In a surprising twist, Buffalo Bills star QB Josh Allen was voted the ‘Most Overrated Quarterback’ by his peers. And the folks at ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ had a hard time wrapping their heads around it.
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Former NFL player and broadcaster Louis Riddick was particularly shocked over Allen placing first in the ‘Most Overrated Quarterback’ list. He pointed out that even the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the top teams in the league, recognize Allen’s ability to win games with his powerful arm:
“I’m shocked. The Kansas City Chiefs said that ‘when we play Josh Allen, we know that with one swing of that arm, he can win a football game.’ And he almost did it against them(Chiefs) this past year if Stephon Diggs had made that catch…The only other quarterback that can make that throw is their quarterback (Mahomes).”
The throw Riddick referred to was a deep pass from Allen to Stefon Diggs during the 2023 AFC Divisional Round game against the Chiefs that had everyone’s jaws on the floor.
In a critical moment, Allen launched a remarkable deep ball that Diggs failed to catch. The pass, thrown from Allen’s own 12-yard line, traveled approximately 60 yards and was perfectly placed to land right in Diggs’ hands at the Chiefs’ 28-yard line.
Riddick went on to explain that quarterbacks with the dual threat of both passing and running ability are the ones that opposing defenses fear the most. He drew a comparison to his own playing days, recalling facing off against West Virginia’s Major Harris, who had the ability to beat defenses in multiple ways.
Allen is recognized as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL. He has rushed for over 500 yards in five out of his first six seasons and scored 15 rushing touchdowns just last year.
The Bills have made it to the playoffs in five seasons with Allen at the helm and he has an interception rate of only 2.5% which is even better than the likes of Payton Manning and Joe Montana.
However, with 102 turnovers, he also holds the unwanted record for most turnovers since 2008. When voting for Allen, one NFC West player said: “Too many turnovers.”
Fellow NFL players think Allen is ‘overrated’. But do head coaches and top managers share the same opinion?
Allen’s turnovers are hurting him
In a survey by the Athletic of the NFL’s top managers, coaches, and decision-makers, Allen was voted to be a top-tier quarterback, alongside Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow but failed to get approval from everyone.
His turnover issues, which led to a league-high 22 giveaways last season, were a significant factor in why some voters did not consider him a top-tier quarterback in the poll.
While most participants believe that Allen and Mahomes are the two players that ‘opponents fear,’ Allen’s lack of reliability makes him a question mark. One offensive coach gave a breakdown of Allen’s performance and pointed out his shortcomings:
“If he can’t extend the down, it is hard for him to stay on schedule and protect the football. When you see guys throwing bad interceptions, why did they go there with the ball? Is it because they are not understanding what is in front of them?”
Bills fans might disagree with NFL players calling Allen ‘overrated’ but unless he leads the team to a championship game, or gets his turnovers in order, the tag is not going anywhere.
