Josh Allen Jamie Germano/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

NFL coordinator questions one specific ability of Josh Allen

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 7/31/23

Few will argue that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the No. 1 player at his position in the NFL.

Many believe Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow aren’t far behind. After all, they’re the only other QBs besides Mahomes to play in an AFC Championship game in the last three years. But while Burrow has already proven he can lead his team to a Super Bowl, some still question Allen and his ability to actually deliver in the clutch.

“I’m not sure he can win you a game as a drop-back passer consistently, which is part of the Tier 1 description,” an anonymous coordinator told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “I think Allen, Lamar (Jackson) and Jalen (Hurts) all fit into that high Tier 2 category. The running is a weapon, but if you are down two scores or 10 points, you might have an issue.”

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Sando ranked Allen the NFL’s No. 3 QB in his recent 2023 quarterback tiers, which is compiled annually with input from 50 coaches and league executives.

He’s one of five QBs, along with Mahomes (No. 1), Burrow (No. 2), Aaron Rodgers (No. 4) and Justin Herbert (No. 5) to be ranked in tier 1, which is defined as a quarterback who “can carry his team each week. The team wins because of him. He expertly handles pure passing situations. He has no real holes in his game.”

The critique of Allen likely stems from Buffalo’s last two playoff losses — one to Mahomes and the Chiefs, the other to Burrow and the Bengals.

Although Allen played well against KC (27 of 37, 329 yards, four TDs), the Bills blew two fourth-quarter leads and the Chiefs ultimately won in overtime. Against the Bengals in January, Allen had a rough go of things, passing for 264 yards and an interception as Buffalo lost in a 17-point blowout.

Allen has thrown for 4,200 yards or more and 35 or more touchdowns each of the last three seasons, and he was in the early running for MVP last year. He’s also rushed for more than 700 yards and at least six touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. Allen has been criticized before for his high number of turnovers.

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