When Josh Allen entered the NFL, he quickly became one of the league’s ultimate thrill rides. The Bills quarterback was a playmaker at Wyoming, but the consensus was that he had a lot to learn to succeed in the NFL, especially when it came to his footwork, mechanics and the ability to consistently make good choices at the next level.
It took some time, but Allen is starting to tame his wild side. He was fortunate to land in Buffalo, where the Bills were willing to have patience with the Wyoming star, even though there were fumbles and interceptions that were true head-shakers. But Allen has just one interception this year, which is especially remarkable given his full-throttle tendencies and the way he plays with sheer physical abandon.
The moves the Bills made to support Allen’s development
It’s always tempting to look for one pivotal move when this kind of thing happens, but the Bills have tried plenty of potential answers. They’ve had a bit of a revolving door when it comes to offensive coordinators, starting when Ken Dorsey replacing Brian Daboll in 2022 when Daboll left to coach the Giants.
Dorsey has some success initially, but when Allen began to regress, Buffalo turned to Joe Brady to turn their star quarterback around. Brady added more formations and motion to Buffalo’s offense, but it’s hard to say that move has been transformational.
The personnel moves have been more significant, with two that stand out. Buffalo swapped out Devin Singletary as the team’s lead back, which was significant because Singletary is too small to be the power runner Allen needs to complement his skills. James Cook has stepped in and been a better fit, and he, too, has benefitted from the motion and different formations Brady has added.
The biggest move, though, was trading Stefon Diggs. The star wide receiver had clearly worn out his welcome in Buffalo, and trading him seemed to free Allen from the need to constantly target Diggs at the expense of the rest of his weapons.
Josh Allen’s turnover learning curve
All of these changes have had an impact, but a lot of what’s happened is simply the result of Allen looking in the mirror and changing his reckless ways. The Buffalo QB has seen more than his share of red zone turnovers due to his poor decision making, and while he’s been able to overcome many of them, others have cost the Bills games.
Josh Allen certainly hasn’t become cautious—that’s simply not in his football DNA. He has become more careful, though, and Allen has improved significantly when it comes to going through his reads. This particular skill was almost non-existent when he came into the league, but now Allen flashes it all the time.
The benefits of this have been obvious so far. Avoiding turnovers has allowed Buffalo to avoid the kind of roller coaster games where the Bills would get a big lead, then lose it, or have to come back from a large deficit after a couple of Josh Allen miscues. Not having to overcome Allen’s errors has helped Buffalo dominate the AFC East, and it feels like the Bills could have the division locked up when Buffalo fans start to get serious about their Christmas shopping.
The caveat here is that Allen’s turnover numbers will almost certainly get worse. He’s admitted that several potential interceptions have been dropped, and his luck there will inevitably change. But Josh Allen has also been able to avoid the devastating fumbles that have occurred when he suddenly decides he’s a power running back.
Assuming the Bills do lock up a home playoff game, Allen will likely throw caution out the window to some extent in the postseason. He knows there will be games where he simply has to make a play, and hopefully his improved judgment will improve his chances of success when he goes to do that.