Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen Top AFC Quarterback Going Into Training Camp

New York Jets are 17.00 to win the Super Bowl at BetMGM Sportsbook

Josh Allen is 8.00 to win MVP at PointsBet Canada

Buffalo Bills veterans reported to training camp this week, with news that running back Nyheim Hines is likely out for the season after suffering an ACL injury while jet skiing.

Hines, acquired from the Indianapolis Colts last season, was looking to compete with Damien Harris, Latavius Murray and James Cook at running back and was expected to be a key cog on special teams.

Bills Want Allen To Carry The Ball Less

One objective going into this season was to rely less on quarterback Josh Allen in the running attack. Besides throwing for 4,283 yards last season, for seventh in the NFL, at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds Allen also made like a fullback, rumbling for 762 yards and a 6.1-yard average. 

That’s not sustainable, and the Bills know it. Hence the additions of Harris and Murray this off-season.

Betting Odds

As of Tuesday, BetMGM Sportsbook has the Bills as a favourite to win the Super Bowl – 9.00, after the Kansas City Chiefs (7.00) and Philadelphia Eagles (8.00). Buffalo is favoured to win the AFC East (2.30) and is 5.25 to win the AFC, after the Chiefs (4.50).

Elsewhere, PointsBet Canada also has the Bills at 9.00 to win it all, after the Chiefs (7.00) and Eagles (8.00). 

Super Bowl Or Bust For Buffalo

The quarterback is the most important position on any football team, because the decision about every play, and all ball handling, goes through that one person. That brings us back to Allen. The 27-year-old is elite, but he did he regress in that crushing 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in snowy Buffalo during last season’s AFC Divisional playoff game. 

Allen went 25-for-42 for 262 yards in that game, and the performance seemed to set off an apparent rift with No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs. Reportedly, that divide was smoothed out over earlier the summer. 

But despite his All-Pro stats, this is most definitely a show-me season for Allen in terms of playoff accomplishment. You get the feeling that it’s Super Bowl or bust for the Bills this season.

Top Quarterbacks

That’s why Allen tops our list of 5 most valuable quarterbacks to their AFC teams this season.

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (Last season: 359 CMP, 567 ATT, 63.3 CMP%, 4,283 YDS, 7.6 AVG, 35 TD, 14 INT, 96.6 RTG).

With respect to the returning Von Miller on defence, Allen needs to take that leap this season and get beyond the defending Super Bowl champ Chiefs and the Joe Burrow-led Bengals. Hence the need to muscle up the running game in Buffalo. And hence why the loss of Hines stings.

PointsBet Canada has Allen at 8.00 to win the MVP this season, after Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (7.50) and Burrow (7.50), just ahead of Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (10.5).

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (Last season: 414 CMP, 606 ATT, 68.3 CMP%, 4,475 YDS, 7.4 AVG, 35 TD, 12 INT, 100.8 RTG).

A year younger than Allen and in just his third season in 2022, Burrow emerged as a Top 5 elite talent at his position. Among all the physical attributes, it’s his mental toughness that sets him apart in any situation – calm, cool, which Bills fans saw for themselves in January’s divisional game.

That completion percentage was tops in the NFL in 2022 for QBs with more than 500 passing attempts.

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (Last season: 435 CMP, 648 ATT, 67,1 CMP%, 5,250 YDS, 8.1 AVG, 41 TD, 12 INT, 105.2 RTG).

With two Super Bowl wins, he's already in that pantheon of (soon-to-be, anyway) Hall of Fame greats. What was really remarkable about his accomplishments last season is that he pulled if off without receiver Tyreek Hill, who was traded to Miami. 

And those who watched the championship game will remember he led the Chiefs back in the second half on an injured ankle. A true on-field leader.

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (Last season, 477 CMP, 699 ATT, 68.2 CMP%, 4,739 YDS, 6.8 AVG, 25 TD, 10 INT, 93.2 RTG).

Kind of similar to Allen, Herbert needs to take that next step and win big games in the playoffs. The Chargers took deep-threat speedy receiver Quentin Johnston, 6-foot-4, 208-pounds, with the 21st overall selection in the draft in April, and that’s expected to fill pressing need for the strong-armed Herbert. 

Add Johnston to playmakers like Mike Williams (four TDs, 14.2-yard average), Keenan Allen (four TDs, 11.4-yard average) and Joshua Palmer (three TDs, 10.7-yard average) at the receiver position, and it will be up to Herbert to tap into the explosive potential of the Chargers’ offence, which ranked ninth in the NFL in yards per game in 2022 (359.3).

Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (Last season, 350 CMP, 542 ATT, 64.6 CMP%, 3,695 YDS, 6.8 AVG, 26 TD, 12 INT, 91.1 RTG)

The spotlight is shining intensely on the 39-year-old Rodgers, getting to the end of the line on a Hall-of-Fame career, traded to the Jets this off-season. 

As mentioned, the Jets are second-favoured to win the AFC East. Their Super Bowl odds with BetMGM are 17.00.

Rodgers is still a great quarterback, and if he can tap into the fountain of youth this season, he still has the potential to have the biggest impact on his team among the top AFC quarterbacks. Optimists point to the favourable impact a new address had for Tom Brady after he joined the Tamp Bay Buccaneers towards the end of his career.