'The Natural': Bills QB Josh Allen Reveals Top Buffalo Goal
He may already rank among the best of the best in the NFL, but Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is expecting more in 2022.
In a recent conversation with SI's Albert Breer, the Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro was direct in his goals to win it all, and the key to doing so.
"Our goal is to win the Super Bowl, as [it] is [for] 31 other teams," Allen said. "Our goal is to start fast. Have the playoff-caliber mindset which coach (Sean) McDermott always preaches and take it week by week."
Despite a late-season winning streak, Allen's 2021 Bills couldn't make it past the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. This season, Allen is looking for Buffalo to tie up the loose ends and raise the bar once more.
One way to do that: Stake a claim to a win early ... and seal the deal late.
"We know we've got to start fast and find ways to win football games," Allen said. "Last year we lost too many one-score games, so working on that and just understanding situational football better ... But make no mistake, we've got high expectations here and we hold ourselves to a very high standard and that's set from our front office down to our coaching staff to our players and our leaders and that'll never change."
While last season didn't end with the lifting of the Lombardi Trophy, Allen still had an excellent year all around, throwing for 4,407 yards, 35 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and a 63.3 completion percentage as he lead the Bills to an 11-6 record.
But Allen sees room for improvement
The 26-year-old now enters his fifth season aiming to make the "natural progression of becoming now the more vocal leader," while taking fewer unnecessary risks.
"Obviously some things to learn from, making sure my eyes are in the right place," Allen said. "Sometimes bad throws will happen but we can't have the bad decisions, so trying to eliminate those interceptions, those fumbles, where it was just a head-scratcher and I think that's going to clean up a lot of things and give ourselves obviously more chances at scoring touchdowns and winning football games."
Not that his desired improvements are limited to just losing the ball.
Allen highlighted the importance of "understanding and owning situational football," whether that means throwing the ball away sooner or taking the risk on a first down scramble and a potential resulting hit.
He also aims to become "an extension of" new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey - who he "believes is going to be great for us" - on the field, saying that they need "to be one and the same" when it comes to his understanding of his playcalling.
So, what can fans expect from their much-loved veteran signal-caller?
"Better decision-making, not throwing the ball up in places where they don't need to be," Allen said. "Ball placement on some of our runaway routes, slants, unders, in-cuts to give guys more opportunity for RAC (run after the catch) and then obviously just faster processing of our defense, what I'm seeing and getting to the right guy as quickly as possible."
For Allen, "pressure is a privilege" and his sole focus is to win. And win now.
