Josh Allen‘s return to the Buffalo Bills lineup is closer to reality.
That’s the assessment from head coach Sean McDermott, who said during his Monday press conference that the rookie quarterback’s rehab from a sprained elbow remains on schedule. Allen suffered the injury in a Week Six loss to the Houston Texans.
“Josh Allen has started throwing the ball as part of his rehab,” McDermott noted. “He’s progressing well and we’ll evaluate him day by day.”
Josh Allen “Progressing Well” From Elbow Injury According to Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott
The update on Allen’s progress comes one day after Nathan Peterman delivered another forgettable performance. In a 41-9 blowout loss to the Chicago Bears, the second-year signal caller didn’t manage a single touchdown pass while throwing three interceptions. He ultimately finished with a total QBR of 8.7/100.
Peterman now has seven interceptions in 2018 on 81 attempts, giving him an interception percentage of 8.6 percent. The last NFL quarterback who threw at least 75 passes in a season and had over 8.5 percent of them picked off was Steve Grogan of the New England Patriots in 1988.
The Bills really had no choice starting him. Derek Anderson wasn’t available after suffering a concussion late in the game against the Patriots in Week Eight. McDermott indicated that should he clear concussion protocol this week, Anderson will start this Sunday’s contest against the New York Jets.
But he didn’t rule out Allen returning. With the rookie signal caller day-to-day, there’s the distinct possibility that his sixth start of 2018 will come in East Rutherford. Bills Insider Chris Brown said that Allen resumed throwing last Friday and saw his practice workload increase over the next few days.
“He threw a couple times over the weekend,” McDermott noted. “He threw again Monday morning. I thought he had a good day. He threw about 100 balls, which in the course of a practice is an average workload. He has progressed well with our medical staff and we’ll continue to evaluate that moving forward.”
What to Expect and Will Allen Improve When He Does Return?
With the Bills bye occurring in Week 11, the most likely scenario is that Allen sits this weekend. That will give him two more weeks of rest as well as additional time to gain a stronger grasp of the offense. He’ll certainly need it. Because despite the fact he’s the only Bills quarterback to win a game in 2018, his numbers aren’t exactly stellar.
During his time on the field, Allen is averaging a paltry 138.7 yards per game with two touchdowns and five interceptions. His Pro Football Focus grade of 51.4 ranks 34th among NFL quarterbacks. And he currently has a passer rating of 61.8 which is the lowest among rookies taken in the first round.
All of it serves to reinforce the drama-filled nature of the Bills quarterback situation. Not much is going to change on Sunday, especially in the event that Allen remains inactive. And if Anderson can’t clear concussion protocol? Well, unless Matt Barkley gets the nod, fans will continue to have to endure the Nathan Peterman experience.
