Josh Allen can take down “Big” Ben Roethlisberger, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, but can he take the Buffalo Bills to the “Big” Game?
Last Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at home 26-15 to move to 10-3 on the season. Meanwhile, the Steelers fell to 11-2. Allen and Diggs had great chemistry in the game as Diggs had 130-yards on 10 receptions and 1 touchdown. Diggs’ 10 catches Sunday night put him @ 100 on the season for 1,167 yards setting a new career high in yards. He needs 202 receiving yards in the final-three games to pass (Eric Moulds 1,368 in 1998) for most receiving yards in a single season in Bills franchise history. Meanwhile, Allen was 24 of 43 for 238-yards and having a 2:1 td ratio.
Before the game, Diggs was not worried at all that the Bills were not going to win the game.
Josh Allen’s Story Begins
Josh Allen was born on May 21, 1996 in Firebaugh, California. There he attended Firebaugh High School where he played football, and other sports to include baseball. Allen worked on his family farm and also in a restaurant his mother owned in Firebaugh. As a junior, Allen received no division one offers, as well as not receiving a scholarship from his favorite team the Fresno State Bull Dogs.
Thinking outside the box, Allen decided to go the JUCO route where he played one-year of football at Reedly College where at the time one of his assistant coaches was married to his cousin. Allen was named the starter for the Wyoming Cowboys in 2016, where he threw 28-touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
After the season, he was thinking about declaring for the 2017 NFL draft, but was convinced to stay for his senior season. In his senior season, Allen threw for 16-touchdowns and 6 ints.
2018 NFL Draft
Allen then declared for the NFL draft in which experts said that the rookie quarterback class could project to be the best class since the 1983 draft, led by John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino. Allen joined Oklahoma Sooners Quarterback Baker Mayfield, USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson. Mayfield, despite some on-the-field antics in college was selected number-one overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL draft.
The New York Jets decided to take Darnold with the number-three overall pick, and Allen’s name was still not called. Then the Bills traded up to the number-seven overall pick meaning that they were going to be able to pick their franchise-quarterback.
It came down to the two Joshes. Wyoming’s Josh Allen, a kid who received no division one scholarships and played one-year of JUCO football before shining with Wyoming vs UCLA’S Josh Rosen, a 5-star phenom who was seen as naïve and spoiled during his freshman year. He made his mother drop-off a hot tub that he was to use in his doom room.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has a hot tub in his dorm. From @AndyJ0seph: https://t.co/0GFkVancfr pic.twitter.com/ybos6eMfft
— azcentral sports (@azcsports) October 23, 2015
Then during the NFL Combine, Rosen obnoxiously said that he thought he was the best quarterback in the draft. No one said Rosen could not be a good quarterback in the NFL, it’s just the problem was he was very entitled as he was a 5-star prospect who went to UCLA.
On the opposite side, Allen had no division one offers from college, and he was a zero-star recruit who had to work his tail off to even be in this position. After careful consideration, the Bills decided to select Josh Allen with the seventh-overall picked. The fans booed the pick as a majority of them did not think Allen had the numbers in college to prove that he could be a great NFL quarterback. Plus, they wanted Josh Rosen, even though he had the red flags I mentioned above.
Bills GM Brandon Beane Has Confidence in Allen
After the draft, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane felt confident that Allen was going to be a star in the NFL. By looking at his pre-draft tools, Allen has it all. He is athletic, tall, intelligent, and hard working. Also, he’s got a big arm.
Allen is a good looking young fella and because of his recent success, he is on the cusp of being a cult figure. Dare to say it is sort of Brad Pitt like. The only draw back Allen had was his accuracy, but Beane spoke at the podium after the Bills made the pick, and right from the start, he made no stones on terms in saying that the staff will help him improve on this flaw.
Brandon Beane on if he believes QB Josh Allen will improve in flaws (accuracy): “I have no doubt.” #Bills #BillsMafia
— Nick (@Nick_Wojton) April 27, 2018
Josh Allen’s Improved Accuracy
Allen has been working with NFL-prospect quarterback coach Jordan Palmer brother of Carson Palmer (former quarterback for the Cincinnati Bangles) during his last-two seasons in the NFL. We know that Allen has a cannon for an arm, but part of the problem is his arm is a bit too strong. Occasionally, he will fire the ball so fast over the middle of the field that it will drop to the ground incomplete. Also, his footwork can be shaky as he doesn’t always set his feet properly.
After the Bills lost to Houston in the playoffs last year, Allen was planning on improving his accuracy during mini-camps, but the whole country shut down due to the Corona virus pandemic. Before then, he was working with Palmer on throwing the ball much softer and correctly placing and planting both of his feet down.
He has improved with this every game he plays in and what you saw in the Steelers game, is a contribution to Palmer’s teachings.
Josh Allen’s Incredible Arm Strength
In his last two-season’s Allen was dead last in completion percentage, and now he is one of the leaders in the league. That is what makes him a rising star for the Buffalo Bills as well as the NFL.
Allen’s strength in his game is his amazing arm talent. Allen can throw-the-ball very deep and during a game versus the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 20, 2019 he threw-the-ball about 80 yards into the stands.
Here’s my look at how close Josh Allen came to throwing the ball out of the stadium. #Billsmafia pic.twitter.com/2XSXuOTYeL
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) October 20, 2019
And just one more thing… I’m from Upstate NY, and to all you Buffalo Bills fans out there…
The Bills make me want to SHOUT !
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