Josh Allen, through the first two years of his NFL career, was a serviceable quarterback. Not super accurate (completion percentage in the 50s), strong arm, good mobility.
This season, however, Allen has taken a noticeable step forward. He has completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 729 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions, leading the Bills to a 2-0 start.
What’s changed?
“You’re seeing Josh Allen take out some of those mistakes that he may have made early [in his career],” former NFL linebacker and current NFL analyst and podcast host A.J. Hawk said on Tiki & Tierney. “We’re seeing him morph out of some of those mistakes. Yeah, he’s still going to throw picks and have things come up, but he seems to not get hung up on them at all. He has a quick memory, and man, we know he has the physical tools and the arm strength. I think having [Stefon] Diggs as well helps him with the deep ball.”
Diggs, who was acquired from Minnesota this past offseason, leads Buffalo in targets (22), catches (eight), yards (239) and first downs (11). The Bills, who last won a division title in 1995, are atop the AFC East.
“The Bills, it’s tough because people sleep on the Bills for some reason, and I think they’re for real,” Hawk said. “I think they’re legit.”
The Bills host the Rams (2-0) this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
In the NFC, meanwhile, Drew Brees might be showing his age. The 41-year-old threw for just 160 yards in the Saints’ season-opener and attempted just one pass more than 20 yards downfield in their loss to the Raiders on Monday night.
“Through the first two games, he doesn’t look like what Drew Brees has shown us for so many years in the league: a Hall of Fame quarterback,” Hawk said. “He still definitely shows it at times. I guess just consistently over four quarters he doesn’t put it together. . . . [But] I’m hesitant to overreact and say somebody is done already after two games. Teams, especially with this weird year in the offseason, they don’t really know who they are yet, and they haven’t really built their brand fully. Right now they don’t know.”