1 - Former NFL QB: Allen has brought hope to Buffalo
The best quarterbacks are those who are capable of physically taking over games, who can give their teams a chance to win regardless of the odds or circumstances.
Throughout the past three weeks, rookie Josh Allen has given his team a chance to win in each of his starts since returning from injury.
Though there are still rookie mistakes in his game, Allen has taken a significant step forward in his development in the second half of his debut campaign. He surpassed the 200-passing yard plateau twice in the past three weeks, a mark he hit just once in his first five starts. He's also more than doubled his season rushing total over the past three contests.
Those who watch Allen can see that he has the tools necessary to develop into a franchise quarterback. Former NFL passer and current CBS analyst Brady Quinn feels as though the Bills have found their guy in Allen.
"I just feel like Josh Allen, he oozes so much potential and so much ability," Quinn said on the Pick Six Podcast. "He's 3-5 as a starter on the Bills. We're talking about the Bills . . . He has given that team, that city, hope. He is so good and he has so much upside."
Quinn will have the opportunity to watch Allen first-hand this weekend when he calls Buffalo's Week 15 matchup with the Lions for FOX. The former first-round draft pick hopes that this will be the first of many Allen games that he gets to call.
"I'll tell you what, I watched the game this past week because I get to call the Lions vs. Bills game coming up this week, and there were a lot of dropped passes," Quinn said. "He will continually get better and as that team gets better around him, I think he's the guy right now that you can see why the Bills took him No. 7 overall."
2 - Allen faces tough test vs. Lions' stout 'D'
If stats are any indication, Josh Allen's remarkable stretch of success on the ground may come to an end this weekend.
The athletic signal-caller, who currently leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards with 490, is slated to go up against a Lions defense that thrives on keeping opposing passers in the pocket. According to Pro Football Focus, Detroit has given up just 62 rushing yards to quarterbacks this season, the lowest total in the league.
This Sunday, fans will see the league's best rushing quarterback face off against a defense that effectively contains mobile passers.
It is important, however, to consider the quarterbacks that the Lions have faced this season when thinking about this impressive stat. They haven't faced too many dynamic athletes at the quarterback position, as only two of the passers that they've met this season have ever rushed for more than 100 yards in a game - Russell Wilson and Cam Newton.
To Detroit's credit, however, they were able to contain Wilson and Newton on the ground. They held Wilson to just 15 rushing yards in Week 8. Newton rushed for just two yards on two carries when he met the Lions in Week 11.
Whether or not the Lions can limit Allen's progress on the ground will be a storyline to watch this Sunday. No team has been able to halt the rookie since he returned from injury in Week 12, as he's rushed for 335 yards over the past three games.
3 - Micah Hyde makes PFF's Pro Bowl team
Though an injury prevented him from participating in the event, Bills' safety Micah Hyde earned a spot on the Pro Bowl roster in the 2017 season, his first in a Buffalo uniform.
According to Pro Football Focus, the veteran defensive back is deserving of the honor for the second consecutive year.
The outlet recently released its “early” Pro Bowl-projections, and the hypothetical roster includes Hyde as Buffalo's sole representative. Jamal Adams and Derwin James round out the AFC's projected safety corps.
With an overall grade of 81.1, Hyde has been one of PFF's highest grade safeties throughout the 2018 campaign. Only Adams, James, and Chicago defensive back Eddie Jackson have earned higher grades than Hyde.
Though Hyde's statistical production has taken a slight dip from the 2017 season, he's still been an incredibly effective safety. The 27-year-old has recorded 41 tackles, four pass deflections, and two interceptions through 12 games.
Hyde has been a key cog in the unstoppable machine that is Buffalo's pass defense. The Bills currently deploy the league's best defense against the pass, allowing an average of just 185.8 yards through the air per game. The unit has allowed just 19 passing touchdowns, the seventh-fewest in the league.
