Josh Allen is not worried about the Bills’ passing game
Josh Allen said the Bills take what the defense gives them and that has worked well in their 2-0 start.
ORCHARD PARK – Something really strange is happening with the Buffalo Bills in early 2024: Josh Allen has turned into a game manager.
OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, because that’s not Allen’s character at all, but his statistical profile during Buffalo’s 2-0 start certainly deviates from what we’re used to seeing from the megastar quarterback.
“When you focus on stats, it’s frustrating,” Allen said Wednesday when asked about the low passing numbers he’s compiled. “In terms of winning football games, that’s not the case. It’s just what helps us move the ball and score when it matters. That’s all we care about right now.”
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Of course, that has always been Allen’s priority, even when he posted four consecutive 4,000-yard passing seasons between 2020 and 2023. He really doesn’t care about his numbers as long as he leaves the field with a smile on his face.
Josh Allen’s stats before Week 3 of the NFL
Allen entered Week 3, which concludes Monday night with the Bills’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, ranked 22nd in the NFL in passing yards (371), 23rd in completions (31) and 21st in first downs per pass (16).
Part of the reason for those numbers was the unusual play in Miami, where the Bills had four possessions that started in Miami territory thanks to outstanding play from their defense. They lost one possession when Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa threw a pick-six to Ja’Marcus Ingram instead of punting. And they had a one-play drive when James Cook ran 49 yards to the goal line after a turnover on downs on the first play.
The Bills’ offense was on the field for just 23 minutes and 41 seconds, ran just 45 offensive plays, and spent most of the second half — by which time they had already led 31-10 — essentially just trying to put the game behind them.
“I think considering our situation last week, when we were running as well as we are now and putting the ball in really good field position the whole game, that’s just the play that’s going to be,” Allen said of his 139-yard passing performance. “I don’t know if I would say weird, but I think it feels pretty good to be able to hand the ball off to James and Ray (Davis) and let them work. If it works, keep calling it.”
And offensive coordinator Joe Brady knew that too. For Allen, there was no reason to hurl the ball all over Hard Rock Stadium because the game was clearly under control.
Buffalo Bills find “other ways to win”
“It was really a compliment, especially in the second half,” Brady said. “I think the biggest thing is just finding different ways to win as the season goes on. If we win up front by rushing, there will come a time when we have to throw the ball 50 times. It’s just about being willing to adapt to the way the game is played and being able to dictate the terms.”
Miami was a bit of an outlier, but even against Arizona, Allen attempted just 23 passes (completed 17 for 232 yards) on a day when the Bills were down by 14 points in the first half and had to battle back. But in this game, he looked a bit more like the Allen we’re used to, as he made several big plays and scored four total touchdowns, two by passing and two by running.
His 19 attempts against Miami were the third fewest of his career where he started and played the entire game, and the 23 against the Cardinals were the ninth fewest.
Josh Allen’s passer rating is still outstanding
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Allen hasn’t been great, but he’s been efficient. He ranks third in both the NFL passer rating (124.2) and ESPN quarterback rating (84.2), has the fifth-best completion percentage (73.8%) and the fourth-best yards per attempt (8.8), has only two sacks, has no interceptions and, as we said, all of that leads to the only thing he cares about: 2-0.
“Watching a guy like Josh, whether he threw 10 or 50, he just had a lot of fun,” Brady said. “He took what the defense gave him and led out there. It was a lot of fun to see him not have to do everything.”
Aside from the play of the first two games, there is a trend across the league: defenses just don’t allow quarterbacks to get free play. There is so much playing with two safeties, and defenses want to make the offense take the long, hard road to scoring, hoping they make a mistake somewhere along the way. That has affected Allen’s numbers, too.
“When we have opportunities, we’re going to try to take advantage of them and execute them as best as we can,” Allen said of the deep passing game, which the Bills haven’t had so far. “I think as the league goes, what the defense is doing right now is playing a lot of two-high shell. If we continue to run the ball effectively, we’re going to have more opportunities to score deep.”
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades, including 35 years as a full-time reporter for D&C, and has written numerous books on the team’s history. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @salmaiorana. https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
