buffalo bills Head coach Sean McDermott is looking at quarterback Josh Allen to adjust his playing style heading into the 2023 season, suggesting his current style isn’t sustainable long-term.
Allen, a two-time Pro Bowl selection known for his gritty play on the field, will need to make an «adjustment» to stay healthy, McDermott told NFL Network over the weekend before the league’s annual meeting.
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills runs against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on October 9, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
«I don’t think that’s a healthy way to play quarterback in this league», McDermott said, noting that the amount of hits Allen gets «absolutely» makes him nervous.
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«It’s really unbeaten things that happen when you play that style, that brand of football, and so we have to adjust that. It’s never going to go away completely, but it has to get to where it’s viable.»
Allen finished the regular season with 762 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, second only to former Bills running back Devin Singletary, who finished the regular season with 819 yards and five touchdowns.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks to pass during the wild card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins on January 15, 2023, in Orchard Park, New York. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
«I don’t want to take away from his personality as far as that, his signature, but there has to be an adjustment to that style of play,» McDermott added.
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Allen suffered a pitching arm elbow injury in Week 9. After his season ended with a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round, Allen spoke about how that injury affected his performance during the second half of the season.
«Obviously there was a period just after a few weeks where it was pretty annoying,» he said at the time, via the team’s website. «But then again, it didn’t affect me that much. I just felt like maybe I was trying to pitch it a little bit differently mechanically, I had to change a few things and it kind of strayed a bit from how I’m used to.» throwing the ball.»
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills runs with the ball as Jason Pierre-Paul of the Ravens tackles him on October 2, 2022 in Baltimore. (Patricio Smith/Getty Images)
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According to the NFL Network, Allen has allowed hits in 66% of his downfield runs, a risk factor that McDermott certainly hopes to mitigate next season.