ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — In his younger days, Josh Allen had a sure-fire method to shake the lingering nerves and adrenaline he'd experience in the early moments of season-opening games.
“Yeah, just try to get hit,” the Buffalo Bills starter said, Wednesday. “That used to be part of my deal. My first couple of years, I’d ask for a quarterback run or at least try to get my pads set and feel like I’m back down the earth.”
What worked then might not be advisable now for the NFL’s reigning MVP in preparing to open his eighth season Sunday night, when the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens.
As the established face of the franchise, the 29-year-old Allen knows better than to take unnecessary risks.
“Just trusting the game plan, trusting my feet, getting a good warmup, trying to keep the heart rate down, listening to what I listen to, and just focus on executing,” he said of how he intends to ease into the game.
And yet, easier said than done for an athletic quarterback who still showed a knack last season of lowering his shoulder on his way to the end zone and hurdling defenders.
“Try not to get hit at all. That’s the name of the game,” Allen said, before adding: “But sometimes it helps.”
However he approaches the opening minutes against Baltimore, Allen has reason to be mostly eager and somewhat anxious.
Eager and anxious
Though he participated throughout training camp and in a joint practice against the Bears at Chicago, Allen didn’t make a preseason appearance for the first time in his career to be healthy for the season.
That means Allen will be taking the field in a competitive setting for the first time in seven months, going back to a 32-29 loss to Kansas City in the AFC championship game.
And he’ll be doing so in what is anticipated to be an amped up, prime-time setting.
The game is a rematch of last year’s AFC divisional playoff, which the Bills eked out in a 27-25 win. It’s a matchup of the NFL’s past two MVPs, with Ravens QB Lamar Jackson winning in 2023. And there’s the added significance of the game opening what is scheduled to be the Bills' final season at Highmark Stadium, with the team set to move to its new facility across the street next year.
“There’s always an added extra bit of juice every first game of the year. I’ll be the first one to admit it,” Allen said. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, it’s just that first game, there is something special about it.”
MVP season
Though his production dropped, Allen is coming off his most efficient season.
Following the departures of his two top receiving threats, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Allen oversaw a relatively no-name offense to finish second in the NFL in averaging 30.9 points per outing. And he helped the Bills to a 13-4 record and clinch their fifth straight AFC East title.
Allen finished with 3,731 yards passing, his lowest total since 2019, but still combined to top 40 touchdowns (28 passing, 12 rushing and one receiving) for a fifth straight season. And he threw a single-season career-low six interceptions, in finishing fourth among NFL starters with a interceptions-per-pass-percent rate of 1.2.
Expectations are even higher for a Bills team carrying Super Bowl aspirations and an offense that returns intact, with speedy downfield threat Joshua Palmer the only newcomer.
If there is one thing Allen looks forward to is finally putting aside his many business interests and growing number of endorsement deals, which filled his offseason schedule.
“I try to make sure that it’s outside of football. So once we’re in season, we can focus exactly on ball,” he said.
Allen's growing list of endorsements already totals five national companies, with more being added in the coming days. In June, he bought an ownership stake in Buffalo-based New Era Cap company. And Allen’s busy offseason also included him getting married to Hollywood star Hailee Steinfeld.
Focus on football
Coach Sean McDermott credited Allen for his ability to balance a hectic schedule, while staying true to football.
“I think that’s part of the uniqueness of Josh,” McDermott said. “Josh’s ability has been apparent from Day 1 with not only his ability to process information quickly, but also compartmentalize things rather effectively.”
It’s nothing, Allen said.
“I’m a quarterback. Yeah, we’re always on to the next play and where our feet are right now,” Allen said. “So try to live life in the here and now.”
With maybe a hit or two.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
