Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen has put together a 3-5 record this season with five passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns. (Getty Photo/Brett Carlsen)
The best time of the year in Western New York. Kids, teens, adults and even the elders all fall for football fever. You can feel it in the air. Sure, if you aren’t a sports fan you might not agree. But if you head to One Bills’ Drive for a sunny Sunday, you’ll never forget the feeling. Many Bills’ fans have been biting their nails for the return of incumbent small city savior Josh Allen. Pundits still echo in the dark corners of the bars, but generally the feeling around the anticipation of this season’s product is bright, even for Buffalo.
Brandon Beane Gets It.
This guy seems to have a very sound understanding of what it takes to be a successful professional football program. He’s really answered the bell in Buffalo, and his former employer seems to lack the same inspiring attitude that he clearly cemented in Carolina in the past. Falling for Bills’ fever this time of year is typical, but the proactive moves centered around improving and raising the expectation isn’t.
Silent Pieces.
Small wins here and there on both the roster and coaching side. Players like Duke Williams, an underachieving monster of an athlete. David Sills, initial star recruit QB turned productive strategic WR. A veteran RB in Frank Gore who’s seen it all. A local WNY college star Tyree Jackson to bring enthusiasm and passion from the other spot in the QB room.
Dawson Knox provides a bright explosive presence at a similar age and personality as the young gunslinger. Devin Singletary provides Allen with a cagey quick back who put up big numbers in college. Even bringing in Ken Dorsey to develop Josh Allen is genius when you really think about it. Dorsey was allegedly instrumental in the success Cam Newton had in Carolina during his MVP season.
Dawson Knox provides a bright explosive presence at a similar age and personality as the young gunslinger. Devin Singletary provides Allen with a cagey quick back who put up big numbers in college. Even bringing in Ken Dorsey to develop Josh Allen is genius when you really think about it. Dorsey was allegedly instrumental in the success Cam Newton had in Carolina during his MVP season.
Surrounding the QB
Silent weapons from Beane are great, but there were certain holes in the O. Not one, but two of the best slot WRs in the NFL are now Buffalo Bills. John Brown and Cole Beasley are tiny, and Mcdermott has already joked about their small stature. The tiny twosome, along with guys’ like Isaiah McKenzie and Ray Ray Mccloud were refered to as being like smurfs for their ability to get into small spaces. What more can you ask for for a QB with accuracy questions? Tom Brady has flourished with guys’ like that on 2nd and 3rd downs. This is the case especially for audibles at the line of scrimmage when the towering Allen can see holes presnap. (Insert mandatory lineman ink) The offensive line has improved with additions like Mitch Morse and Cody Ford.
No Excuses.
Beane really has done an incredible job of giving Josh Allen every tool that he needs to succeed. This also means that he has absolutely no excuse for not improving on last season. Barkley and Dorsey should bring that big game experience mentality to Allen’s lack of big bright lights. Buffalo plays all of their games at 1pm this year.. Don’t sleep on this team’s home field advantage. If Allen can improve accuracy, and gain a deep understanding of presnap reads, he can truly be one of the best.
He’s Doing What He Should Off The Field So Far. Hopefully his fire-eyed spirit couples with a cool demeanor and he can develop into a pro’s pro. If he can, all the pieces are in place for this team to good for a while.
All in all, yours truly is very excited to see this team this season. Maybe more than I ever have. When Stevie Johnson and Ryan Fitzpatrick had their honeymoon that was pretty fun to watch until seeing Fitzmagic’s ribs cave in. Tyrod, though seemingly unpopular locally, was delightful in moments, but never dominant enough to guarantee victory. If Josh Allen can master the mechanics and mind of the game, he has all the moxy to take this team to the next level.