Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is coming off of a rather up-and-down rookie campaign, and he has dedicated some of his offseason to watching all of the things he did wrong in 2018 and getting better:
“It’s (about) staying hungry. I know there’s a lot of things that I missed on last year,” Allen said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “A lot of dumb plays going back and watching film that just were like, ‘Why did I do that? What was I thinking?’ But (now it’s about) learning from those and then going into next season and trying to apply what I’ve learned onto the field.”
Allen made a whole lot of plays with his legs this past year, rushing for 631 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry, but his passing stats left much to be desired, as he threw for 2,074 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 52.8 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 67.9 over 11 starts.
In spite of his athleticism and ability to make plays on the run, the 23-year-old understands that taking all of those extra hits might end up hurting him in the long run:
“I’m probably the most competitive man in the room at all times,” Allen said. “I want to win at everything. … That’s where it comes to that push and pull where (and having that) athletic ability. Can I get one more yard; can I get the first down? But is it smart to do? Is it smart to put my shoulder down and maybe take a hit, or hold onto the ball an extra second? It’s that balance where sometimes it’s necessary, sometimes there’s no need to do it, and sometimes the smart play’s the best play.”
Allen, who played his collegiate football at the University of Wyoming, was originally selected by the Bills with the seventh overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.