MJS

I can't wait for the season to begin, even though I know it is a long way away still. Josh Allen is the man and he will have another great year, perhaps his best yet. Let's take a look at his top 10 performances so far in his career. When looking at these, I considered a few things: 1) what games would I show someone who had never heard of Josh Allen, 2) overall stats, and 3) the significance of the game at the time. 1) 2021 - Wild Card Round vs New England (Result: Win 47 - 17) Stats: 308 Passing Yards, 66 Rushing Yards, 5 TD's Passing, 84% Completion Percentage, 157.6 Rating Josh Allen saved the best game of his career for the frigid 2021 wild card game against the hated New England Patriots. Josh Allen set a franchise playoff record with five touchdown passes. The margin of defeat was the largest in the playoffs for Bill Belichick in New England. Buffalo became the NFL's first team in the Super Bowl era to score on each of its seven possessions that didn’t end with a kneel-down. The Allen-led offense was so efficient it gained 480 yards offense on just 51 snaps before backup Mitchell Trubisky finished the game with three kneel-downs. It was the 4th coldest game in Bills history. 2) 2020 - Week 2 @ Miami (Result: Win 44 - 34) Stats: 415 Passing Yards, 19 Rushing Yards, 4 TD's Passing, 69% Completion Percentage, 146.7 Rating Following his first career 300-passing-yard game in week 1 against the Jets, Allen had his first career 400-yard game in week 2, defeating the Miami Dolphins for the fourth consecutive time. Dueling former Buffalo Bill Ryan Fitzpatrick, Allen put up his highest career passer rating of 146.7, which still stands as his best in the regular season. At the time, the only other Bills player to throw for at least 415 yards and four scores was Joe Ferguson in 1983. Allen did it again in 2022. 3) 2021 - Divisional Round @ Kansas City (Result: Loss 36 - 42) Stats: 308 Passing Yards, 66 Rushing Yards, 5 TD's Passing, 84% Completion Percentage, 136.0 Rating This game goes down as one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history and would be ranked higher if the Bills didn't throw away the win. The duel between Allen and Mahomes was epic. Josh Allen’s decision on the overtime coin toss was his only mistake all night. The lead changed hands three times in the final two minutes of regulation, with 25 points scored over that span. Mahomes and Allen each threw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns, completed at least 70% of their passes without an interception, and led their teams with at least 65 yards rushing. No other quarterbacks in NFL history have accomplished those feats in a game, regular season or postseason. 4) 2020 - Week 13 @ San Francisco (Result: Win 34 - 24) Stats: 375 Passing Yards, 11 Rushing Yards, 4 TD's Passing, 80% Completion Percentage, 139.1 Rating The most memorable part of this game was watching Robert Saleh, then 49ers defensive coordinator, go dead inside as Allen scored yet again on his "vaunted" defense. He had no answer. Allen could not be stopped. It was Allen's fourth game of the season with at least 300 yards passing and three touchdowns, setting a franchise record. It was the Bills first Monday Night Football win since 1999. 5) 2021 - Week 5 @ Kansas City (Result: Win 38 - 20) Stats: 315 Passing Yards, 59 Rushing Yards, 3 TD's Passing, 1 TD Rushing, 58% Completion Percentage, 139.1 Rating Beating Kansas City and Mahomes for the first time was a big hurdle to overcome. Allen and the Bills finally looked like they were on par with the Chiefs and ready to contend with the best the NFL had to offer. Allen had one of his memorable leaps over a defender, threw for three TD's, and ran for another. This was a huge win that helped propel Josh Allen into consideration for the best QB in the NFL. 6) 2020 - Week 9 vs Seattle (Result: Win 44 - 34) Stats: 415 Passing Yards, 14 Rushing Yards, 3 TD's Passing, 82% Completion Percentage, 138.5 Rating Seattle made it interesting late by getting their point total to 34, but this game was never that close. The Bills came out and dominated the first half. Overcoming the death of his grandmother, Josh Allen put on a clinic. The 44 points allowed were the most in Pete Carroll's 11 seasons in Seattle and the most for the franchise since 2009. 7) 2022 - Week 2 vs Tennessee (Result: Win 41 - 7) Stats: 317 Passing Yards, 10 Rushing Yards, 4 TD's Passing, 68% Completion Percentage, 128.9 Rating The Bills had struggled against the Tennessee Titans in recent seasons, so this game was sweet revenge for Bills fans. Allen threw four touchdown passes, including three to Stefon Diggs. The defense also played well, forcing four turnovers and causing Ryan Tannehill to be benched. This was Allen's 15th game with 300 yards passing or more. That's impressive since he sat out the entire fourth quarter. “We got our (butts) kicked, plain and simple,” said Mike Vrabel afterward. 8) 2020 - Week 15 @ Denver (Result: Win 48 - 19) Stats: 359 Passing Yards, 33 Rushing Yards, 2 TD's Passing, 2 TD's Rushing, 70% Completion Percentage, 114.5 Rating This win cemented the division crown for the Bills for the first time since 1995. Josh Allen was electric. Vic Fangio watched helplessly on the sideline as Allen dismantled the Broncos defense over and over. To this day I remember that blank stare on his face as he threw his hands up, knowing there was no way to contain Allen. This game had it all from Allen: efficient passing, big throws, big runs, and stunned opponents. Before this game, Broncos fans were comparing Drew Lock to Josh Allen. That ended pretty quickly. 9) 2022 - Week 5 vs Pittsburgh (Result: Win 38 - 3) Stats: 424 Passing Yards, 42 Rushing Yards, 4 TD's Passing, 1 INT, 65% Completion Percentage, 134.1 Rating The revenge win against the Steelers, who beat the Bills week 1 of the previous season, was a total beatdown. Allen's 98-yard TD pass to Gabe Davis, getting hit as he threw it, was one of the best plays of his career. He also had another 62-yard TD pass to Davis (one of Davis's best TD catches ever). He threw for 424 yards, which is currently the highest total in his career, despite getting pulled in favor of Case Keenum early in the fourth quarter. This loss was the biggest margin of defeat for the Steelers since 1989. “We just got smashed today,” said Mike Tomlin afterward. 10) 2018 - Week 17 vs Miami (Result: Win 42 - 17) Stats: 224 Passing Yards, 95 Rushing Yards, 3 TD's Passing, 2 TD's Rushing, 1 INT, 65% Completion Percentage, 114.9 Rating Even though we ended Josh's rookie year by missing the playoffs, this game gave Bills fans so much hope and excitement for the future. Josh came out to prove he could be an efficient passer, checking the ball down, taking short throws, and completing passes at a rate he rarely did in the previous games his rookie season. He continued to run the ball exceptionally well, wracking up nearly 100 yards rushing and two rushing TD's. And he did it all with an offense devoid of talent, throwing to the likes of Zay Jones and Robert Foster. This still stands out as one of Josh Allen's best games and complete performances. There are so many other games to consider. I left some good ones off the list. This is a great time to be alive as a Bills fan.

The window is just now opening.

There were some good players, though, especially on defense. Kyle Williams, Lee Evans, Jason Peters, London Fletcher. Terrence McGee and Nate Clements were good. Donte Whitner, despite the hate he gets because of where he was drafted, was a good player too. But we were in QB purgatory.

The drawings were better because they had to do it from memory.

He is the owner. He is at the top of the organization. He could hire a "football guru" if he wanted, or he can seek advice from other owners or prominent football "experts". It's the same as any other owner.

Of course. You don't take a year off just because you want to and then go back to the team you used to work for. He'll take a year off and then enter to pool of coaching candidates for jobs. His contract with the Bills was up and they did not renew or extend it. He was not under contract. His contract with the Bills was up. They did not extend him.

While I agree that he is overrated, that was a different era. It was common to throw more INT's than TD's. I always point to wins and losses. Namath lost more games than he won. Yes, it is a team game, but the QB is the single biggest contributor to wins and losses, in my opinion. I do think he belongs in the hall of fame, though. Winning that superbowl was one of the great, impactful moments in pro football history and solidified the AFL as a league to rival the NFL and eventually the merger. That moment warrants his induction, in my opinion. It was huge. Polamalu is one of the best safeties in the history of the league, regardless of his hair. He certainly belongs. There are plenty of other Steelers players to point to, though.

I never had anything against him. I was a little surprised he became a fan favorite, though. Ultimately, it was time to move on.

The ones I'd like to see, in order: 1) Butch Byrd (5x AFL all star, 3x first team all AFL, 2x second team all AFL, AFL all time second team, franchise record in INT's with 40, Int return yards with 666, and int returns for TD's with 5). 2) Eric Moulds (3x pro bowler, 2x second team all pro, first Bills receiver to amass 100 receptions in a season, 2nd all time Bills receiver for yards, TD's, and receptions). 3) Kyle Williams (6x pro bowler, 1x second team all pro, franchise record in career TFL's with 103 and QB hits at 141, although these stats were not tracked in the days of Bruce Smith and other Bills greats of the past).

Just going with your gut, hmm? Well, they use statistical analysis and have a good track record of results. Discount it if you want because they are "odd", but I think perhaps you should be a little more informed about something before you condemn it.

That was weird.

Wow. Not only does he not have the Bills, but he has the Dolphins as the #2 team in the AFC? Ahead of the Bengals, even. And if the Bills peaked, they peaked as the 3rd best team in the conference. Shouldn't they still be there? He didn't say they regressed. And the Ravens? How have the Ravens not peaked, like two years ago? Man, this is just a wild list.

They brought in vet corners in free agency as well.

Yep, the Bills knew how to use him and cover up some of his weaknesses. But the Bills tried every year to replace him. How is that passer rating against bad? That seems pretty decent. That makes him a starting corner in the NFL.

The Vikings aren't an elite team, though.

Well, we have another punter now. It doesn't make sense to bring him in. It just sucks that this all happened. I hoped at the time that the Bills would not release him until more facts were out. Personally, I don't care about media storms. You have to do the right thing regardless of how the media or fans will react. What Beane said at the time did make sense, though, that Araiza needed to focus 100% on the legal process, not on football.

Commanders are too high.

Doyle could start on the PUP list.

Hmm. Seems intriguing. The Cardinals are a dumpster fire organization, so it might be worth it to see if he could thrive in a better environment. His measurables are pretty freaky. 6'4", 240 lbs, 4.39 40-yard dash.

Every team has different strengths and weaknesses and different depth needs.

Confirming the trend that it is Bills fans who are the most down on the team. Everyone else around the league still thinks very highly of the Bills. As they should.

They're both pretty good. Both fanbases should be happy with their guy.

I'm sure they just bus it over from a ranch somewhere and then take it back afterwards. You were imagining it living at the stadium or something?

What is your opinion of Charles Davis? He has become one of my least favorite announcers and I can't imagine his mock drafts are any better.

I think this is just one of those things we'll have to wait and see on. Clearly Beane and McDermott are both keeping their plans a secret. They don't have anything to gain by telling reporters their plan for MLB.