The Buffalo Bills placed a lot of faith in Josh Allen and his progression will be under the microscope throughout the 2019 season.
The quarterback situation was a top storyline for the Buffalo Bills heading into the 2018 season.
Tyrod Taylor was gone and the team needed a new starter. Josh Allen was the chosen one for the job eventually, but in the meantime the team wanted him on the sidelines.
We all know how that ended up going.
Allen had a decent rookie year after being rushed into action and dealing with an injury that caused him to miss several games. Now he is in his second year and enters as the starter from day one.
Having such a clear-cut starter at quarterback means there are a lot of expectations for Allen this year. ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak sees Allen’s progression as a top storyline for the Bills this season. He shared this view in an article looking at top storylines for every NFL team this year.
From the article:
"Last season, as a rookie, Allen showed flashes of becoming the long-term answer the franchise has been waiting for since Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season. Though Allen’s talent is evident, he’ll need to improve his accuracy and consistency, and help bring the best out of a supporting cast that lacks star power."
Allen’s progression is an easy choice and an obvious one.
My top story for the season will be whether or not the Bills can take a real step forward after a 6-10 season. The playoff berth two years ago should mean there are expectations of returning to the postseason as soon as possible.
2018 was the first true year of Brandon Beane’s rebuild and while the Bills will not enter this year as Super Bowl contenders, there is no reason why the team can’t earn a Wild Card berth once again.
Anything below 8-8 would be disappointing and worse than 6-10 would have some wondering if this is just another regime making empty promises.
A great season from Allen could ensure there is no doom and the Bills are playoff contenders from Week 1 to Week 17.