Josh Allen Explains Buffalo Bills' Reliance on Stefon Diggs vs. New York Giants
The Buffalo Bills won on Sunday in what resembled a drunk mud wrestling match more than an ordinary football game. They beat the visiting New York Giants 14-9 while producing fewer than 300 yards of offense and turning the ball over twice.
Clearly, it wasn’t a banner day at the office, but what may give fans concern is the fashion that the struggles came in. They weren’t unique.
Buffalo has been trying to find a second strong option to star receiver Stefon Diggs for quite some time. Receiver Gabe Davis is a vertical threat who lacks the consistency to earn frequent targets, rendering him hot and cold. Tight end Dalton Kincaid missed the Week 6 contest but is yet to look like anything more than a security blanket.
Neither tight end Dawson Knox nor any assortment of role-playing receivers and scat backs have contributed, at least consistently, how the offense may need them to.
At times, this has meant quarterback Josh Allen had to rely on his legs—and subsequently, body—to move the chains. But there are only so many hits the franchise’s most valuable asset can take before coaches start feeling queasy and it has a lingering impact on his throwing ability.
Stefon Diggs and his quarterback, Josh Allen.
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Subsequently, the Bills turned to Diggs early and often. He was targeted on 11 of Allen’s first 16 attempts and 16 of his 30 throws on the night. In total, he generated 100 yards on 10 receptions, but the offense struggled to move the football.
Allen spoke about the decision to repeatedly turn to the superstar and how it relates to the rest of the offense.
“I mean, I’m throwing it to the open guy,” Allen said after the win. “And he does a good job of getting open and making plays with the ball in his hands. And when you have a receiver as talented as him, he’s a first read in a lot of concepts and he’s open, you can’t really pass him up.”
All of that is perfectly reasonable, but when a not-so-insignificant portion of his catches were fruitless quick hitters that did nothing but boost his point-per-reception totals, it’s fair to ask questions. Was this overreliance detrimental? A quick glance at the scoreboard may imply it was.
“We do have to utilize other guys, though,” Allen said. “I do think we’re a better team when we are able to spread the ball around more, get everybody involved.”
Buffalo has actually done a half-decent job of sharing the rock, with nine different players catching the ball in their prior three wins (and the Week 5 loss), and eight in Week 1. However, there’s a difference between those touches producing important yards and simply getting one’s name in the box score.
Of course, some of this is circumstantial. If Diggs is the hot read or is in fact open at the end of his drop, he’s going to get the ball. He’s been Buffalo’s leading target-getter in every game (tied with Davis in Week 2), but that won’t always be the case.
“It’s kind of dictated throughout each week, the flow of the game, based on how they’re playing us,” Allen said. “Sometimes it’s gonna be like that and there’s gonna be a game where he doesn’t get as many targets as we want him to as well.”
With how infrequent it seems others are making their presence felt, Bills Mafia has every right to be worried about the games where Buffalo can’t force him the football. Against a New England Patriots team known for taking away top weapons, it may be an issue sooner rather than later.
