Josh Allen was an absolute menace on Sunday against the Houston Texans, throwing caution to the wind like it was going out of style. The Bills’ Week 1 performance gave us plenty to chew on as they gear up for Thursday night, but Allen’s play was truly next level, showing off every bit of the gunslinger he’s always been.
Allen and Brady: The Psychopath Combo is HERE
It’s only one game into the season, but the numbers for Josh Allen are wild. This dude is leading the league in air yards per attempt with a mind-boggling 12.6, and he’s also first in deep pass percentage at 24.1%. He’s already completed 11 of 16 throws that went further than 10 yards, putting him third in EPA/drop-back with a +0.49. As Nate Geary from NateGearySports tweeted, Allen was a “menace” and “throwing caution to the wind.” What’s really fascinating is how much Joe Brady’s promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach seems to be enabling Allen even further. This isn’t just Allen being Allen; it’s Allen unleashed.
Buffalo’s Run D Looks DIFFERENT (But The Pass Rush… Yikes)
Last season, the Bills’ run defense was ranked 31st in both DVOA and EPA/rush, which was brutal. But under new coordinator Jim Leonhard, there were some promising signs in Week 1. Yeah, the Texans still ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns, but it took them 32 carries to get there, averaging just 3.9 yards per pop. What really popped was the Bills’ ability to create negative plays. The Texans had the seventh-highest “stuffed” rate per FTN Fantasy, meaning 24% of their rushes were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. Now, the Texans’ rushing attack was terrible last year (27th in stuffed rate, 29th in DVOA), so it wasn’t the ultimate test, but it’s a promising start.
On the flip side, their pass rush was largely invisible for most of the game. C.J. Stroud faced the lowest pressure rate of any quarterback in Week 1, at just 21.4%, even though he still took three sacks and had two forced fumbles. It’s wild that two of those sacks and the game-winning fumble recovery only came when the game was on the line in the red zone. For a “questionable” Texans offensive line, the Bills didn’t exactly bring the heat.
So, the Bills head into their Thursday night showdown against the Detroit Lions with some wild cards. Will their improved run defense hold up against a strong Lions rushing attack? And can their pass rush finally show up for an entire game, or will Jared Goff have all the time in the world in the pocket? It’s gonna be a clash of styles, for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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