Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen receives a solid grade on his debut

Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen showed some flashes of success in his debut and was given a decent grade by a national analyst on his debut.

It was easy for Buffalo Bills fans to get caught up in the Josh Allen hype once he was drafted.

His big arm and the fact he was taken so high in the draft should have fans, at least those who don’t despise the young man, feeling like the future of the franchise is here in Buffalo.

The rookie debuted last Thursday as the third-team quarterback and he doesn’t appear to factor into the starting conversation at this moment, although that could change once the season progresses.

For now, fans can watch the rookie’s development live in the preseason. As for how those outside of Buffalo viewed Allen’s debut, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com recently shared his grades for how the rookie quarterbacks did in the first week of the preseason.

Here is what Brooks had to say:

"The rookie gunslinger certainly teased Bills fans with flashes of his arm talent and athleticism during an up-and-down debut performance. Allen connected on 9 of 19 passes for 116 yards and a score on a variety of laser-like tosses that showcased his A-plus arm strength. However, he also showed the inconsistent accuracy and decision-making that plagued him during his collegiate career. Grade: B-"

The arm talent was the one thing that stood out the most from Allen’s debut. I spent the entire weekend trying to explain how shocked I was when he whipped the ball down the field with seemingly very little effort.

But a big arm doesn’t win games, at least not on its own, and it is clear Allen still has to develop. And there is nothing wrong with that.

The key is for Allen to continue to get better over the next three preseason games. The first-game jitters are out of the way and Allen will potentially get some work in with the second-team in one of the upcoming games. That is where he can shine and show that although he may not be ready right away, he isn’t too far off.

The main competition continues to be between Nathan Peterman and AJ McCarron. Though if the latter loses out, he may end up playing elsewhere in 2018.