Jim Kelly reveals missing piece for Josh Allen to thrive in Buffalo
Over the last two seasons, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has become one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks.
Allen’s continued progression as a legitimate elite factor with his arm has transformed the franchise into a bonafide Super Bowl contender. The Wyoming product is the driving force that has pushed the Bills into sustained success.
One thing is missing for Josh Allen to find success with the Bills
Buffalo is coming off its most successful campaign in quite some time, earning its first AFC East division title since 1995 while reaching the AFC championship game for the first time in 28 years.
The Bills fell short against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, but the team has arrived as a legitimate Super Bowl threat. Allen is coming off an MVP-caliber campaign in which he posted 4,544 passing yards on a 69.1% completion percentage with 37 touchdown passes and a 107.2 passer rating.
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With the 25-year-old leading the charge, the Bills appear poised to be in the Super Bowl picture for years to come. However, Hall of Famer Jim Kelly believes Buffalo needs a balanced offensive attack to take that next leap forward.
"[Allen's] learning, even though this past game he didn't play very well, I don't think anybody did,” Kelly said via ESPN. “But the bottom line is, he's very good, he's a great athlete, he's got great coaching.
“They have him in the system that he can thrive on, he's got great people around him. I just wish that they used the running game a little bit more, because don't put too much pressure on No. 17.”
Allen is a huge factor in the running game, especially in goal-line situations, as he has 25 career rushing touchdowns. However, the team hasn’t had a workhorse tailback behind him to provide consistent play.
Buffalo had hoped that Devin Singletary would fill that spot, but his first two seasons saw him rack up 1,462 rushing yards. However, his production took a dip last season as he posted 687 yards on 156 attempts. It primarily came due to Zach Moss sharing the workload as he tallied 481 rushing yards on 112 carries.
Nonetheless, Buffalo doesn’t possess a stable running game that doesn’t feature Allen in a strong capacity. The franchise will likely continue to lean on Singletary as the primary option, while Moss and Matt Brieda will also be options.
Buffalo added some backs so that should take some carries BUT I think he has solid year twitter.com/tweets716/stat…
The Bills aren’t desperately searching for a workhorse back, but the presence of a stable running game could go a long way in helping the team achieve offensive balance. Until then, Allen will remain the driving force that pushes the franchise forward.
Buffalo holds a bright future ahead with Allen under center. He’s firmly established himself as a franchise quarterback who will guide the Bills toward many more highly successful campaigns ahead. After that, it’s on the front office to build a strong enough roster around him.