There is no question that Buffalo Bills‘ quarterback Josh Allen has been a dominant force in the league for the last few years. From creating key plays to bringing his team deep into the playoffs, Allen has been nothing short of spectacular. However, some believe that this may be short-lived, as Allen has not produced his usual numbers as of recently. Here are three reasons why we will all witness the decline of Josh Allen in 2023.
Josh Allen’s Turnover Troubles
In week one of this season, Allen and the Bills traveled to MetLife Stadium to take on their AFC East foe, the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. The Bills ended up dropping the game in overtime 22-16. A big reason for this was Allen’s issues turning the ball over. Allen had three interceptions, all of them going to Jets’ safety Jordan Whitehead. Allen looked out of sync with his receivers all game, completing 29-41 pass attempts going for 236 yards, and having a QBR of 45.6.
Throughout his career, Allen was known for turning over the ball often, throwing over 10 interceptions in four of his last five seasons prior to 2023. With the pace Allen is on after week one of this year, we can see that number climb even more if he does not figure something out quickly.
Absence of Old Coordinator
While Josh Allen was making a case for MVP in previous years, former Bills’ offensive coordinator and now New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll played a big role in the rise of the star quarterback. Daboll can tell if the quarterback is going back to past bad habits by looking at their body language. Look at what he did for Daniel Jones and the Giants last season for example. Jones had the best year of his career with Daboll as his coach.
An evaluator said, “I think he [Allen] misses Daboll, I definitely think that’s part of it. Look at what he’s done with Jones, cutting down on the bad throws and easy picks. He has a knack for that.” Well, Allen has declined since the departure of his old coordinator. The question for Allen is, “Can he get back to doing the things that Daboll taught him?”
Time is Ticking
The Super Bowl window for Josh Allen and the Bills is closing quickly, putting more pressure on the team than ever before to get the job done. The Bills have certainly been close, but have struggled to get past Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, along with Joe Burrow and the Bengals in the AFC Playoffs. With all of the other quarterback talent in the AFC rising, Allen may fall out of the top five quarterbacks in the division this season.
With aging veterans on both sides of the ball for Buffalo, and Josh Allen going back into bad habits, it looks like the reign of Josh Allen and the Bills might be coming to an end. He will need to have a huge turnaround if he wants to bring the Bills to the promise land. If they do not get to the Super Bowl this season, expect some big names to be traded like Steffon Diggs, leaving Allen in the dark to contend for a Lombardi Trophy.