'Indefensible' Josh Allen Draws Andrew Luck, Derrick Henry Comps as Bills Rout Rams
Sep 9, 2022
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen signals during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Buffalo Bills defeated the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 31-10 on Thursday night in their season opener at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Josh Allen looked great.
Allen, a potential MVP candidate, completed 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns against two interceptions. He also rushed for 57 yards and one score on nine carries, which led the team.
The 26-year-old has made strides since his 2018 rookie season, and his greatness was on full display Thursday night as he passed for a couple of touchdowns, rushed for a score and even stiff-armed a defender.
Josh Allen being surgical in the short/intermediate areas of the field and learning to consistently take the safe throws available to him while also being a T-1000 is some terrifying shit.
If Allen continues to play as well as he did Thursday night, and perhaps better, he'll undoubtedly be in the MVP conversation.
Allen will look to continue his solid start to the 2022 campaign in Week 2 when the Bills host the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium on Sept. 19.
Bills' Gabe Davis Hyped as 2022 Breakout WR by Fantasy Football Twitter vs. Rams
Sep 9, 2022
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Wide receiver Gabe Davis #13 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after scoring on a 26-yard touchdown reception against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of the NFL game at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The first touchdown of the 2022 season belongs to Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis.
Davis hauled in a 26-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen on a perfectly executed play-action to start a Thursday night of fireworks for the Bills on the way to a commanding 31-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
While Buffalo's defensive line set the tone up front and Allen impressed throughout the game as both a thrower and a runner, it was Davis who stood out as a potential breakout wide receiver in fantasy football circles.
Stefon Diggs is going to be Buffalo's No. 1 option, but that also means he'll face the opponent's top cornerback and double-teams throughout the season. That leaves a golden opportunity for someone else to take advantage of the resultant space, and Davis looks like he will be that player in 2022.
He finished with four catches for 88 yards and one touchdown on five targets and will look to build on that performance when Buffalo hosts the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.
NFL Execs Pick Josh Allen as 2022 NFL MVP over Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes
Sep 6, 2022
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 26: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills smiles during warmups before a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The Josh Allen MVP hype train appears full steam ahead.
NFL executives picked Allen as their favorite to capture the 2022 honor in a poll conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
"He's got everything around him that he needsāBuffalo might have the best roster in the leagueāand he's set up for another massive season," an AFC executive told Fowler. "There's been enough growth as a passer where you're encouraged."
Allen is also the odds-on betting favorite for MVP, coming in at +650 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Tom Brady (+850), Patrick Mahomes (+900) and Justin Herbert (+900) are the only other players listed at better than 10-1 odds.
Aaron Rodgers, the reigning back-to-back-MVP, is in fifth place among the oddsmakers at +1000.
Allen threw for 4,407 yards and 36 touchdowns against 15 interceptions last season while adding 763 yards and six scores on the ground. He regressed a bit as a passer from his remarkable 2020 campaign, seeing his yards per attempt dip by more than a yard (7.9 to 6.8) while his interception rate increased to 2.3 percent.
It's likely Allen will have to be better as a passer in 2022 than he was last season to contend for the MVP.
That said, Buffalo has the talent for Allen to take another mini leap. Gabe Davis looks primed for a breakout season after his remarkable postseason, Stefon Diggs has reached perennial Pro Bowl status, and the team used a second-round pick on running back James Cook.
Couple that with an already-elite defense that added Von Miller, and the recipe for a 13- or 14-win season coupled with an Allen MVP is right there for the taking.
Sam Martin Reportedly Agrees to Contract After Bills Release Matt Araiza
Sep 1, 2022
Denver Broncos punter Sam Martin (6) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Buffalo Bills have agreed to a contract with free-agent punter Sam Martin on Wednesday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
It's a one-year deal for Martin, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The former Appalachian State punter had arrived in Buffalo on a visit earlier Wednesday, per ESPN's Field Yates.
That news arrived four days after the Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza, who is accused in a civil lawsuit of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl last year along with two former San Diego State teammates at an off-campus party.
Martin, 32, served as the Detroit Lions' punter from 2013 to 2019 before moving on to the Broncos (2020-2021). He was released Monday, with Rapoport providing more details.
#Broncos P Sam Martin is being released today by Denver after indicating he would refuse any pay reduction. He was a top 5 punter statistically in 2021 and set Broncos all-time record for net punting last season. Will have interest.
Martin's 44.1-yard net average per punt ranked fifth in the NFL last season. He also tied for fifth with 28 punts inside the 20-yard line.
The Bills will open the season Sept. 8 at the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
Fantasy Alert: Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie Positioned to Start Year in Slot over Crowder
Aug 23, 2022
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie celebrates after running back Duke Johnson's two-point conversion tied the game against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of a preseason NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022. The Bills defeated the Colts 27-24. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Isaiah McKenzie has the inside track to
beat out Jamison Crowder for the Buffalo Bills' slot receiver role,
which could make him a useful target in fantasy football drafts.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reported
Tuesday that McKenzie has been a "nightmare" to cover in
man-to-man scenarios and his quickness fits perfectly with the Bills'
desire to get more yards after the catch, which will "likely be a
focus of the offense all season" in 2022.
McKenzie, a 2017 fifth-round pick, put
his untapped potential on display in a Week 16 win over the New
England Patriots last season. He finished the contest with 11 catches
for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Buffalo's offense features too many
other playmakers around quarterback Josh Allen, led by fellow
wideouts Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, to post those numbers on a weekly basis, but it does provide a glimpse at his
upside.
The 27-year-old Miami native has an
average draft position of 131.3 in Yahoo Sports leagues, placing him
around the late 10th round in 12-team formats.
It's hard to call him a bona fide steal
at that ADP since there will be a fair share of weeks where Diggs,
Davis and tight end Dawson Knox handle a lion's share of the targets.
But there's value in drafting him late to play in certain matchups.
If the Bills never signed Jamison Crowder, Isaiah McKenzie would be viewed like Hunter Renfrow
If he starts as the slot receiver, though, that could take his fantasy value to a new level.
McKenzie talked about his development
in that role in early August.
"That means I got to get open, you
know, man-to-man coverage, zone, I got to be in the right position,
in the right space," he told reporters. "And I feel like
that's evolved. I'm getting open for him when he needs me open. I'm
sitting in zone when he needs me to be there, and it's been awesome
so far."
If McKenzie emerges as an every-week
starter with a handful of consistent targets, he'll enter the flex conversation on a more consistent basis rather than being a pure
matchup play.
Since the Bills should have one of the
league's highest-scoring offenses in 2022, taking a late-round flier
on a possible breakout year from "Lil Dirty" is a solid fantasy investment.
Von Miller: 'The Door Is Open' for Odell Beckham Jr. to Sign Contract with Bills
Aug 11, 2022
Tampa, Florida, Sunday, January 23, 2022 - LA Rams teammates Odell Beckham Jr. right and Von Miller on the sideline during the NFC Divisional Playoff at Raymond James Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Von Miller continues to stump for Odell Beckham Jr. to sign with the Buffalo Bills.
"Odell is one of my good buddies," Miller said on the Pat McAfee Show Thursday. "I've been knowing him for a long time. Six, seven years. He's trying to work on stuff right now, get back healthy. But the door is open for him to come to the Bills. I know Odell loves to win, everybody loves to win. We've got a winning team, and him being here would really put the icing on the cake and put us over the top."
The 33-year-old Miller and 29-year-old Beckham were together on the Los Angeles Rams last season, helping the team win a Super Bowl. But both came into this offseason as free agents, and Miller joined the Bills on a massive six-year, $120 million deal.
Beckham, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl, remains on the market and possibly will go unsigned into the season given he's unlikely to play until later in the 2022 campaign.
But after several tough years in Cleveland, the veteran wideout looked rejuvenated in Los Angeles, particularly during a postseason run that saw him nab 21 receptions for 288 yards and two scores in four games.
There's little doubt that he would offer a contending team like the Bills or Rams a late-season boost. In Buffalo, wideout Stefon Diggs is the top option for superstar quarterback and MVP candidate Josh Allen, while tight end Dawson Knox had a breakthrough 2021 campaign.
But behind them, younger and less-proven wideouts like Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie round out Allen's weapons in the passing game. If that duo struggles, Beckham will look more and more appealing for Buffalo.
Until thenāor until Beckham makes a free-agency decisionādon't be surprised if Miller continues batting his eyelashes publicly in the receiver's direction.
Odell Beckham Jr. Hints at Bills Interest in Response to Von Miller IG Post
Aug 8, 2022
Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Von Miller, left, and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. greet each other during practice for an NFL Super Bowl football game Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Pasadena, Calif. The Rams are scheduled to play the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Odell Beckham Jr. hinted that he might be interested in signing with the Buffalo Bills in an Instagram comment he made under veteran edge-rusher Von Miller's post:
āWhatās the locker next to u loook like š!!!??ā -@obj to Von Miller.
If the #Bills want Odell Beckham Jr. at some point this season, itās not going to take much convincingā¦
Beckham, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during last year's Super Bowl, is a free agent. He and Miller were teammates on the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams last season.
The 29-year-old wideout had a resurgent second half of the 2021 season with the Rams and quarterback Matt Stafford, catching 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games. He added 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdownsāincluding one in the Super Bowl before getting injuredāin the postseason.
But Beckham will likely miss a good chunk of the 2022 campaign, meaning his free agency is expected to stretch into the regular season. And after a solid experience with the Rams last season, it seems a safe bet that he'll consider a contending team, whether that means returning to Los Angeles, joining up with the Bills or finding another playoff-bound squad.
The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted on Sunday that Beckham has "continued to receive interest from several teams, contending teams."
From Inside Training Camp: The #Rams have stayed in contact with FA WR Odell Beckham Jr, but whatās next? Me and Tom Pelissero discussā¦ pic.twitter.com/JMYMJRMVFU
Among those was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (before they signed Julio Jones), the Green Bay Packers and the Rams.
The Bills, meanwhile, are already loaded on offense behind quarterback Josh Allen, with playmakers like Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Dawson Knox and Devin Singletary, among others. But bolstering the passing attack for the stretch run with a three-time Pro Bowler like Beckham would make a lot of sense for a Bills team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations this year.
Beckham had his struggles during parts of three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, no doubt. But he showed with Stafford and the Rams last year that he could be an important piece on a title-winning side.
Fantasy Alert: Bills' James Cook Has 'Opened Some Eyes,' Sean McDermott Says
Aug 4, 2022
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JUNE 14: James Cook #28 of the Buffalo Bills during Bills mini camp on June 14, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
Attention fantasy football managers: James Cook is apparently turning heads at Buffalo Bills training camp.
Head coach Sean McDermott said the rookie running back has "opened some eyes" heading into the 2022 season, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Buffalo selected Cook, who is the younger brother of Dalvin, with a second-round pick in the 2022 draft.
It isn't hard to find reasons to take a flier on the younger Cook in the middle to late rounds of a fantasy draft.
For one, the Bills likely wouldn't have drafted him as high as the second round if they weren't going to use him as a rookie. The team is also on the shortlist of realistic Super Bowl contenders and will likely win plenty of games, which could lead to a reliance on the rushing attack and plenty of red-zone opportunities.
Cook ran for 728 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 284 yards and four scores through the air in his final collegiate season with Georgia. He had 112 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in the College Football Playoff win over Michigan and ran for 77 yards on six carries in the national title game victory over Alabama.
Despite the potential and the production for the champion Bulldogs, there is also a clear fantasy ceiling on Cook in terms of his rookie season.
Devin Singletary is the surefire starter and was a fantasy football force down the stretch of the 2021 campaign with six touchdowns in the final four games of the regular season. He also found the end zone in the dramatic playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and is in the middle of his prime at 24 years old.
Zack Moss is also a factor after he carried it 112 times as a rookie in 2020 and 96 times last year.
Moss averaged just 3.6 yards per carry last season, so it wouldn't be a shock if Cook played his way above him on the depth chart. That would make him more of a fantasy weapon than perhaps anticipated, at least in his first season, but the presence of Singletary means he will still likely be a secondary option.
To paraphrase Steve Martin from the classic comedy The Jerk, the new NFL season is here! The new NFL season is here! Well, sort of. The Jacksonville...
Josh Allen on Bills Training Camp Fight: 'Just Pushing Each Other to Be Great'
Jul 31, 2022
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws during practice at the NFL football team's training camp in Pittsford, N.Y., Saturday July 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
A scuffle broke out between the Buffalo Bills' offense and defense after defensive tackle Jordan Phillips bumped star quarterback Josh Allen during training camp on Saturday.
On Sunday, Allen casted the kerfuffle in a positive light:
Man I love football š¤ the boys got going yesterday, and itās all love! š First day of pads, just pushing each other to be great ā¤ļø that is all!
Phillips didn't seem particularly concerned about the situation either:
Jordan Phillips shared the following last night after all the attention that day surrounding Josh Allen and his training camp skirmish. pic.twitter.com/jrdpou2ky7
Apparently, tensions had been rising before the confrontation:
The DLs were buzzing around the #Bills QBs during practice. Even made contact at one point. Josh Allen didnāt appreciate it, which is what led to this momentā¦ https://t.co/hcUci5cqr2
Training camp fights are nothing new in the NFL. Gather a bunch of competitive men in the hot summer sun and let them hit each other for the first time in several months, and a few scuffles are inevitable.
Granted, keeping an MVP candidate like Josh Allen healthy and away from any unnecessary hits or fights is a top priority for a Super Bowl contender like the Bills.
"Immediately, you want him out of that pile," center Mitch Morseāwho personally put Allen in a bear hug and walked him away from the confrontationātold reporters.
Generally, quarterbacks stay out of the mix when it comes to training camp skirmishes.
"Maybe once or twice, but Josh is a little different," running back Devin Singletary told reporters when asked if he's ever seen a quarterback help to initiate a summer scuffle. "We all know that."
Allen, 26, has emerged as one of the NFL's most dynamic quarterbacks due to his combination of passing ability (4,407 yards, 36 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 63.3 completion percentage last year) and his physical, bruising running style (763 yards, six touchdowns in 2021).
In the process, he led Buffalo to an 11-6 record last season and a trip to the AFC Divisional Round last season, where they lost an instant classic overtime shootout with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bills will go as far as Allen's arms and legs can take them. Opposing defensive lineman just shouldn't expect him to back down from a scrap.
