The Buffalo Bills are 7-6 and in second place in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots who are 9-4.
The Bills have a lot of good players, but they are leaning on one to do too much, and it has been costly.
That one player is quarterback Josh Allen.
Allen’s excessive workload is taking its toll on him physically as he was in a walking boot after the Bills Week 14 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Josh Allen entering his postgame press conference in a walking boot. pic.twitter.com/akdmTqLrTB
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) December 13, 2021
It is also impacting other parts of his game.
Here is a breakdown of what’s going wrong with Allen’s game this season.
josh allen hasn’t failed the bills, the bills have failed josh allen
— chloe wojtanik (@chloewojj) December 12, 2021
3. Throwing Too Many Interceptions
To his credit, Allen does have 28 touchdown passes through 13 games.
He has 11 interceptions too.
This is not characteristic of Allen’s game.
The most interceptions he has thrown in his career is 12, and that was in 2018.
Most thrown interceptions in their last 5 games:
1) Lamar Jackson – 6
2) Josh Allen – 6
3) Justin Herbert – 5
4) Andy Dalton – 5
5) Ryan Tannehill – 5 pic.twitter.com/q8scdElfyD— Phillip V. McGruder (@McGruderPmac) December 17, 2021
2. Getting Sacked Too Much
Allen is getting sacked a lot.
He has been sacked 22 times so far in 2021.
Allen was only sacked 26 times in the entire 2020 season.
Josh Allen takes a sack from what looks like the entire Tampa Bay defense, 3rd and long #BillsMafia
— Built in Buffalo (@BuiltInBuffalo_) December 12, 2021
1. Running Too Much
Players with 300+ pass yards and 100+ rush yards in a single game in NFL history:
Josh Allen (Sunday)
Lamar Jackson (2020)
Cam Newton (2015)
Russell Wilson (2014)Incredible performance #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/5no34ONp5J
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 13, 2021
His single biggest problem is that he is running the ball too much.
Allen is the second leading rusher on the Bills team.
He is only 16 yards behind Devin Singletary who has 547 yards compared to Allen’s 531.
Allen rushed for a career-high 631 yards in his rookie season in 2018.
With four games to go, he will certainly eclipse that.
A rushing quarterback never has longevity without injuries.
Just ask Robert Griffin III and Lamar Jackson.
What It Means
Allen needs help is the simplest way to put it.
He cannot continue at this pace and still throw the ball as much as he is expected to.
So far in 2021, he has completed 325 passes in 494 attempts.
In 2020, he attempted 572 passes the whole season.
He is going to wear himself out and be in more than a walking boot if he keeps up all of this.
What Can Be Done
There are several things that can be done to help Allen.
Perhaps the Bills need to reevaluate their offensive line in the offseason.
Tom Brady has DAYS in the pocket.
Josh Allen has milliseconds in the pocket.
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) December 12, 2021
In the meantime, Allen and his coaches should think about creating easy dump off pass plays or getting Singletary the ball more in the ground game.
The other question that he and his coaches need to answer is whether he is holding the ball too long or not making quick decisions to get the ball out of his hands and down the field to one of his teammates.
He is a great young quarterback in his fourth NFL season; these issues could be part of his growth and development.
The Good News
Besides the fact that all these issues are fixable, the other piece of good news is Josh Allen is a tough guy.
#Bills QB Josh Allen was, in fact, a full participant in today’s practice and has no injury designation. He’ll start.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 17, 2021
That sprained foot did not stop him from practicing and preparing for the Week 15 game against the Carolina Panthers.
The Bills big matchup, where they desperately need a healthy and productive Allen, is in Week 16 against the New England Patriots.
Allen’s athleticism and talent are a big reason the Bills are so competitive; they need to take care of him.
NEXT: Will The Bills Make The NFL Playoffs?