Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen recently made it clear he wants to air it out this year.
Allen said Thursday he is trying to find more balance in 2020, and will not look to force things. At the same time, Allen indicated he is not going to be “Captain Checkdown.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott understands Allen's perspective, but also added his third-year quarterback needs to be take what the defense gives him and be flexible in his reads.
Last week, #Bills QB Josh Allen said he didn't want to be "Captain Checkdown." This morning, I asked his coach, Sean McDermott how he and OC Brian Daboll can get Allen to find the right balance. "I think you’ve got to flexible, and adaptable…" @nflnetwork @AroundTheNFL pic.twitter.com/ou7Pu4P8Fu
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) June 17, 2020
Interestingly, Allen has rarely even resorted to checkdowns.
According to Pro Football Focus, Allen has utilized checkdown passes the least of any starting quarterback in the NFL in the last two years.
The former first-round pick might not like dumping the ball off, though–as McDermott noted–sometimes checkdowns can actually turn into an explosive gain.
At the same time, Buffalo's offense is built to beat opponents over the top.
The Bills acquired Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings this spring, giving Allen a legitimate deep threat who is also very capable in jump-ball situations.
Diggs averaged close to 18 yards per reception and 12 yards per target last season, and he figures to get plenty of opportunities to use his speed and explosiveness. Diggs' presence alongside fellow burner John Brown could make the Bills one of the more wide-open offenses in the league.
But much of the offensive success still depends on Allen.
The 24-year-old made strides in 2019, bumping his completion percentage while also experiencing a drop in interception percentage. But Allen still completed just 58.8 percent of his passes while averaging just 6.7 yards per pass attempt.
McDermott certainly would prefer the Bills to put up points in bunches. But he feels Allen needs to be content with “taking what the defense gives him” in order to take the next step in his development.
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