1 – Bleacher Report impressed by this Bills QB
All throughout the draft process, controversy surrounded current Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Conversely, after the team's first two preseason games, some have begun to believe in the Wyoming product. Allen's physical talent and mental capacity for the game have allowed him to shine in his second taste of live game action. After throwing for 116 yards, a touchdown, and scrambling for 29 yards on three carries in his first game against Carolina, Allen was nine of 13 passing for 60 yards and his second preseason touchdown against Cleveland in Week 2. His performance inspired Bleacher Report analyst Gary Davenport to praise the seventh overall pick.
Allen was better in just about every facet of the game than the week before. He completed almost 70 percent of his pass attempts (9-of-13), and while his yardage (60) wasn't overly impressive, Allen consistently made good decisions with the football.
Allen's athleticism and decision making were certainly on display, and Davenport was especially impressed with his touchdown pass in the game against the Browns.
Allen also added 18 yards on the ground on three carries and bought time with his legs during a number of moments, including a nice touchdown throw over the middle to Rod Streater in the 19-17 victory.
An injury to fellow Bills quarterback A.J. McCarron may have opened the competition at the position for both Allen and Nathan Peterman, and another solid performance by either man could put them ahead in the race to win the starting job.
2 – McDermott: QB still under evaluation
Following his team's second preseason game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott is inching closer to a final decision on who Buffalo will start in Week 1 of the regular season. After an injury to A.J. McCarron, a few media members asked the second-year head coach what he needed to see from either Josh Allen or Nathan Peterman in order to name a starter.
"I'm not going to get into what I need to see from them," he said. "It is an ongoing evaluation like it is for every position and I thought both Josh [Allen], A.J. [McCarron], and Nate [Peterman] did some great things."
McDermott was also asked why Josh Allen was given the opportunity to move up to the second team for about a week of practice, and then the Bills' second preseason game.
"Number one it is his work ethic on and off of the field," said McDermott. "It is part of the plan, just moving him up."
3 – PFF grades Bills performance in Week 2 of the preseason
Pro Football Focus is known best for their breakdowns of individual and team performances that they release on a weekly basis. Their work is also prominent throughout the preseason, and the PFF analysis team broke down why they believe the Bills were able to emerge victorious in Cleveland. Here is what they had to say about Bills running back Marcus Murphy.
Running back Marcus Murphy made the most of his four carries, rushing for 39 yards. His best play of the night was a 22-yard run in the second quarter. After receiving the handoff from quarterback Josh Allen, Murphy hesitated in the backfield, which caused the defenders playing contain to bite on Allen's read option fake and then Murphy sprinted up the sideline for the big gain. Cleveland's lone deep safety was all that prevented a TD.
Murphy played a large role in the Bills getting their first win of the preseason, but PFF was also impressed by the Buffalo secondary.
The Bills played solid pass defense overall, limiting the big plays allowed. In the second half, they broke up a combined three passes and batted down another. Breon Borders also forced the receiver out on an end zone fade to prevent a touchdown, even if the Browns did end up scoring the following play.
The Bills getting big performances out of their running backs and defensive backs is not unusual, and Bills fans can expect to see a heavy dose of each on Sunday's moving forward.
