By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills sit at 4-1 entering their bye week. Most of the credit goes to Buffalo’s defense, as the unit has limited opponents of an average of 275 total yards per game, good for third-best in the league. The Bills are also third-best in the league in points allowed per game, allowing a measly 14 points per game to opponents.
Buffalo’s offense, for their part, as been just good enough to keep the team within striking distance. Nevertheless, they have found a way to come out on top.
Not unexpectedly, all eyes have been on quarterback Josh Allen. The 2018 No. 7 overall pick is the undisputed focus of the team’s offense this year, and his progress will determine the degree of success of Buffalo’s offensive unit.
Allen is one of many high-profile players entering the second year of his career. Bleacher Report examined whether fans should buy or sell the sophomore slumps of several players this year.
Yes, Josh Allen was named among this group.
To this point, Allen has completed 62.6-percent of his passes for 1,122 yards. He also has thrown seven interceptions to five touchdowns. He’s also rushed 41 times for 158 yards.
While there has been some progress, B/R is buying this as a sophomore slump.
The culprit: Allen’s inconsistency.
B/R breaks downs Allen’s issues:
While Allen has improved in some areas as a passer since entering the league—he’s shown better touch and accuracy this season—his decision-making is still lacking. The Wyoming product continues to throw passes that he shouldn’t and take sacks and hits that no quarterback should take.
Allen suffered a concussion against the New England Patriots in Week 4 on a scramble that ultimately ended with a helmet-to-helmet collision with defensive back Jonathan Jones. Buffalo went on to lose that game, their only loss of the season, 16-10.
B/R’s more damning reasoning focuses on Allen’s turnover issues:
The result has been serious turnover problems for the Bills. They’ve survived most weeks despite them, but if Allen doesn’t put an end to his careless ways, more losses are going to start cropping up.
Now, is Allen really in a slump? It depends on if you’re a glass-is-half-empty type of person. Allen has made plays out of nothing, which has tantalized fans. His ability to break away from sacks has kept Buffalo moving forward and given them a shot on several plays.
However, the mistakes are still there. He has fumbled five times, in addition to the aforementioned seven picks.
Now, we’ll say the jury is still out on this perspective, as there has been enough to show that Allen is making better decisions from last year. However, this must continue to improve, along with being more consistent with his mechanics and throws in all aspects of the field.
Allen will be on display after the Bills bye week in Week 7, as Buffalo takes on the Miami Dolphins, If he can put together a performance similar to last year’s finale against the Dolphins, one in which he was a part of five touchdowns, then the meter will probably slide away from the sophomore slump prospect.