Billy Buffalo
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- Mar 16, 2019
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As a rookie, Bills quarterback Josh Allen ran the ball very effectively. This year, his per-game attempts are down slightly, and his per-attempt gain has dropped significantly.
He clearly has the skills. In a three-game stretch after returning from injury, Allen gained 335 yards on the ground, with back-to-back games in excess of 100 yards.
This year, he doesn’t have more than 56 rushing yards in any one game. On average, he runs the ball 7.26 times per game, down from 7.41 in 2018. But his average gain has dropped from 7.1 to 4.7 yards.
Without studying each and every one of his 109 rushing attempts in 2019, it’s probably safe to assume that Allen has gotten more careful this year with his body, possibly influenced by the wicked Week Four hit that he took against the Patriots, when he forfeited all quarterback protections and took off with the ball in his hands.
If Allen has been more cautious this year, today is the day to throw caution to the wind and gain as many yards as he can. Those extra yards in the running game could get the defense on its heels in the passing game, and it could help Allen, who has no playoff experience, get a little more comfortable if he can rip off a few decent gains early in the game.
Ultimately, it may take an approach like this to help the Bills advance past the Texans, in what would be Buffalo’s first playoff win since December 30, 1995 — seven years before the Texans even entered the league.