Josh Allen performed well for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, defeating the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams. Allen appeared to be a legitimate MVP candidate.
The Bills’ quarterback recorded three touchdowns and totaled 297 yards. Allen also led the Bills with 10 carries for 56 rushing yards, along with the 4-yard score. Allen’s accuracy has also developed with an 83.9 percent completion rate which set a franchise record in a regular-season game.
Allen has traditional quarterback skills which makes him special, including accuracy, field command, and arm strength. With his physical presence as a ball carrier, he ranks among the top NFL talents.
His playing style is the most concerning to the team. He appeared to be looking for contact on several occasions. He exposed himself to repeated physical punishment as a result, raising both short- and long-term health concerns.
Allen is the primary reason for the Bills’ status as Super Bowl betting favorites. If he suffers a major injury this season, Case Keenum will take over his job. As a result, Buffalo’s hopes of becoming champion were all but dashed.
He is aware of the concerns. Since joining the NFL in 2018, his body has been a key component of his game.
“I think I can be better in that aspect,” Allen said to reporters on Wednesday. “But given the circumstances of what it was, understanding the flow of the game, I do things sometimes that are necessary in my eyes to help our team win a football game. That’s all it is.”
Even if he finishes the season relatively unscathed and with a Super Bowl title, the cumulative impact of the collisions he endures will have an effect, short-term or long-term.
“But at the end of the day, availability is the best ability,” he said. “So, just understanding that — and getting down and not taking too many hits, obviously that’s year-in and year-out.”
Learning from Cam Newton’s injury
Allen should remain healthy for this season if he doesn’t want to end up like the Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton.
Newton joined the Panthers in 2011 as a rookie who has the same profile as Allen. He outperformed the expectations that came with his first-round draft pick, earning Rookie of the Year honors. He recorded 706 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie which led him to the award.
The Panthers’ quarterback ran the ball more than 100 times per year, with total rushing yards ranging from 585 to 741 yards. In 2015, he was league MVP and led Carolina to the Super Bowl. Newton was the Panthers’ best running back and a Pro Bowl-level quarterback at the same time.
In the 2016 regular season, Newton’s performance showed signs of decline. He acknowledged in 2019 that he had played through many health issues, like foot injuries, ankle surgery, walking boots, and concussions. Last season, Newton played in just two games. Then, the Panthers released their best player. Newton moved to New England. Now, Newton is not on an NFL roster.
What happened to Newton is what the Bills want Allen to avoid. Allen averaged 105.5 carries and rushed for 581 yards per year in his first four seasons. The majority of those carries end in a hit, in addition to the 118 sacks he has taken. Until now, Allen has remained healthy, as Newton did through his first five seasons. The possibility that Allen could end up like Newton is impossible to ignore.