Josh Allen has uneven debut for Bills

There’s quite the quarterback battled ensuing with the Buffalo Bills. And rookie Josh Allen had the expected up-and-down debut performance.

It’s going to be quite the summer in Orchard Park, New York. And the chicken wings aren’t the only hot topic on the menu these day.

The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback field features one-time Cincinnati Bengals’ backup A.J. McCarron, second-year pro Nathan Peterman and rookie Josh Allen. Peterman started on Thursday night at home in what proved to be a 28-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers. But all three players action. And it was the seventh overall pick in April’s draft that drew the most attention.

Perhaps the one clip many saw from the game was this “run for your life” effort on fourth and three:

However, there was a lot more to his play on Thursday than just this Keystone Kops-like play. The former University of Wyoming standout displayed his publicized arm strength in a big way here.

And then there’s this. Allen is falling backward on a rollout and still manages to get the ball downfield and complete the pass.

The rookie passer connected on less than half of his throws on the night (9-of-19). Allen threw for 116 yards and one score. He was sacked only once and didn’t turn over the football. It was far from a perfect debut but the potential is hard to overlook.

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The Buffalo Bills were a playoff team in 2017, the first time the franchise reached the postseason since 1999. Now the club is starting over again behind center and one day, the quarterbacking reins will be turned over to Allen. His arm strength is unquestioned and his reputation for inaccuracy may be somewhat exaggerated. From all indications, there’s still a lot of work ahead. But the tools are there and his time may come sooner than later.