Josh Allen knows the day is coming when he'll have to change his play style

[HipKat]

A change is coming for Josh Allen. He just doesn’t know when.

“I know this sounds crazy, but I'm getting older,” the Buffalo Bills’ 26-year-old quarterback said Tuesday. “It’s like, ‘I can't continue to do this.’ I know when I'm using my youth, I feel like I can, but over the course of my career, I'm going to have to learn to adapt and change. I’ve always had the mindset of ‘I've been a football player first and a quarterback second,’ and at some point that's going to have to switch. When that point is, I don't know. I guess I'll let my body tell me.”

The Bills would like that to be sooner than later. If Allen’s career is going to have the longevity that both he and the team hopes it does, he’s going to have to learn how to avoid as much unnecessary physical punishment as possible.

“I'm a realistic guy and I think very logistically, and I know Father Time is undefeated,” Allen said. “Football is a game where it's not if you get hurt, it's when you get hurt. It’s going to happen to anybody at any point. Throughout the season, if there's a guy 100% – playing 100% – I don't believe him. We go through our bumps and bruises, and it takes a while to heal up as you get older. Finding a routine that now works for me whether it's spending more time in the training room, hot tub, cold tub, and just being smarter with that aspect and developing that routine to allow my body to heal faster and being smarter as time goes on.”

To that end, Allen said he’s feeling good as the Bills have gathered in Orchard Park for the start of their offseason conditioning program.

“It was a lot of rest, a lot of mental recovery,” he said of his offseason to this point. “This last season was pretty draining throughout – physically, emotionally, mentally. Just trying to reboot and I think at this point, in my life, I’ve never been as focused or locked in on football as I am right now. So I’m very excited and looking forward to getting here with the guys, building that team camaraderie, having guys over and just doing that piece of it. Because I think that’s such a huge piece of it – when you’re able to trust teammates inside and outside the facility.”

The elbow injury that Allen suffered midway through last season against the New York Jets – and subsequently bothered him for most of the rest of the year – is healed. Allen said he’s been able to throw without any discomfort, and has not seen any doctors about the injury. It also hasn’t impacted his golf game – which is big, if you know the Bills’ quarterback at all. He even shot a 79 recently at Crag Burn – which was revealed by teammate Von Miller.

“It's coming along all right,” Allen said of his golf game. “I've got quite a few rounds in. I feel pretty good about it. And golf’s tough. You can go out one day and feel like you're on top of the world, and the next day you go out it's like, ‘I’m throwing my clubs away, need all new stuff and maybe I don't even want to play this game anymore.’ But I love it. It's a way for me to get out there and put the phone away and be in nature and be around friends and just hang out for four hours and play some golf at some really cool spots.”

Allen was at the Masters earlier this month – which he calls his favorite sporting event – and will visit Oak Hill next month for the PGA Championship in suburban Rochester. In between, he’ll be busy getting to work on preparing for the 2023 season. Getting on the same page with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and quarterbacks coach Joe Brady is a top priority for Allen.

“Going into my sixth year and understanding this offense fully and just trying to dive deeper with Dorsey and Joe Brady in our quarterback room – just trying to be the best leader, the best teammate, the best quarterback that I need to be for this team to win football games,” he said. “We need to get over that hump and I understand that, we understand that. You’ve got to look from within sometimes and just finding new ways I can get better. Taking care of myself on the field, whether it’s taking hits, protecting the football, not putting the ball into harm’s way. … There’s a lot of times last year, just looking back at film, that I was careless with the football, careless with my body and at the end of the day, availability is the best ability. So a lot of things I’m working on right now.”

Allen threw 14 interceptions last season, which was third most in the NFL behind Houston’s Davis Mills and Dallas’ Dak Prescott. He also lost five fumbles, which was second most in the NFL. Combined, his 19 giveaways led the NFL.

“I want to be the smartest quarterback with the football in my hands,” he said. “I don't want to put the ball in harm's way, because I know how detrimental that is for a team with those interceptions and the fumbles. So, again, just finding ways to work on that, being more decisive with the football. Just getting back to maybe some of our more familiar concepts where guys know exactly what they're doing, I know exactly what they're doing and try to be successful that way.”

Allen is entering his sixth season and turns 27 next month. He said it doesn’t feel like he’s been in the league that long.

“It just happens quick,” he said. “I feel like I’m learning something new each and every year.”

Understanding situational football is one area he hopes to improve in 2023.

“If there's a third down where we got to get it, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get it. But if it's a second and 10, I got nine yards to go, no need to put the shoulder down and try it,” he said. “We can get it on third and 1 with our players and trusting the guys around me. … There were some times last year where it's like ‘I'm in the open field. I don't need an extra 2 yards. Get down and slide and live to fight another down.’ Again, it's worked to this point, but I understand that there's going to be a time where it's not going to work so well. And those guys are licking their chops on the defensive side to go hit a quarterback too, so not giving them opportunities to go do that too often.”

[deleted]

2 hours ago, HipKat said:

A change is coming for Josh Allen. He just doesn’t know when.

“I know this sounds crazy, but I'm getting older,” the Buffalo Bills’ 26-year-old quarterback said Tuesday. “It’s like, ‘I can't continue to do this.’ I know when I'm using my youth, I feel like I can, but over the course of my career, I'm going to have to learn to adapt and change. I’ve always had the mindset of ‘I've been a football player first and a quarterback second,’ and at some point that's going to have to switch. When that point is, I don't know. I guess I'll let my body tell me.”

The Bills would like that to be sooner than later. If Allen’s career is going to have the longevity that both he and the team hopes it does, he’s going to have to learn how to avoid as much unnecessary physical punishment as possible.

“I'm a realistic guy and I think very logistically, and I know Father Time is undefeated,” Allen said. “Football is a game where it's not if you get hurt, it's when you get hurt. It’s going to happen to anybody at any point. Throughout the season, if there's a guy 100% – playing 100% – I don't believe him. We go through our bumps and bruises, and it takes a while to heal up as you get older. Finding a routine that now works for me whether it's spending more time in the training room, hot tub, cold tub, and just being smarter with that aspect and developing that routine to allow my body to heal faster and being smarter as time goes on.”

To that end, Allen said he’s feeling good as the Bills have gathered in Orchard Park for the start of their offseason conditioning program.

“It was a lot of rest, a lot of mental recovery,” he said of his offseason to this point. “This last season was pretty draining throughout – physically, emotionally, mentally. Just trying to reboot and I think at this point, in my life, I’ve never been as focused or locked in on football as I am right now. So I’m very excited and looking forward to getting here with the guys, building that team camaraderie, having guys over and just doing that piece of it. Because I think that’s such a huge piece of it – when you’re able to trust teammates inside and outside the facility.”

The elbow injury that Allen suffered midway through last season against the New York Jets – and subsequently bothered him for most of the rest of the year – is healed. Allen said he’s been able to throw without any discomfort, and has not seen any doctors about the injury. It also hasn’t impacted his golf game – which is big, if you know the Bills’ quarterback at all. He even shot a 79 recently at Crag Burn – which was revealed by teammate Von Miller.

“It's coming along all right,” Allen said of his golf game. “I've got quite a few rounds in. I feel pretty good about it. And golf’s tough. You can go out one day and feel like you're on top of the world, and the next day you go out it's like, ‘I’m throwing my clubs away, need all new stuff and maybe I don't even want to play this game anymore.’ But I love it. It's a way for me to get out there and put the phone away and be in nature and be around friends and just hang out for four hours and play some golf at some really cool spots.”

Allen was at the Masters earlier this month – which he calls his favorite sporting event – and will visit Oak Hill next month for the PGA Championship in suburban Rochester. In between, he’ll be busy getting to work on preparing for the 2023 season. Getting on the same page with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and quarterbacks coach Joe Brady is a top priority for Allen.

“Going into my sixth year and understanding this offense fully and just trying to dive deeper with Dorsey and Joe Brady in our quarterback room – just trying to be the best leader, the best teammate, the best quarterback that I need to be for this team to win football games,” he said. “We need to get over that hump and I understand that, we understand that. You’ve got to look from within sometimes and just finding new ways I can get better. Taking care of myself on the field, whether it’s taking hits, protecting the football, not putting the ball into harm’s way. … There’s a lot of times last year, just looking back at film, that I was careless with the football, careless with my body and at the end of the day, availability is the best ability. So a lot of things I’m working on right now.”

Allen threw 14 interceptions last season, which was third most in the NFL behind Houston’s Davis Mills and Dallas’ Dak Prescott. He also lost five fumbles, which was second most in the NFL. Combined, his 19 giveaways led the NFL.

“I want to be the smartest quarterback with the football in my hands,” he said. “I don't want to put the ball in harm's way, because I know how detrimental that is for a team with those interceptions and the fumbles. So, again, just finding ways to work on that, being more decisive with the football. Just getting back to maybe some of our more familiar concepts where guys know exactly what they're doing, I know exactly what they're doing and try to be successful that way.”

Allen is entering his sixth season and turns 27 next month. He said it doesn’t feel like he’s been in the league that long.

“It just happens quick,” he said. “I feel like I’m learning something new each and every year.”

Understanding situational football is one area he hopes to improve in 2023.

“If there's a third down where we got to get it, I'm going to do whatever it takes to get it. But if it's a second and 10, I got nine yards to go, no need to put the shoulder down and try it,” he said. “We can get it on third and 1 with our players and trusting the guys around me. … There were some times last year where it's like ‘I'm in the open field. I don't need an extra 2 yards. Get down and slide and live to fight another down.’ Again, it's worked to this point, but I understand that there's going to be a time where it's not going to work so well. And those guys are licking their chops on the defensive side to go hit a quarterback too, so not giving them opportunities to go do that too often.”

This seems to me that I heard this last year.   And the year before that.   And ....... etc.

The truth is that we'll hear this for the next 15 - 20 years until Josh Allen's last play in the NFL; which will consist of him ramming himself into a defensive tackle for a goal line touchdown. 

For now I'll accept if he just hurdles shorter defensive players. 

 

 

déjà vu

noun

dé·jà vu ˌdā-ˌzhä-ˈvü  -ˈvᵫ 

1

a

: the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time

b

:a feeling elicited when Josh Allen states that he will learn to slide or get out of bounds, avoid big hits, and stop trucking defenders.

 

[JT]

This entire subject is absurd, this is Allen's play style and it has been his entire career including in college.   If the Bills would build their offense around Allen and get him some fucking studs who are on his level they could limit him running the ball and taking so many chances but they will never eliminate it and they shouldn't.   Part of the reason why the Bills have had their success is because of his ability to make big plays out of nothing, change that and the team goes to shit.   Glad the Bills are looking for ways to limit Allen even further right along with getting him little help.   

[deleted]

1 hour ago, JT said:

This entire subject is absurd, this is Allen's play style and it has been his entire career including in college.   If the Bills would build their offense around Allen and get him some fucking studs who are on his level they could limit him running the ball and taking so many chances but they will never eliminate it and they shouldn't.   Part of the reason why the Bills have had their success is because of his ability to make big plays out of nothing, change that and the team goes to shit.   Glad the Bills are looking for ways to limit Allen even further right along with getting him little help.   

My post was awesomely funny and you should acknowledge that.   I'm the preeminent Josh Allen historian on this board; so no lectures directed at me. 

[Greg]

It's been said a billion times on this board. The Bills must improve the OL and get more elite level talent on offense to help Allen and Diggs. Allen will have to change his style of play at some point. You can take the hits in college and your early 20's. He is going on year 6 in the NFL, getting older so recovering from those hits will get harder as the years go by.

[Victor7]

3 hours ago, JT said:

This entire subject is absurd, this is Allen's play style and it has been his entire career including in college.   If the Bills would build their offense around Allen and get him some fucking studs who are on his level they could limit him running the ball and taking so many chances but they will never eliminate it and they shouldn't.   Part of the reason why the Bills have had their success is because of his ability to make big plays out of nothing, change that and the team goes to shit.   Glad the Bills are looking for ways to limit Allen even further right along with getting him little help.   

 

Yes and no. 

Its his style and he'll always be that guy. I'm with you there. But even he acknowledges sometimes he doesn't need that extra 2-3 yards that come with a hit. Like you said. Bills would be smart to give him more weapons and better protection so his heroics aren't needed as much. But Josh would also be smart taking less hits when he goes party mode outside the pocket. 

[bv]

Not easy running and carrying the whole team on your back too