If Allen plays well, Bills are beasts of East

The Buffalo Bills look like the surefire best team in the AFC East. Their quarterback situation, however, has the potential to hold the team back in postseason play.

Let’s start with the good: Buffalo has one of the best secondaries in the league. Tre’Davious White has developed into one of the best cornerbacks in the league over the past few seasons. Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are an underrated safety duo. Head coach Sean McDermott is a mastermind at coaching defense.

Ed Oliver looks primed to be the next great defensive tackle in the NFL. Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano are a hellacious linebacker tandem. Even if this defense didn’t have McDermott pulling the strings, they would be a capable unit based on a talent alone.

Their offense is stocked with talent as well, including former Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs who they traded for before the season. John Brown and Cole Beasley quietly fill out a dynamic trio at wide receiver.

Buffalo has the framework of a contender, but they don’t have the quarterback play needed to win a championship yet. Josh Allen has been an exciting player to watch since the Bills took him with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean that he’s been an effective player.

Among the 38 quarterbacks to throw at least 400 passes since the start of the 2018 season, Allen ranks 35th in yards per attempt (6.61) and 37th in passer rating (78.2) according to Pro Football Reference. He has objectively been one of the least productive quarterbacks in the NFL since he was drafted.

However, the enticing aspects of Allen’s play keeps Bills fans coming back for more. He’s got all the physical tools in the world to be an elite NFL quarterback. On Thanksgiving against the Cowboys he showed everyone his raw talent, throwing for 9.63 yards per attempt in a 26-15 win. It was a highlight of Allen’s young career, but those moments have been few and far between.

In order for the Bills to ascend to the levels they’re capable of, Allen needs to become a more efficient passer. Passing efficiency is the key to winning games now; Allen hasn’t been able to figure that out yet.

If there was ever a year for Allen to reach his ceiling, or even become a league average passer, this is the year to get it done. The AFC East hasn’t been this open for the taking since Tom Brady and Belichick took over the Patriots two decades ago. The Patriots have a junior varsity offense, the Jets’ offense doesn’t look great on paper, and the Dolphins are still integrating a new offense with a host of young talent.

The formula for Buffalo winning the AFC East isn’t complicated: get better quarterback play. Everything else is already in place.