Every year, a poll goes out to 50 NFL coaches and executives, asking them to put quarterbacks into five tiers for The Athletic . The panel consists of seven general managers, eight head coaches, 12 coordinators, 12 executives, eight assistant coaches, and three involved in coaching/analytics. This poll is now on its 11th annual iteration.
This year, only three quarterbacks were put into Tier 1, with Buffalo Bills superstar and beloved franchise icon Josh Allen making it into that tier. The exclusivity of that tier has the fewest quarterbacks in it since 2016, but there was still plenty of room for surprise at the top of the order.
Josh Allen is one of three Tier 1 quarterbacks
Unsurprisingly, Patrick Mahomes is the headliner. He was the only unanimous Tier 1 quarterback in the NFL. Surprisingly, though, the only other Tier 1 quarterback besides Mahomes and Allen is Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, who received more Tier 1 votes than Allen did.
Tier 1, as The Athletic defines it, is "a quarterback that can carry his team each week. The team wins because of him. He expertly handles pure-passing situations. He has no real holes in his game."
For Allen, the analysis is more of the same – you love what makes him him, but what makes him him also occasionally puts him into situations that you'd prefer not to see. He's a fearless gamer with the swagger and the body to simultaneously run through a linebacker and outrun a corner, the confidence and arm talent that believes he can make every throw, and most of the time, he's right.
NFL head coach says fear is the driving reason for Allen over Burrow
“For me, Mahomes and Josh Allen are the two guys right now that people are the most afraid to play,” a head coach said. “They do not go in and say they are as afraid to go play Joe Burrow. Maybe that is just from a playmaking standpoint. I think Joe is great, but these two (Mahomes and Allen) put teams on their backs and win.”
Allen can strike an unholy fear into opposing defenses, from a clean pocket, on the run, or just simply taking over with his legs. He's ruthless.
For Burrow, it's also important to factor in his durability issues. Dating back to college, Burrow has endured a long list of injuries, including a bad knee injury that tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and meniscus in his rookie season. Most recently, Burrow strained his calf during training camp prior to the 2023 season, an injury that seemingly nagged him for a majority of the year, only to wind tearing a ligament in his throwing wrist during Week 11.
The expectation is that Burrow is healthy entering the 2024 season, but the long list of soft tissue issues is definitely a concern.
Turnovers a knock for Josh Allen
For some, the negative carries more weight than the positive.
“The reason I put him as a 2, I’m wondering if people have caught up to him a little bit,” an offensive coach said. “If he can’t extend the down, it is hard for him to stay on schedule and protect the football. When you see guys throwing bad interceptions, why did they go there with the ball? Is it because they are not understanding what is in front of them?”
I couldn't disagree more with that sentiment.
Josh Allen is not just a physical quarterback, he's a cerebral one that's capable of dissecting opposing defenses from the pocket with his arm and his understanding of the defense. These tropes about Allen simply being physically gifted and looking to run are outdated and uninformed.
Fortunately for those that defend Allen, most those polled still understand that he's an elite talent. Over the last three seasons, Allen leads the NFL in combined passing and rushing touchdowns with 128, 17 more than Mahomes at No.2. For Bills fans, they'll take the good with the bad every day of the week.
When it matters most, Allen delivers. Allen has played in 10 playoff games, during which he has averaged 272.3 passing yards per game, has thrown for 21 touchdowns, while throwing only four interceptions. Allen also ups his rushing output in the playoffs, averaging 56.3 rushing yards per game in the postseason, while adding five touchdowns on the ground.
If you're doing the math, Allen averages 328.6 total yards and 2.6 total touchdowns per playoff game.
Allen is one of the most feared, most versatile quarterback in the league. I'm glad he's in an exclusive tier at the top, but to put Burrow above him is foolish.
Related: Bills roster cuts tracker 2024: Here is every move Buffalo has made on their way to trim down to 53 players
Follow along all season for all the latest Buffalo Bills news. You can also find me on X @JonHelmkamp .
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