On Sunday, the 5-3 Arizona Cardinals welcome the 7-2 Buffalo Bills to the desert. Coming off a frustrating loss to the Miami Dolphins last week, the Bills, in particular their offense, present a huge task. Ranked by ESPN’s Power Rankings as the eighth-best team in the NFL, the AFC East team boasts some of the league’s top talent. The centerpiece of the team, however, is quarterback Josh Allen. Taking on the Bills begs the question: How can you stop Josh Allen?
Allen has been in the news this week after inspiring a cascade of donations from Bills fans to the Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, following the passing of his grandmother. The donations, which have now eclipsed $500,000, thanks to $17,000 from Allen himself, reflects the love that the Bills Mafia have for their young quarterback as Allen spearheads the Bills’ attempt to fill the power vacuum left by Tom Brady in the AFC East. After making headlines all week, the former Wyoming star hopes to continue the trend on the field on Sunday.
How Can the Arizona Cardinals Stop Josh Allen?
Buffalo Quarterback Headlines Clash at State Farm Stadium
Josh Allen was considered by many a ‘raw talent’ coming out of the 2018 draft but has flourished in Buffalo. The team appears the most likely successor to the New England Patriots dynasty in the division, having assembled a roster of talent to rival that of any team. Surrounding Allen with quality, including the massive off-season acquisition of Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings, has helped the quarterback’s productivity. Allen currently has 19 touchdowns on the season and only five interceptions, generating a career-high 107.2 passer rating so far. The relationship between Allen and Diggs has accounted for only three of those touchdowns, although Diggs leads all receivers in receiving yards and receptions heading into Week 8.
Passing
The 2020 season has shown that Josh Allen has serious arm talent. Punctuated by an ongoing cold war between himself and 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes over who can throw the furthest, Allen’s throwing power is a key asset of his game. Combined with deep threats like Diggs and former Cardinal John Brown, the vertical attack of this Buffalo offense is a clear threat to any NFL defense.
Allen’s arm has earned him the title of ‘gunslinger’, a moniker commonly associated with players such as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. ‘Gunslinger’ tends to characterize a quarterback that throws into high-risk, high-reward windows. Rodgers has made a Hall of Fame career doing so, but it is unfair to expect Rodgers-level accuracy from Allen in year three. Furthermore, although the Bills’ receiving corps has some top players, the roster lacks that quality physical receiver that Rodgers has in All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, an archetype player that facilitates the gunslinger style.
Rushing and Athleticism
The Bills offense runs 1-0 personnel formations (one running back, no tight ends, four wide receivers) more than any other team in the NFL, except Sunday’s opponents; Cardinals on 21 percent of snaps, the Bills on 18 percent. Just as with Kyler Murray in Arizona, the ability of the quarterback to run facilitates the use of pass-heavy formations in Buffalo. Allen’s speed and athleticism came as somewhat of a surprise, but the quarterback’s 6’5″, 237-pound frame has already carried him for five rushing touchdowns in 2020.
In addition, as noted by Paul Calvisi on the Arizona Cardinals’ ‘Big Red Rage’, Josh Allen is ranked as the most elusive quarterback in the NFL. It is worth noting that Kyler Murray comes in a close second. Allen’s arm talent is phenomenal, but his athleticism and rushing ability are certainly one of the more notable aspects of his game, unlocking infinite options for Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
Containing Josh Allen
Coverage
The perfect antidote to Josh Allen’s arm talent is a strong secondary. The Cardinals have been without their starting secondary since Jalen Thompson went down in Week 1. In fact, all starters, with the exception of Patrick Peterson, have missed games this season. However, with Byron Murphy‘s reinstatement following a positive Covid-19 test, the unit will be back to full strength against Buffalo. The unit will also be bolstered by the arrival of former NFL starter Johnathan Joseph. Kliff Kingsbury noted that Joseph, signed during the week, would likely play a role on Sunday.
Owing to Vance Joseph’s affinity to man coverage, Patrick Peterson will draw the assignment of Stefon Diggs for much of the game. Peterson’s record against Diggs in past meetings gives the advantage to the three-time All-Pro corner, although Peterson is certainly wary of Diggs’ ability.
The vertical threat of Buffalo’s offense versus the press technique that Arizona’s defensive coordinator employs will be one of the key matchups to look for throughout the game. Particularly against the Seattle Seahawks, Peterson demonstrated his ability in shutting down D.K. Metcalf in man coverage, although the story of that game ended up being the inability of Dre Kirkpatrick to stop Tyler Lockett from having a career night. With Byron Murphy entrenched in the slot, the lack of depth on the outside for the Cardinals has led to some big games from number two receivers in recent weeks. Allen has the tenacity to make difficult throws, so it will be boom-or-bust for the Cardinals as to whether the secondary can force those throws out of the Buffalo quarterback.
Containing Josh Allen’s rushing ability
Although losing Chandler Jones for the season was a huge blow for the Cardinals defense, the return of Markus Golden gave the team some serious speed on the outside. Speed and discipline will be fundamental to nullifying Josh Allen’s ability to rush and create plays. The expectation would be to see Golden and Haason Reddick on the outside since their athletic ability gives the team a hope of containing Allen while also generating enough pressure. Perhaps the growing role of Isaiah Simmons could also see the former Clemson standout shadow Allen in a spy package. Budda Baker should also be expected to play down to the line of scrimmage to counter Allen’s mobility.
Forcing the unrefined gunslinger out of Allen is ultimately the key to slowing down the 2020 MVP candidate. The speed of the Cardinals defense is well suited to containing Buffalo’s quarterback, and if Patrick Peterson continues to play at a high level, then the Cardinals will look for better performances out of the rest of their secondary in order to stop the Bills in the desert.
