Like many in Buffalo and its surrounding areas, Shannon Sharpe still believes in Josh Allen. And even though a lot of players and fans have left or have been asked to leave the Buffalo bandwagon, Sharpe brings respite to a fanbase going through a tough time. Not for long though, it seems, as Sharpe’s arch-debater on the show, Stephen A. Smith completely disagrees with Unc’s analysis and says that without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, there’s no way Buffalo stands atop the budding Houston Texans.
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During a segment on the Texans’ ranking in the AFC after the Diggs trade, Shannon Sharpe, on ‘First Take’, first called the club “clearly behind Kansas City and Baltimore in my estimate.” The former tight end seems to be echoing what most believe to be right. The Chiefs and their dominance is already established. But Baltimore has also continuously knocked on the door of the big game. Just one step away last season from getting to the promised land. And the often skeptical Stephen A. Smith also agrees with this analysis.
But next, the three-time Super Bowl-winning NFL veteran remarked that he would rather put the Texans somewhere around 4th or 5th, saying, “I’m not sure I’m putting them in front of Miami” And his colleague on the talk show was appalled by what he was hearing. Stephen A. made an exasperated face and shrieked, “What?!” when Sharpe made his thoughts clear.
But that does not deter Sharpe, and he goes on to put the AFC South toppers behind both Miami and Buffalo. He believes that there have been a lot of teams that had at least one good year. But now they have something on their shoulders that they didn’t last year: “expectations.” Thus, even though on paper they look fantastic, the former tight end warns fans to wait and watch how things unfold as success and expectations increase.
Stephen A. Smith Goes Off on Shannon Sharpe’s AFC Rankings
At this point, Stephen A. Smith was aghast. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. He found it even worse than “blasphemy,” that Sharpe would put CJ Stroud and Stefon Diggs below Josh Allen and whoever’s left in Buffalo. Smith noted, “Miami and Buffalo have given us no reason to be sold on them. With the personnel they had in place, they could not get over the hump in Buffalo. Miami, don’t get me started once you take them away from their South Beach, or, as you call it, controlled environment….”
Smith, however, agreed that maybe in a head-to-head matchup with favorable conditions for Miami, the Dolphins would win against the Texans. But when it comes to other places and other teams, it is a whole different picture. And nothing that Miami or the Bills have done proves otherwise. Shannon Sharpe then noted that if Josh Allen were to be the person everyone thinks he is, things would be different; however, Stephen A. instantly interjected with a poignant query, “Has he been?” And the legendary NFL player has no option but to say, “No, he hasn’t.”
Josh Allen has just not stepped up to the moment when required the most. And yes, there are a thousand different factors that have affected the Bills, never getting over the hump in the last few years; but how long can we wait for Allen to slay the red dragon living in Kansas City? Till when will there be a window open?
