Inspiration for Allen: Jim Kelly’s First Game

[K-9]

30 minutes ago, Boatdrinks said:

Of course, those guys were actually allowed to pretty much abuse the QB. The guys hitting Allen now are restricted in what they can do. Imagine if Brady played in the ‘80’s and 90’s. He’d have been retired years ago. 

That’s one of several reasons why I don’t care for GOAT lists; it’s an exercise in futility to compare QBs across eras where different rules apply to each. Even QBs of the Kelly era played under liberalized rules compared to the greats before them. IMO,  there were two  significant changes that impacted the passing game the most: moving the hash marks in and outlawing bump and run coverage by defenders. Many of old time greats didn’t play with those advantages. I wonder what kind of numbers they could have amassed had they been able to. 

 

EDIT:  I meant to add a third change to the list; allowing offensive lineman to extend their arms when blocking. Immediately improved pass protection.

Edited September 15, 2018 by K-9

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

they called JK the linebacker of QB's for good reason, he's one tough sob. I don't see that toughness yet in JA and still remains to be seen just how tough he will turn out to be. but no doubt he is going to have be or his career could be cut short.

 

he and this team have a very large hill to climb to even come close to JK and the team he led that went on from that first start and on to their glory days.

 

I certainly do not want to pass judgement after one game or one season for that matter but today should be a good indication as to how they rebound from last weeks embarrassment and whether they can even contend moving forward?

 

GO BILLS!!!

[McNubbins]

It sure is a different league nowadays.  If Allen takes the shots Jimbo did he'll be in concussion protocol.

[Fadingpain]

8 hours ago, timekills17 said:

 

He wasn't a rookie. He'd played with professionals - NFL level - in the USFL for two years. 

I don't think playing a QB with a bad team is going to ruin a QB either - there are plenty of examples of good to great QBs that did well. But you really can't use Jimbo's "rookie" experience in the NFL as an example.

Please.  The USFL was a joke and nothing like the level of the NFL at that time.

 

There were question marks surrounding the transition from one league to the other at the time.

 

Kelly's transition was seamless and successful because he can play quarterback.

Can Allen? We'll find out starting tomorrow.  If he fails, it won't be because he was ruined.  That's for damned sure.

 

 

[RevWarRifleman]

15 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

Jim Kelly is Joe Namath with knees.

Comparing Jim to Joe Namath? But 26, Namath "doesn't belong" in the Hall where Jim is. 

[26CornerBlitz]

2 hours ago, RevWarRifleman said:

Comparing Jim to Joe Namath? But 26, Namath "doesn't belong" in the Hall where Jim is. 

 

You cannot tell the story of the NFL without Namath.  His role in legitimizing the AFL with the contract and the win in Super Bowl III is instrumental in the league as we know it. 

Edited September 15, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz

[26TrapDraw]

17 hours ago, Jukester said:

 

Josh Allen will need a little bit of this type of toughness to survive Sunday.

 

 I was 15 yrs old when Kelly played his first game and i remember it fondly.  The team had just come off back to back 2-14 seasons. That first game against the Jets was electric even though they lost. They only won 4 that year but most of those games were competitive.....and there was hope. And we all know what that era turned into. Here’s to hope.  

Ahhh back when football was.....well football .

[K-9]

2 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

Please.  The USFL was a joke and nothing like the level of the NFL at that time.

 

There were question marks surrounding the transition from one league to the other at the time.

 

Kelly's transition was seamless and successful because he can play quarterback.

Can Allen? We'll find out starting tomorrow.  If he fails, it won't be because he was ruined.  That's for damned sure.

 

 

The USFL was considered anything but a joke as evidenced by the sheer number of great players absorbed by the NFL after it folded. Among them plenty of All Pros and several HOFers. And Kelly’s two years under Mouse Davis taught him how to read defenses and run spread offenses. In terms of readiness for the NFL, his time in the USFL gave him a head start. Kelly has alluded to that himself over the years. Add in Kelly’s work with Howard Schnellenberger in college and he was light years ahead where Allen is currently in terms of experience playing the position, the competition he faced, and his overall development as a QB. 

 

I agree with one thing; if Allen fails it will be because he’s just not up to the task.

[RevWarRifleman]

57 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

You cannot tell the story of the NFL without Namath.  His role in legitimizing the AFL with the contract and the win in Super Bowl III is instrumental in the league as we knowit. 

I agree man. But I have argued this to many here on the board for years, and all I get from the "Namath doesn't belong in the HOF" people is that his stats are too weak to justify

 

his being in the Hall. I think, most of these nay-sayers may be a younger generation fans that didn't live in that time. He had a huge impact on the game & mostly,

 

helping the AFL to become a legit league. I think that most of the people that didn't live in that time period, miss all of this. Getting into the HOF is not just about stats. It's

 

also about the impact on the game the guy made during his playing days. 

 

 

on a side note about the stats argument:  it would be like saying Washington doesn't deserve to be revered as a soldier because he lost more battles than he won.  Really?

 

 

[Domdab99]

3 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

Please.  The USFL was a joke and nothing like the level of the NFL at that time.

 

There were question marks surrounding the transition from one league to the other at the time.

 

Kelly's transition was seamless and successful because he can play quarterback.

Can Allen? We'll find out starting tomorrow.  If he fails, it won't be because he was ruined.  That's for damned sure.

 

 

 

The USFL most likely would've survived and thrived if it wasn't for that one team owner who sabotaged the whole thing. ...What was his name again? 

[K-9]

8 hours ago, RevWarRifleman said:

I agree man. But I have argued this to many here on the board for years, and all I get from the "Namath doesn't belong in the HOF" people is that his stats are too weak to justify

 

his being in the Hall. I think, most of these nay-sayers may be a younger generation fans that didn't live in that time. He had a huge impact on the game & mostly,

 

helping the AFL to become a legit league. I think that most of the people that didn't live in that time period, miss all of this. Getting into the HOF is not just about stats. It's

 

also about the impact on the game the guy made during his playing days. 

 

 

on a side note about the stats argument:  it would be like saying Washington doesn't deserve to be revered as a soldier because he lost more battles than he won.  Really?

 

 

Spot on assessment of Namath and his impact. Another aspect people forget is that he called his own plays and his SB game was a thing of beauty. He had the Colts defense running seven ways to Sunday as he used Snell so effectively. 

 

It’s too bad he hurt his knee in college, too. He was a great athlete but was limited by those knee injuries throughout his career. And he was a tough as they came, too. 

[RevWarRifleman]

7 hours ago, K-9 said:

Spot on assessment of Namath and his impact. Another aspect people forget is that he called his own plays and his SB game was a thing of beauty. He had the Colts defense running seven ways to Sunday as he used Snell so effectively. 

 

It’s too bad he hurt his knee in college, too. He was a great athlete but was limited by those knee injuries throughout his career. And he was a tough as they came, too. 

Agree K-9. Not only he had no knees to move during his career, but he also played where receivers could literally be mugged down field as well other jabbing & hooking

plus shots to the head that's been ruled illegal long after his time. 

 

Also K 9, thanks for the input.