Rookie QB Josh Allen Will Start For The Bills In Week Two
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced to reporters on Wednesday that rookie quarterback Josh Allen would start for the team Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, ESPN reported.
McDermott repeated several times he believed the switch was the “right move for our team” but didn’t elaborate further.
The move away from week 1 starter Nathan Peterman comes after the Bills lopsided road defeat by the Baltimore Ravens 47-3 in which Peterman looked awful.
Peterman completed only 5 of 18 passes and threw two interceptions while leading the offense to no points. Peterman looked shaky last season as well, throwing five picks against the Los Angeles Chargers defense last season.
“I don’t feel a need, honestly, to elaborate,” McDermott told reporters about the decision. “We talk a lot in-house about decisions and things and what we got to do, and the right move at the right time. Right now — with all respect to your question — this is the right move for us.
“With all due respect to the questions, I get it. There’s some things that I can share, but there’s some things that need to stay where they need to stay. I’m respecting where you guys are, and you need to respect where we are on this as well.”
Josh Allen has been named our starting quarterback. #GoBills pic.twitter.com/4yMyEocTxX
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 12, 2018
It was only a matter of time before the Bills put the 7th overall pick in this year’s draft under center.
“[Allen] is prepared. He will be prepared. I don’t think he’s prepared yet — it’s a natural progression during a week — but he’ll be prepared,” McDermott told reporters. “At the end of the day, he’s a young player. We keep that all in mind, manage expectations, and know that we embrace that growth mindset that there’s going to be some challenges, some adversity, and you keep learning as you go and you embrace that.”
Josh Allen himself got a chance to address reporters at the press conference.
“Obviously I’m super excited and thankful for the chance to be the starter of this team,” Allen said Wednesday. “This is something I’ve dreamed [about] for a long time. Now that it’s here, come Sunday, I’m just trying to do my job, not trying to do much [and] trust in those around me. [I’m] ultimately trying to be the quarterback that this team needs, which is moving the ball, moving the chain on third down and putting points on the board.”
Allen got his first chance at game action when he entered the game with the Bills trailing 40-0 on Sunday.
“I took a lot from it,” Allen said. “I think if you saw the first drive that I was in, I was a little quick to get my eyes down. As the game went on, I felt a little more comfortable in trusting the guys in front of me and then the guys outside, just letting them go make some plays.”
