Rookies are beginning to report to NFL training camps across the league, which means the silly season is almost over in terms of hot takes (I hate that term).
Instead of pure speculation, we’ll actually get to analyze, overanalyze, criticize and salivate over all things involving the actual on-field products across the league.
So perhaps it’s only fitting that at the unofficial end of the NFL offseason, perhaps one of the most ridiculous comments to come out over the last few months surfaced on Tuesday, and it involves Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen.
Ironically, it doesn’t come from a media pundit, but rather an anonymous NFL executive. I don’t blame them. If I said something this stupid, I’d want to remain anonymous, too.
I’ll just leave it here for you to, uh, digest:
“One of the most overrated players in the NFL. Immense talent but he makes a lot of mistakes. He’s underdeveloped at winning at the line of scrimmage, tends to lock onto targets, more of a thrower than a precision passer, forces throws into traffic.”
I tuned into a little bit of sports talk yesterday, and, of course, it was discussed. Dan Orlovsky called the take “moronic” on ESPN’s “First Take.” Not long after, Colin Cowherd, host of “The Herd,” said if anything, Allen is actually underrated.
I wholeheartedly agree with those statements but want to mix in a little of my own thoughts on the matter as well.
If you were to put together a draft of the entire NFL, Allen would be the No. 2 pick behind only Patrick Mahomes. Ahead of Joe Burrow, ahead of Lamar Jackson, ahead of Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud, etc.
The man is one or two plays away from leading the Bills to the Super Bowl (more than once), and perhaps a championship, which leads me to my next point.
Allen’s situation reminds me of what Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger had to go through in the AFC for years, which was the Patriots and Tom Brady. Allen’s situation might be even more challenging, as there’s a good chance, if Mahomes continues on his current trajectory, that he could pass Brady for the unofficial title of greatest quarterback ever.
Beginning in 2003 and ending in 2018, a span of 16 seasons, it was either Brady, Manning or Roethlisberger representing the AFC in the Super Bowl with the exception of 2012 . Brady went eight times in that span, Manning four (two each with the Colts and Broncos) and Roethlisberger three. The lone exception was in 2012 when Joe Flacco, who had the benefit of an historically great defense, led the Ravens to the Super Bowl.
Both Manning and Roethlisberger likely would have got to more Super Bowl’s than they did if it weren’t for going against the all-time greatness of Brady for the duration of their careers.
That leads right into the next point, with the general criticism regarding Allen and his turnovers. Can that be frustrating at times? Yes, but it’s also that gunslinger mentality that is part of his greatness. You have to take the good with the bad. In that aspect, his overall game reminds me very much of Roethlisberger, with a little bit of John Elway and Brett Favre mixed in. In terms of arm talent, those four are on the shortlist of the best in NFL history. Allen makes throws that other even very good NFL quarterbacks can’t make. Will that lead to an occasional force and an interception? Sure. But that’s not taking into consideration the throws Allen makes that most NFL quarterbacks simply can’t. The good vastly outweighs the bad with this supposed flaw in Allen’s game.
And out of the four, Allen is definitely the most athletic, which brings me to my final point. People can dissect stats all they want, and I really don’t need them to make them to debunk this ridiculous take by this executive, but I’ll throw out just one. Through his first six seasons, Allen has the most total touchdowns in NFL history, and it’s not close. He has 220, and the only other guy with over 200 is Mahomes.
His running ability, on top of his arm strength, make him one of the more unique quarterback talents that we’ve ever seen.
This notion that he is overrated is ridiculous. The Bills aren’t a perfectly built roster, but they will be a Super Bowl contender every season as long as Allen is the quarterback. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.
