division as Bill Belichick. All that should change in 2020.

More than anyone, McDermott is familiar with what Allen can and cannot do at the quarterback position. He’s not going to turn his young signal caller into a game manager, but he’s also not going to require him to become Joe Montana in terms of accuracy. Week in and week out, the Bills are going to construct an offensive scheme that puts Allen in the best possible position to succeed.

McDermott understands that Allen has to be really good for the Bills to make a long postseason run. He won’t overwhelm the talented, but flawed quarterback. Allen has the perfect head coach to get the best out of his unique skill set.

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The Buffalo Bills could use a better backup quarterback, and Cam Newton is the perfect fit with close ties to the team.

Cam Newton needs a job. The Buffalo Bills should provide employment.

Newton, 31, was released in March by the Carolina Panthers after nine years with the organization. In 2015, Newton won the NFL MVP, accounting for 45 total touchdowns while leading Carolina to the Super Bowl.

However, his career has been uneven since. In 2018, Newton underwent the first of two shoulder surgeries and missed the final two games of the season. After an abbreviated preseason, the Auburn national champion played the first two contests of the 2019 campaign before going on Injured Reserve for the final 14 tilts with a foot ailment.

Cam Newton to the Bills is a perfect NFL free agency fit

So why Newton to Buffalo? The Bills have Matt Barkley as the backup for quarterback Josh Allen. While Allen is the clear starter going into his third season, there’s a clear upgrade to be made behind him.

Of course, Newton has a long-standing relationship with head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane as well. Both were in Carolina for six years each during Newton’s run after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2011. Such familiarity should help bring about a deal if both sides are interested.

Newton will likely come cheap on a one-year deal, giving the Bills insurance if Allen can’t play all 16 games. Additionally, Buffalo is the frontrunner in the AFC East for the first time in two decades. Considering how often Allen runs and his propensity to take big hits downfield, bringing Newton in would be a strong option to ensure the season not disintegrating if Allen misses time.

Finally, this makes sense for Newton. He can play for a familiar face on a contending team. While Allen is the future in Buffalo, there’s also the chance he gets a shot to play either due to injury or ineffectiveness.

Being surrounded by quality weapons, good coaching and a great defense? Sounds an awful lot like the 2015 formula.

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