Tag: Jim Kelly

Bills Wire’s Week 16 Player of the Game vs. Patriots: QB Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is Week 16’s Player of the Game on Monday Night Football vs. the New England Patriots.

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Rack ‘em up, rack ‘em up. How could Josh Allen not receive another Player of the Game Award for his Week 16 performance against the New England Patriots? We hope he has room on his shelves for more accomplishments in his future.

Allen was fantastic on Monday Night Football, as the Bills swept New England with a dominant 38-9 victory. Allen went 27 for 36, 320 yards passing and four touchdowns passes, truly signifying the end of the Patriots’ dynasty in the AFC East and NFL. He also broke Jim Kelly’s 1991 single-season passing touchdowns record. 

Buffalo (12-3) plays their regular season finale next week against division rival Miami, who need a win to get in. It’s too early to tell how the Bills will play this game out, but Allen may or may not have another opportunity to etch himself in more Bills record categories.

Or perhaps Matt Barkley will join him in winning such hardware…

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Bills’ Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs closing in on more franchise records

Buffalo Bills team record updates for Stefon Diggs, Josh Allen.

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It’s been a historical year for the Buffalo Bills, who’ve regularly silenced critics and won new fans alike all while setting franchise marks in several categories. At 11-3 with two games to go, might more benchmarks be broken?

Bills quarterback Josh Allen and wideout Stefon Diggs will likely do just that as the team has two games remaining. Both players have been gaining attention for their accolades on the field and are two of five Buffalo players heading to the Pro Bowl.

In the Bills’ final two contests, Allen is closing in on Jim Kelly’s record for touchdown passes. Currently at 30, Allen needs four more over the next two outings to break Jim Kelly’s record (33) from 1991. 

The other single-season milestone on the horizon is passing yards. After 14 games played, Allen’s sitting in second-place, all-time in team history at a clean 4,000 total passing yards so far in 2020. He entered Week 15 against the Denver Broncos at No. 5 on that list and added 359 passing yards at Mile High to his totals. 

Currently only Drew Bledsoe’s 4,359 passing yards from 2002 sit above Allen. This season Allen’s averaging 285.7 passing yards per game. 

In regard to Diggs, he already blew away one franchise record last week. He needed one catch to surpass Eric Moulds’ single-season catch record of 100.

Diggs had 11 against the Broncos and is up to 111, which currently leads the NFL. Moulds’ other record, receiving yards, was set in 1998 when he had 1,368 total yards. Diggs, with 1,314, only needs 55 more to break that record.

Stay tuned to see if these records get broken in the final weeks of the season.

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Bills players of past & present celebrate AFC East title

Buffalo Bills alumni, players react on Twitter to AFC East title win.

From Josh Allen to Jim Kelly, the guys who’ve dawned the red, white and blue of the Buffalo Bills were celebrating on Saturday. After their 48-19 beat down of the Denver Broncos, all of the above were happy to yell from the mountain tops the the Bills are the 2020 AFC East champs.

Check out some of their social media reactions to the title win below:

RB Fred Jackson

QB Jim Kelly

Team owner Kim Pegula

LB Darryl Talley

LB Cornelius Bennett

RB Thurman Thomas

WR Steve Tasker

P Brian Moorman

OL Jon Feliciano

OL John Fina

LS Reid Ferguson

S Micah Hyde

LB Lorenzo Alexander

S Jordan Poyer

QB Josh Allen

WR James Lofton

DL Fred Smerlas

OL Eric Wood

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Bills players of past & present celebrate AFC East title

Buffalo Bills alumni, players react on Twitter to AFC East title win.

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From Josh Allen to Jim Kelly, the guys who’ve dawned the red, white and blue of the Buffalo Bills were celebrating on Saturday. After their 48-19 beat down of the Denver Broncos, all of the above were happy to yell from the mountain tops the Bills are the 2020 AFC East champs.

Check out some of their social media reactions to the title win below:

RB Fred Jackson

QB Jim Kelly

Team owner Kim Pegula

LB Darryl Talley

LB Cornelius Bennett

RB Thurman Thomas

WR Steve Tasker

P Brian Moorman

OL Jon Feliciano

OL John Fina

LS Reid Ferguson

S Micah Hyde

LB Lorenzo Alexander

S Jordan Poyer

QB Josh Allen

WR James Lofton

DL Fred Smerlas

OL Eric Wood

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Steelers game brings out love between Bills QB Josh Allen, Jim Kelly

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly following win vs. Steelers.

Wins always bring the good feelings out of players, which evidently includes players of past and present alike… and quarterbacks specifically.

After the Bills (10-3) topped the Steelers (11-2) on Sunday Night Football some numbers came to the forefront. Yes, the 26-15 victory is another in the win column, but was a game for Josh Allen’s numbers in the record books, as well.

This week the touchdowns took center stage as Allen’s 35 total became the most by any QB in team history in a single season. He also now trails Jim Kelly’s single-season record of 33 passing scores by only five with three games left.

Perhaps because of the good vibes rolling after a win, but both Allen and Kelly were very complimentary of one another postgame.

Kelly, via wife Jill Kelly, said on social media that the personal damage to his own numbers is going to be done. Kelly said he thinks his team records are going to all be broken by Allen in due time:

By the time Allen stepped up to the podium for his postgame video conference, it’s unknown if he saw the tweet above. Regardless, the current Bills QB is just thrilled to even be mentioned in the same stratosphere with Kelly.

“To be mentioned in the likes of a guy like Jim, a Hall of Fame guy, regarded as the best quarterback to ever play in Buffalo,” Allen said. “He took me under his wing, so like I said to be mentioned in the same sentence as him is super honoring and super humbling.”

Allen went on to mention he’s really just focusing on the team goals and not the individual ones. But one has to feel warm inside seeing all of Kelly’s marks go down… finally, as they should have long ago with the way the NFL has transformed since his career ended.

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Jim Kelly impressed: ‘Josh Allen showed up big time’ vs. Seahawks

Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly on Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen in Week 9 vs. Seattle Seahawks.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen went back to MVP levels against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9. En route to a 44-34 win, Allen surpassed 400 passing yards (415) and notched four total touchdowns.

In doing so, he impressed many observers from fans, to national pundits, to the Buffalo legend himself, Jim Kelly. The Hall of Fame quarterback joined the Bills’ radio show on WGR-550 radio on Tuesday and discussed his upcoming “virtual tailgate” for charity on Thursday. But Kelly also dished his thoughts on Bills-Seahawks.

Against the Seahawks, Kelly loved what he saw from Allen, and in particular because of what we found out after the game. Allen played with a heavy heart as his grandmother passed away the night before.

“He lit it up,” Kelly said. “He was playing for her from start to finish. It was great to see, especially against a team like Seattle. I thought it was going to be a lot closer ball game than it was, but the defense showed up and Josh Allen showed up big time which is great to see.”

“I know that’s what he did, he played for his grandmother,” Kelly added.

Since Kelly retired from the Bills, the franchise has essentially swung and missed looking for his replacement over and over again. Thank goodness it’s not three strikes and you’re out for finding a QB.

Perhaps because of that, Kelly is tempering his feelings. But he actually did come pretty close to comparing this current Bills offense to the one he played in with the club. The same one that led the team to four Super Bowls.

“I also have that confidence in…  if we’re behind, that we have No. 17 behind center… that you never have that feeling that of giving up or we’re going to give up. Almost reminds me of back when I played and having guys Andre (Reed), Thurman (Thomas), James (Lofton),” Kelly said. ” When we got down in any games, I was confident that my offensive line was going to give me time to throw and that we were going to come back and as long as everybody on your side of the football has the confidence that you can comeback, that things are going to workout, that’s half the battle.”

Kelly did admit that he’s not quite fully there yet with this Buffalo roster in terms of comparison to the past, adding that he’d like to see them hold a lead a bit better. But hey, that’s some progress western New York has waited for quite some time, right?

With their win against the Seahawks, the Bills jumped to a 7-2 overall record. That’s the first time the team has held that record since 1993 when Kelly led them to their last Super Bowl appearance, so this lofty comparison shouldn’t come as a huge shock.

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What will it take for Josh Allen to set more Bills passing records?

What will it take for Josh Allen to set passing records for Bills?

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The torrid start for the Buffalo Bills offense has been a welcomed surprise for followers of the Bills, as Buffalo has not put on an offensive explosion like this in over two decades. Their performance brings up memories of the Super Bowl years, where the offense overwhelmed opponents throughout the regular season and playoffs.

Josh Allen’s passing numbers have swelled this year. The third-year pro is in the MVP conversation through the first quarter of the season, averaging 331.5 passing yards per game. He already has thrown for 12 touchdowns this year, which exceeded the number of touchdown passes tossed during his rookie year. Allen’s played so well that some of his numbers through his first three games were NFL milestones. Not Bills milestones… the entire league. The growth is monumental from the QB.

Now, Allen is on the cusp of cementing his name in the Bills record books.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Allen needs three touchdowns in Week 5 against the Titans to surpass Jim Kelly’s record 14 set in 1991 for the most in team history through five games. In addition, Allen’s 13 career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown is currently tied for the most in team history already. Jack Kemp is there as well.

Even though only four games, it’s apparent that Allen, even with some regression over the next few weeks, could take the top spot in multiple single-season categories by the end of the season for the Bills.

Along with some of those already mentioned milestones Allen is approaching, here’s how some of his other season-to-date numbers are faring:

Passing yards

Drew Bledsoe is the currently single-season record holder for most passing yards in a season for the Bills. In 2002, he threw for 4,359 yards. Bledsoe averaged 272.4 yards per game. Bledsoe’s number is 515 ahead of the second-place name on the list, Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. The two certainly played in different eras of NFL football, though.

Allen needs to throw for 3,034 yards over the final 12 games to surpass Bledsoe’s mark. Allen would need to average 252.8 yards per game for the remainder of the season to top Bledsoe. With the way that Buffalo’s offense is working right now, that figure seems to be well within reach. In fact, half of the league is average at least 252.8 yards per game entering Week 4.

Allen already ranks 59th in Bills history for passing yards in a season with his production in 2020 while playing in only four games thus far. . Most likely, he will enter the top-50 after his Week 5 play.

Touchdown passes

Allen has thrown 12 touchdown passes in 2020. He is on pace for 48, which is a crazy pace. If he were to maintain his current production and conclude the year with 48 touchdowns, Allen would ranked fifth overall in NFL history.

But for now, let’s ease up on that one. Allen’s sights are on Buffalo’s all-time record. Jim Kelly set the bar in 1991, throwing for 33 touchdown passes. With 22 touchdown passes over the final 12 games, Allen will vault over the Hall of Famer in Buffalo’s record books for touchdown passes. In this day and age, it seems that this feat can be accomplished. Allen needs to average just under two touchdowns per game to break the record.

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Jim Kelly: ‘The first time I’ve ever really, really been excited about a QB’

Hall of Fame Bills quarterback Jim Kelly on Josh Allen.

You like Josh Allen after three games. Your friends do, too. Of course, the Bills have to be over the moon themselves. 

But what about the guy who left shoes so big to fill that nobody in over two decades has come close to filling them?

Like many, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has waited a long time for a quarterback to suit up for the Bills that has reached his tier of play when he was on the team. Now, Allen isn’t there yet… we’re three games into a good start to a season.

But even Kelly can’t help himself already after watching Allen guide the Bills offense through three games of the 2020 season. 

“This is the first time I’ve ever really, really been excited about a quarterback on our team. We’ve had some, and it was always, ‘We’ll see. We’ll see. … Yeah, he’s got the potential, but we’ll see.’” Kelly said over the weekend via the LA Times. “With Josh, I think he’s proven to everybody he can play. Now he just has to stay healthy.”

Kelly also made note of something that not every quarterback has. Every career path is different, but another quarterback drafted in 2018 with Allen was Josh Rosen. He’s bounced around the NFL and is already on his third team. In that same time frame, Allen’s been very, very settled by comparison. The Bills quarterback has never been anything else other than… a Bills quarterback in his career. Kelly mentioned how important that is. 

“Being in the same system a number of years is going to help,” Kelly added. “I was always blessed, and I know (Dan) Marino was too, and John (Elway), that we had the same system. That’s one of the things I talk to Tom Brady about — I’m very good friends with him — is that consistency, being in the same system all the time, and you don’t have to think when you’re going up to the line. It automatically comes natural.”

Not only has Allen’s start to the season impressed Kelly, it’s even surpassed some of his numbers.

Allen became the first-ever Bill with consecutive four-touchdown games. Furthermore, as of Sunday’s win, he has the most touchdowns of any Bills QB through the first three games of the season, according to the team:

In addition, Allen is now the only player in NFL history to put up 1,000 pass yards, 10 throwing touchdowns and two rushing scores in the first three games of a season. But in typical Bills fashion since Buffalo’s head coaching duties were taken over by Sean McDermott, Allen still made sure to point out his team was not perfect en route to a 3-0 record. They were very close to being 2-1 and Allen recognized that following his team’s 35-32 win over the Rams in Week 3. 

“Going up 28-3 as a team we’ve got to be better, we gotta make sure we’re keeping our foot on the pedal and we got to put that game away,” Allen said during the postgame video conference. “I’m very happy with how resilient this team was, but I’m also a little mad at myself for allowing us to dip like we did.”

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Reaction: What national media said about Bills’ comeback vs. Rams

National reaction to Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen comeback win in Week 3 vs. Los Angeles Rams.

The Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Rams 35-32, improving to 3-0 on the season. The score line alone reads nicely, but factoring in a major comeback after an ugly collapse? Even better. 

It was a win that has earned nation-wide buzz similar to when Buffalo defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day last season. Week 3’s victory made a strong impression on many. 

Here’s what some of the top national media outlets, analysts and others had to say on social media about the Bills’ win over the Rams: 

Albert Breer, MMQB

Kevin Connors, ESPN

Josh Norman, Bills (injured) cornerback

Skip Bayless, FOX Sports

Jeff Darlington, ESPN

Corbin Bryant, Former Bills DE

PFT Commenter, Barstool Sports

Bomani Jones, ESPN

Bleacher Report

Warren Sharp, Sharp Football

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report

CBS Sports

Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor

Mike Freeman, CBS Sports

The Checkdown

Jim Kelly, Hall of Famer

Adam Schein, CBS Sports Network

 

CBS Sports HQ

 

Lexi Kroft, Wife of Tyler Kroft

 

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