Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick have already had numerous meetings, and the two will square off once more to start the new year.
Allen, who is currently in his sixth season in the NFL, has improved significantly as a player. He went from being a gifted but undeveloped prospect to one of the league’s top quarterbacks, capable of hurting opponents with both his arm and legs. Belichick, the head coach of a competing team in the division, has undoubtedly observed Allen’s development over time.
With Belichick’s future in New England uncertain, the Patriots coach likened Allen’s improvement to that of the legendary Tom Brady ahead of the team’s most recent and potentially final game.
“Much like Brady, actually. It was much the way for the remainder of Brady’s career when he reached a certain point in 2003, Belichick told reporters on Wednesday. “In 2002, things weren’t actually that way. That was not the case in 2001. In 2000, it most definitely wasn’t like that.
“Once he reached a certain point, which was around the 2003 season’s halfway, the playoffs followed. His play, performance, and consistency were at the highest level in the league from that point on.”
Though Allen is significantly more mobile than Brady, the two quarterbacks play quite different styles, and Belichick makes a valid point about how similar their timeframes are. After finishing second in the MVP voting in Year 3, Allen—who had been dependable in his first two seasons—started to excel. In a similar vein, Brady improved significantly in his third season as a starter to place third in the MVP vote.
Sadly for Buffalo, Allen hasn’t fared as well in the postseason as Brady did. Brady helped establish the Patriots as a dynasty and had already won three Super Bowls by the time he was in his sixth season. After numerous playoff heartbreaks, the Bills are still waiting for their first big game appearance under coach Josh Allen.
Allen has every chance to win a championship if, as Belichick claims, he is genuinely following in Brady’s footsteps.
“Where he was and where he is at this moment are not really important. He’s not too bad. Excellent,” Belichick remarked.
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