The Buffalo Bills are visiting the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4 of the 2020 season. The Silver in Black is coming off a loss while the Bills are undefeated and have a 3-0 record. The Raiders offense currently ranks 24th in points allowed and they will have to take on an improved Josh Allen.Â
Bills quarterback Josh Allen has come a long way since his rookie year
Last season, this Buffalo team averaged 19.6 points per game while Allen threw for 3,089 yards and 20 touchdowns. In 2020, they are averaging 31 points per game and the Wyoming standout has thrown for 10 touchdowns, half of his 2019’s totals. One of the reasons why their offense is currently ranked third in the league is precisely Allen and the growth he has shown on the field. Allen has had a cannon for an arm. That has never been in doubt and it’s one of the reasons that made him a first-round pick in 2018. However, he struggled with ball placement and touch in previous years. He would have one or two big plays per game but struggled with accuracy.
This year, things are different and Allen is showing he is a more complete quarterback. He already threw for half of his 2020 touchdown totals in just three games and has been more accurate. His completion percentage in 2018 was 52.8 or a bit more than half his passes. He improved a bit last season and finished the year with a 58.8 rate. This year, things have been completely different and he has taken his percentage all the way to 71.1, good for sixth in the league.
Besides improving as a quarterback, the Raiders must account for Allen as a runner. In his rookie year, he tallied 89 carries for 631 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2019, he had 109 carries for 510 yards and nine touchdowns. This season, he already has 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He can attack opposing defenses with his arm and legs.
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The Raiders are aware of the challenge Allen poses in Week 4
The Raiders are allowing 30 points on defense and the Bills offense is averaging one point more than that. Both their coaching staff and their players know the Bills will be a tough team to beat. In his latest press conference, head coach Jon Gruden praised Allen and acknowledged that the quarterback has a ‘great passing ability and can throw the ball anywhere’. Jokingly, Gruden said that Allen can even throw the ball out of the stadium, which would put him in the same category as all the Uncle Ricos of the world.
Raiders linebacker Cory Littleton also complimented the BIlls signal-caller. He said that Allen is a mobile quarterback, a tough dude, and categorized him as someone that won’t give up easily. Furthermore, he’s always going to do what he can for his team. That’s the mindset of someone who isn’t afraid of the spotlight or any of his foes. The Raiders had better contain him in Week 4 if they don’t want to lose back-to-back games for the first time in 2020.
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Top Photo: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
