Aside from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Bills have the best player in the NFL that’s under 25 years old, according to Bleacher Report.
B/R put together 25 players in the 25-year-old and under group and Bills quarterback Josh Allen lands at No. 2 overall. He’s only behind Jackson.
First, why B/R likes Allen:
As “light-bulb” seasons go, Josh Allen’s 2020 was a whopper.
After a pair of up-and-down campaigns that included a 15-12 record as Buffalo’s starter, Allen saw his completion percentage spike over 10 points to almost 70 percent. The 24-year-old threw for 4,544 yards (fifth-most in the NFL), tossed 37 touchdown passes (again, fifth-most) and posted a passer rating of 107.2—over 20 points higher than the prior season.
Allen also pitched in 421 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground on the way to finishing second in MVP voting behind Aaron Rodgers of the Packers. The Bills tied for the most regular-season wins in franchise history with 13 and advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
Given just how much Allen’s numbers spiked in 2020, it’s possible he will regress statistically in 2021. But there’s also no question that he has established himself as one of the top young signal-callers in the game—and vindicated Buffalo for drafting the former Wyoming standout seventh overall in 2018.
While suggesting Allen might take a step back in 2021 is not a welcomed sign, praise of the QB certainly is. Allen’s growth last season is clearly being taken seriously.
Now it’s time for the real debate: Allen or Jackson?
It might be a bit of a lukewarm take, but the two sides to the fence here are probably correct.
Who was better in 2020? Allen. Who has been better, overall, in their entire career? Jackson. It’s hard to argue against the guy who did win the MVP Award. Moving forward, we’ll get an answer to this question which is much clearer.
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