Josh Allen trails AFC rivals in latest QB rankings

The AFC is stacked with elite quarterbacks, including the Buffalo Bills' superstar QB1

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs with the ball for a gain of about eight-yards during first half action at the Bills home game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 29, 2024. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stevan Ruiz of The Ringer released his 2025 QB rankings ahead of Week 1 of the NFL season, with Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen ranked third to start the year.

Allen and his score of 96.1 narrowly trails second place Patrick Mahomes (96.6) and first place Lamar Jackson (96.8). Justin Herbert (95.9) and Joe Burrow (95.7) round out a top five of only AFC QBs.

Ruiz names Allen "the NFL's most unstoppable playmaking force," explaining that he "always looks to be the biggest, strongest, and fastest player on the field." Not only does he "stomp around looking for trouble like a Jurassic Park dinosaur that broke containment," his "quarterbacking skills have nearly caught up with his ability to run through a defender's face."

Nov 17, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs with the ball for a touchdown against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

"I don't know if he'll ever be considered a precision passer," Ruiz continues, "but his range and arm strength allow him to complete more throws than most quarterbacks."

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One of the more underrated elements of the reigning-MVP's game is his intelligence, according to Ruiz. "He quarterbacks the Bills offense in every sense. He works hard to get Buffalo lined up and in the best play possible before the snap. He recognizes how opponents are trying to defend and knows how to counter it. Allen has sped up his process in recent years. When he holds the ball in the pocket or extends a play outside of it, he does so with purpose. And when a play fails, or his pocket breaks down, or the Bills fall behind the chains, Allen always seems to fix things, through a scramble or a throw on the run."

Matthew Stafford, CJ Stroud, Dak Prescott, Geno Smith, and Jayden Daniels rounded out the top 10. AFC East rivals Drake Maye (18th), Tua Tagovailoa (19th), and Justin Fields (28th) all landed in the bottom half of the ranking.

We haven't seen much of 'sugar-high' Josh Allen lately, especially during his 2024 campaign when his efficiency with negative plays was historic, with Ruiz explaining, "that version of Allen doesn't show up as often as it used to. And when he's able to keep Bad Josh at bay, Allen looks like the best quarterback on the planet."

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Offering constructive criticism for each QB, Ruiz claimed Allen can rise the ranks by simply "going on a heater. Allen, Jackson, and Mahomes are always within arm's length of one another in the race for the top spot on this list."

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) dives for a first down against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half in the AFC Championship Game | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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