The top twenty of the NFL’s Top 100 list was unveiled Sunday night, and to the dismay of Bills fans everywhere, QB Josh Allen ended up being named the No. 13 player in the NFL.
Allen was ranked No. 10 in last summer’s NFL Top 100, and deservedly so after finishing second in the MVP voting for the 2020 season. This year, Allen moved down three spots. While he did have a down year to some capacity, this still feels pretty insulting to the guy that had a record-breaking postseason just eight months ago.
With nine touchdown passes and 637 yards in just two games in the 2021 postseason, Allen showed why he is deserving of a top-10 spot on the list. He was already deemed one of the league’s most exciting players, and then he backed that up by putting up historic numbers.
One thing to be aware of is that the voting for this list took place around Thanksgiving time last year, so with that in mind, his play in the postseason was unaccounted for in the list. At that time in the season, Allen was not having the MVP season we all thought he was going to have, so that is a very possible explanation for his drop in the list.
I can almost guarantee you that if Allen was asked about his ranking he would shrug it off as if he didn’t care at all. But, at the very least let’s hope this creates a little chip on his shoulder so that he’s eager to show why he belongs higher on the list.
While Allen may not have made the NFL’s top 10 according to the players of the league, I decided we could do a quick list. Let’s compile a couple of Allen’s characteristics that not only rank in the top ten of the league but would probably be number one when compared to his peers in the NFL. Call it corny, but I think with everything else going on with the Bills, fans deserve to realize how grateful they are to have #17 at quarterback.
1. Allen ranks first in leadership
There are not many other guys around the league that will outrank Allen and his leadership qualities. Even when he first came into the league, you could see that he was a natural born leader as just a rookie. He lifts guys up after mistakes, he’s the first one to take blame, and he never forgets to hype up his teammates. That’s what you need from your franchise quarterback because they’re the one that ultimately ties all the players on the team together.
Other players love playing for a quarterback that has that fight and doesn’t shy away from leading a group of men. Allen is that guy and he was one of the big reasons why Von Miller wanted to come to Buffalo and play with the Bills. He loved watching Josh Allen and he loved seeing him lead his team.
2. Allen ranks first in representing his city
Buffalo is known as one of the most dedicated fan bases in the entire league. Bills fans have been with the team through thick and thin. Through all the suffering in the team’s history, Allen is now here to mend the wounds.
Allen loves the city of Buffalo, the people, the fans, and everything about it. He is always praising the fans, the atmosphere, and the community. Buffalo is full of dedicated and loving people, and that is exactly what #17 is. His work ethic, his heart and his dedication embodies the spirit of Buffalo and its people.
Allen will probably go down as the best Bills QB of all time
This is not a slight in any way to Jim Kelly, as he is currently the best QB the Bills have ever had. However, with Allen’s career trajectory, he is on pace to be the best Bills QB ever.
The career pace that Allen is on right now is moving faster than Bills fans had imagined. For so long, they’ve been waiting for the second coming of Jim Kelly to come along, and boy did the Bills find it.
Allen has already set several franchise records, including most rushing touchdowns by a QB in franchise history, most passing yards and passing touchdowns by a Bills QB in a single season, most games with four passing touchdowns and at least 80% completion, and several others (including NFL records) as well.
Josh Allen is 26 years old and he’s just getting started. While it may have aggravated Bills fans that the star QB didn’t get the national recognition he deserves, we have to put that on the back burner. Because we know how talented he is, and we know Allen has much greater goals than landing in the top 10 of the NFL Top 100. Allen will prove everyone wrong once again this year.