Buffalo Bills: 5 takeaways from Bills vs. Lions from the stands

Josh Allen had his best start

We have seen Josh Allen take some major steps forward since returning from injury several weeks ago. He has used his legs a lot, led near comebacks and has made some crazy plays. However, Sunday is what I have desperately wanted to see out of the rookie signal caller. He stood in the pocket and made throws that starting quarterbacks make in the NFL.

Whether the coaching staff told him not to run as much or it was the offensive line giving finally giving him time to throw, Allen was able to stand in the pocket, go through reads and deliver the ball on time and accurately.

He started off the game by getting the ball out quickly on short timing routes, but as the game went on he was able to make throws into windows and spread the ball throughout the field.

Allen repeatedly had drops from his receivers that did not help. The long pass to Deonte Thompson was thrown to the end zone I was sitting in and holy bleeping bleep can Josh Allen throw a football.

Seeing it on TV is one thing, but in person is another animal. The long ball to Thompson in the fourth, in my opinion, could have been caught if he didn’t dive and just kept running. That pass was just a hair off the mark, but it was absolutely impressive.

Then Zay Jones dropped a pass over the middle, which is happening far too often. You can understand why Allen’s completion percentage is where it is, but unless you really follow the team, you would think that he is just missing players.

Being in person allowed me to see more clearly that Allen needs help and weapons that will consistently catch the ball. He gets the ball there, he just needs help to complete the play.

One thing that stood out to me a lot was Allen’s decision making. He had one or two plays where he tried to fit a ball into a window that was basically closed, but instead of continuously trying to force the ball into areas, he threw the ball away when things weren’t open.

I get that he has a rare arm and can make plays that others can’t, but the fact he made the responsible and right play to throw it away stood out to me and shows a lot of growth from weeks before.

Leaving the game, I felt really good about Josh Allen. He has continued to get better following his injury and Sunday was the next step in his progression as a passer.