Trash talk could make this the year of Bills QB Josh Allen

After a 31-10 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are 2-0 and well on their way to winning the AFC East. The victory also marked yet another win for Allen in a personal rivalry with Dolphin’s cornerback Jalen Ramsey — a "W" that could be an indication of big things to come for the Bills.

When the Bills made Allen the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft, Ramsey was highly critical. 

“I think [Buffalo Bills draft pick Josh] Allen is trash,” Ramsey said in an interview with GQ’s Clay Skipper. “I don't care what nobody say. He's trash. And it's gonna show too. That's a stupid draft pick to me. We play them this year, and I'm excited as hell. I hope he's their starting quarterback.”

That disrespect could be a factor in Josh Allen’s now 6-0 record against Ramsey. If that’s the case, the entire NFL should be scared right now.

In an ESPN poll of NFL players ahead of the 2024-2025 season, Allen was voted the most overrated quarterback in the league. And the “overrated” label does make sense on paper. Despite holding a 65-30 regular season record, Allen is just 5-5 in the playoffs. After taking the Bills to the AFC Championship Game in 2021, he has stumbled in the divisional round each of the next three years. He also tossed a career-high 18 interceptions last season.

If his performance against the trash-talking Ramsey is any indication, though, being named “most overrated” by NFL players could be all the motivation Allen needs to get to the next level. His stats this year aren’t off the charts yet, but they do hint that he’s found a new gear in terms of efficiency.

The 28-year-old quarterback has yet to throw an interception in his first 42 pass attempts. He’s also completed 73.8% of those passes.

So, while it’s early in the season, Allen versus the league that called him overrated is a matchup to keep an eye on this year. And after he was also voted the top trash-talking QB in the league, the NFL might want to keep him constantly mic’d up to capture the verbal gems he hurls his opponents’ way. He’s already off to a great start in that department.