This week, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills take on their archenemy, Bill Belichick and his New England Patriots.
The Patriots defeated the Bills 29-25 in Week 7 and Buffalo needs to defeat New England on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he did not start out that way as he completed fewer than 60% of his passes in college at Wyoming before being selected seventh overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, then struggled as a passer in his first two years in the NFL. Many called him a bust before he broke out in 2020 as he led the Bills to the AFC East title.
Allen’s ascent reminded Patriots head coach Bill Belichick of another AFC East quarterback who flipped a switch in his third NFL season.
“It’s kind of like Brady,” Belichick told media members this week. “Once Brady got to a certain point there in [2003], that’s pretty much what he was the rest of his career. Wasn’t like that in ‘02, wasn’t like that in ‘01, certainly wasn’t like that in 2000. But once he got to a certain point there about the midseason of the ’03 season, and then in the playoffs and from then on, his level of performance and play and consistency was at the very top of the league.
“[Allen has] a different style of play, obviously, but once those quarterbacks get to that point, they’re able to sustain it. Sometimes, you don’t know what the growth pattern’s gonna be.”
The 2018 first-round pick has won five of the last six matchups against Belichick. The Patriots defeated Allen and the Bills earlier this season in what was one of the best performances of Mac Jones’ career.
It wasn’t enough to save his job as he is benched as Sunday’s rematch in Buffalo will pit Allen against Bailey Zappe.
