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Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a career day during his team’s season opening 27-17 win over the New York Jets. Allen got it done on the ground as usual with a rushing score, but in the air, Allen stood out in a big way.
Overall, Allen had his first 300-plus yard outing with 312 total on 33 completions. Both of those were career-highs for the QB.
Now, things have to be taken in context. Even the biggest Allen supporters know that. He did great as a passer (he did have two ugly fumbles), but we all should realize who the opponent was.
Again, it the was Jets, better known as the very bad Jets.
Following Allen’s 2020 debut, Bleacher Report suggested a timeline for the QB in terms of us knowing that he’s “arrived.” The verdict? We should wait a month before making a decision on Allen. Here’s part of B/R’s explanation on that time frame:
Allen was always going to require time to become a star quarterback, and there remains a possibility it’ll never happen. But those who believe in the cannon-armed third-year Wyoming product had to be tickled pink by his 33-of-46, 312-yard, two-touchdown, interception-free performance in Sunday’s easy season-opening victory over the New York Jets.
Allen added 57 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground in one of the best performances of his career.
It’s extremely encouraging, but highs and lows are just part of the process with a young talent like this. Before deeming Allen to be the breakout star of 2020, we have to ensure this isn’t just a peak towering over another valley. After all, the Jets are a dumpster fire and without both Jamal Adams (traded to the Seattle Seahawks) and C.J. Mosley (a COVID-19 opt-out on defense).
In terms of the next month of the 2020 Bills schedule, there’s two games to really look at: Weeks 3 and 5. Not to overlook the Raiders in Week 4, but after Buffalo faces the Dolphins next week, the Rams visit Orchard Park in Buffalo’s third game. Los Angeles is a team that’s recently removed from a Super Bowl run, and sports a defense with stars like Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald.
Similar to the Rams, the Titans have a stout defense road their unit to a shocking AFC Championship game run last season, defeating the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens. If the Bills pull of wins against such strong defenses early in the year, Allen will be noticed… and depending on his performances in such potential wins, he could be a MVP candidate.
While a month is a lengthy stretch, we might need to even push further than that to truly get a feel on Allen. Football early in this NFL season might be sloppy due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the preseason.
Plus, just in general, we’ve seen a month stretch get us excited in the past. Trent Edwards was a different beast completely, but he was excellent for… about a month.
Let’s maybe try to get through the first half of the season before truly making a call on Allen. Heck, maybe even wait the entire season? From start to finish, the Bills have some formidable opponents on deck this season and if Allen does continue to turn up in games like he did Week 1? Those contests could be very fun from a Buffalo perspective.
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