1. For the Win predicts Josh Allen will lead NFL quarterbacks in this category in 2019
Josh Allen can run, but he's not thought of as a rushing quarterback the same way that Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray are. As part of USA Today’s For The Win NFL preview, one bold prediction is that Allen will finish with the most rushing yards of any QB in the league.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson should be racking up rushing yards. Cardinals rookie quarterback Kyler Murray is blazing fast, and rushed for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final college season. But Allen will pick up where he left off last year as a runner. He has had the offseason to develop into a pocket passer, and we'll see more of that in 2019, especially with help from receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley. But Allen rushed for an absurd 631 yards in 12 games — and the Bills don't really have a No. 1 running back without LeSean McCoy. Allen will keep using his legs — he'll continue to look like Mike Vick 2.0.
2. PFF picks this Bills DB as the team's breakout player
The Bills season begins today and Pro Football Focus put together a list of every NFL team's breakout player for 2019. The Bills' choice - Levi Wallace.
Wallace didn't see the field until Week 10 last year, but he shined when he was finally given a chance. Among the 66 NFL cornerbacks who played at least 200 coverage snaps from Weeks 10-to-17, Wallace ranked first in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.45), and he finished second to only Stephon Gilmore in coverage grade (85.3). He backed up that late-season ascendence with a strong 2019 preseason, too. He allowed just three receptions from eight targets this August, breaking up two passes and allowing a passer rating of just 47.9 into his coverage.
Wallace entered the starting role midway thorough 2018 and has secured the starting role for 2019 after a heated training camp battle between him and Kevin Johnson.
3. Josh Allen, Sam Darnold aren't talking this week
Josh Allen and Sam Darnold are friends, but this week they've taken a break from talking to one another. The two second-year quarterbacks were roommates in California as they prepared for the NFL Draft and each work with Jordan Palmer in the offseason.
With the Bills and Jets kicking off at 1 pm., the two have been all business.
"It's fun to joke about it in the offseason and then now that it's here, we're not talking at all. It's go time," Darnold told New York reporters Thursday. "Obviously, I'm going to talk to him after the game and all that, but we're both competitive so, it's going to be fun to go up against him this second go-around."
Even when they're not preparing against each other on the gridiron the two are always competing, especially in their workouts.
"All the time," Darnold said. "Usually if we're training together, we usually do a competition at the end of every drill so we'll always try to mix it in here and there. Josh wins sometimes. I win sometimes so we'll leave it at that."
Allen spoke of his relationship with the Jets quarterback earlier this week.
"To find somebody who has a similar situation as you in life when not many people do, we've leaned on each other in that aspect," Allen said. "We've been really good to each other. I really cherish the friendship that me and Sam have. It continues to grow over the years."
