Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has put together another remarkable season.
Despite losing his top two wide receivers, All-pro Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, last offseason, Allen has maintained elite quarterback play. Guiding the Bills to a 9-2 record, Allen has completed 64% of his passes, thrown for 231 yards a game, and scored 23 touchdowns (18 passing).
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The former ju-c0 quarterback has also done a terrific job handling the football. He’s thrown just five interceptions this season, and he’s on pace to have his lowest total since his second season. On 67 rush attempts, Allen has only fumbled the ball once all year.
Allen reads the defense like a book
The Tennessee Titans defense shows a cover-1 look pre-snap before safety Amani Hooker drops into a deep cover-2 zone look post-snap, meaning multiple defenders have their eyes on Allen.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid comes out of a late release, and Allen looks towards him to hold the eyes of the hook defender nearest Amari Cooper’s curl route. At the bottom of the play, James Cook’s swing route out of the backfield is occupying the flat defender.
Both Allen’s eyes and Cook’s route open a window for Allen to fire a pass to Cooper in the soft spot of the defense.
Allen senses the Kansas City Chiefs defense sending a blitz, and now he’s banking on his first read getting open. The first read is the hot route Allen makes, as he needs to get the football out quickly against the blitz.
Allen’s first read is Curtis Samuel on an out route, who gets wide open with perhaps the help of Kincaid (illegally) clearing out Samuel’s defender. Samuel picks up 16 yards on a catch and run.
On a three-step dropback, Allen again uses his eyes to move defenders. As he scans to his right and then scans left, he holds safety Kyle Hamilton and gets his feet to lean away from Kincaid, who is running towards the middle of the field.
Allen scanning the field indicates that Kincaid was likely a second or a third read on the play.
Allen fires a rocket between linebacker Roquan Smith and Hamilton to Kincaid for a 24-yard catch-and-run.
Buffalo Magic
On his drop back, the middle of the pocket collapses for Allen and he recognizes it right in his sightline. Allen immediately flushes out to his right.
He runs out of real estate, running towards the sidelines and makes a play very few players can make. Throwing off balance with pressure in his face, he leads Khalil Shakir downfield on a broken play.
Allen can throw off the platform and launch a perfect ball location to Shakir.
On fourth and two, with the game hanging in the balance, Allen calls his number.
The moment the right tackle, Spencer Brown, starts to lose his battle, Allen steps up into the pocket. The right guard, O’Cyrus Torrence, leverages the defensive tackle inside, freeing up Allen a lane to run for the first down.
It’s man-to-man coverage, and the Chiefs defenders have their backs turned to Allen.
Allen takes off to easily pick up the first down, shows the athleticism and strength to fend off defenders, and scores a game-sealing touchdown.
There’s even a slight chance that this play could have been a design run for Allen. The idea is that Allen drops back and intentionally pumps fakes while the receivers run routes to draw defenders out of the lane, thus giving Allen grass to run.
He’s got a variety of skills, from reading defenses to making plays off-script. He also has the physical tools to beat opposing defenses.
Once again, Allen has another case for MVP this season. He’s consistently led Buffalo to double-digit wins, and is looking to get over the hump and take Buffalo to the Super Bowl.
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