The notion that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen isn’t as good as the evidence suggests seems to persist stubbornly, much like a cockroach in NFL narratives that refuses to die.
Allen is an exceptional quarterback, distinguished by his unique blend of arm strength, size, agility, and toughness—qualities that are rare in NFL history. He’s received MVP votes in three of the last four seasons and stands as the only player in league history to achieve over 40 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Despite his extraordinary talent, there remains a group of fans, analysts, and players who continuously downplay his abilities and dismiss his accomplishments.
While the narrative questioning Allen’s skill has quieted down somewhat due to his sustained performance, it was still evident this offseason when an anonymous poll of over 100 NFL players named him the league’s most overrated quarterback. Some simply refuse to see him as one of the elite players in the league. CBS Sports writer John Breech may not be as misguided as others, but he recently made a statement regarding Allen that stands out as particularly misguided.
Breech predicted that the Seattle Seahawks would defeat the Bills in their upcoming Week 8 matchup, which is a valid viewpoint given Seattle’s strong performance in the NFC West and the intense home crowd. However, Breech’s reasoning is questionable; he admits that Allen is “one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL,” yet he argues that the quarterback’s lack of interceptions this season will end against the Seahawks, whom he claims cannot perform well on the road.
“Unfortunately for Allen and the Bills, I think this streak is going to come to a crashing end in Seattle,” Breech stated. “Although Allen has looked like an MVP candidate in Buffalo’s home games, he’s looked like Daniel Jones when Buffalo plays on the road. He’s the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of NFL quarterbacks.”
While noting that Allen is 3-0 at home and 2-2 on the road, Breech draws a dramatic comparison that equates him to a character that incites fear as well as the complex figures of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Breech pointed to Allen’s poor performance in Week 5, where he completed only 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards in a loss to the Texans, and notes that this occurred on the road. “If this game were in Buffalo, I’d probably pick the Bills by double digits, but since it’s in Seattle, I’m rolling with the Seahawks,” Breech concluded.
While it’s true that Allen has performed better at home this season, it’s shortsighted to ignore the context of his team’s road losses and solely blame him for it. In the games against the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, Allen’s receivers struggled to get open, resulting in limited options and four dropped passes across those two outings. This prompted the team to trade for five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper shortly afterward to enhance Allen’s receiving options. Additionally, the offensive line faltered in both games, permitting 12 pressures in Week 4 and 11 in Week 5, leaving Allen under constant duress. Certainly, he didn’t play his best, but there are factors that complicate the picture beyond merely saying he performs poorly on the road.
Breech also fails to mention Allen’s strong statistics from Week 2, where he posted a passer rating of 107.1 and recorded three touchdowns in Week 6, both on the road. He ignores that last season, Allen’s performance was nearly identical whether at home or away, and at times he even excelled more on the road than at Highmark Stadium. While Allen’s road stats this year have not been stellar, Breech’s selective use of data lacks context and perpetuates an unsubstantiated narrative.
Could Allen struggle in Seattle this Sunday and perhaps throw an interception or two? It’s certainly possible; however, it’s tiring to see new narratives emerge that call his capabilities into question when they can often be refuted with a little bit of research.
