When tinking of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, there's a 0.01% chance the first thing one thinks of is the great state of Wyoming.
But, the 44th state of the United States of America, and the location of Allen's alma mater, is a big reason why he was drafted by the Bills with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The natural elements, much like Bane sprouting from the darkness, forged and carved the player that Allen is today.
And when considering the weather on deck for the Wild Card matchup between the Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers - Allen's unique experience is a big advantage for the home team.
"You go back to the scouting process with Josh and the evaluation of who fits in Buffalo, right," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Friday. "Of all the quarterbacks that were coming out that season - who best fits one of the boxes, so to speak, that we looked at was: Can they throw it [and] what's their hand size -all those things- in Buffalo, New York? If you have your pick all that matters, right? If you have your pick of the player you want. So, I think that's a lot of what he brings to the table - is that ability, that arm strength, that hand size, and he's played in it before, right? All those go well for Josh."
And even though a good performance isn't guaranteed, the key aspect is Allen's abilities can keep the Bills from becoming one-dimensional. Even better - it allows them to formulate a game plan that includes a good dose of the passing game, whereas most teams that don't have Allen on their roster (nor a QB with his ability) can't do that. Said teams have to lean more on the running game and can quickly become one-dimensional if the elements are too tough to overcome.
"You never know. I mean, just because Josh has those qualities, you never really know what it's gonna look like Sunday at one o'clock, or two o'clock, or three o'clock," said McDermott. "But having that ability [to] at least entertain that option - that doesn't always happen. In the case of, you know, offensive football overall, most people would say, 'We don't have the option', right? So, at least we have the option, at least at this point, to to entertain that."
James Cook and the running game provides an extra boost for Josh Allen and the Bills offense
Allen doesn't have to worry about shouldering the load on Saturday in bad weather, either. The Bills have been the beneficiaries of a breakout season from second-year running back, James Cook, and it's given the team one of the best rushing attacks it's had in years.
And as expected, it'll play a big role in the outcome of this week's game.
"It does," McDermott told reporters when asked about how much a good running game helps in this context. "... Having a good running game, overall, is important in this game of football and then also down the stretch and, in particular, because, of where we live.
"Pittsburgh has a good running game. I believe we have a good running game, as well. And that is important for both sides."
The best part about Cook's emergence is he is a reliable pass-catcher, so he can be on the field for both run downs and pass downs. He could stand to improve his pass-blocking, has shown plenty of flashes of being a capable blocker.
Either way, the Bills offense isn't pigeonholing itself with Cook on the field. Meaning, if he were a one-trick pony, the opposing defense would lean into the tendency of run or pass when he's on the field.
That's huge when talking about facing off against one of the best defensive minds of all-time in Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin. In all, the Bills have the tools to win this weekend, they just have to make it happen.
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