QB Allen ready to roll again
If the Buffalo Bills needed him to play two weeks ago in New York, rookie quarterback Josh Allen would have given it a try.
However, by keeping him on the sideline armed only with a headset and a clipboard, Allen believes his elbow injury was given the proper time to heal and now he’s fully ready to get back on the field Sunday against Jacksonville.
Matt Barkley started Buffalo’s last game before its bye and he helped deliver an out-of-nowhere 41-10 victory as he completed 15 of 25 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Allen was close to playing that day, but the Bills made the wise decision to extend his rest and rehab.
Allen has been with the first team all week and he’s been zinging balls around the way he was before the injury.
“The comfort level is getting to where it needs to be, where I want it to be,” Allen said. “I’m excited, thankful for the opportunity. Our training staff … they did a fantastic job and we’re going to continue with that process as well.”
Allen admitted that leading up to the Jets game, while he was participating in practice for the first time since suffering the injury Oct. 14 in Houston, his arm wasn’t back to full strength.
“The difference I feel in the elbow compared to two weeks ago, it’s a big difference,” Allen said. “I’m thankful I was able to sit out one more week and Matt was able to come in and get us a victory. I’m making throws where I don’t have to second guess. Putting the ball where it needs to be, and when I’m making the throw, there’s no grabbing or pulling in there, it feels comfortable and fluid. Maybe two weeks ago I might have had a couple throws I didn’t want to make, but now I think it’s full game and every throw is on the table.”
Now, how many throws Allen is allowed to make against Jacksonville is up for debate. The Jaguars present a massive test for the rookie because their defense is strong at every level. They can generate pressure with a superb front four led by defensive end Calais Campbell, they have excellent coverage linebackers in Myles Jack and Telvin Smith, and a dynamic cornerback duo of Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye.
“This Jacksonville defense is going to be one of the best defenses we’ve played all year,” he said. “They’ve got some really good players on that side, their linebackers move very well and their front four, they pay them a lot of money for a very good reason; they’ve got some studs up front and in the back.”
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll called an aggressive game in New York with Barkley playing, even though he’d been with the Bills less than two weeks. Daboll insinuated Tuesday that Allen is ready for a similar workload.
“I think we’re confident in Josh,” Daboll said. “I know he hasn’t played the previous few weeks, but he’s been in the preparation meetings, he’s smart, so we can we put whatever we need to put in. Whoever’s playing, whoever the starter is – it could be at quarterback, receiver – I think you try to put things together that attack the weaknesses of the opponent. It could change, week to week, on what you want to do. But you try to attack all levels of the field, whether it’s vertically, horizontally, and you have those in your game plan every week. We executed them very well (against the Jets).”
SERIES HISTORY: 15th regular-season meeting. Bills lead series, 8-6. The Bills have won three of the last four, the lone loss coming at Wembley Stadium in London in 2015. The Jaguars have won both postseason games between the teams, including a 10-3 victory last year in the AFC wild-card round.
