Josh Allen didn’t study video from his seventh season as the Buffalo Bills’ starting quarterback to relive the remarkable plays that convinced voters he was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for 2024.
He wasn't in it for the thrills.
Bills QB Josh Allen Blue and Red practice
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen walks out of the tunnel during the Return of the Blue and Red practice at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 1, 2025. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Allen wanted to find as many mistakes as possible. The process can be painstaking, and he’s more annoyed than impressed.
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There were throws he missed – including three to tight end Dalton Kincaid that Allen saw as missed touchdowns – and numerous technical hiccups that would not be identifiable to the untrained eye. His eyes weren’t in the right place, or they weren’t in sync with his footwork. He saw plays in which he was too slow to move through his progressions.
“Even though he was MVP, he’s looking for ways he can improve,” said Bills backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky. “He’s asking himself, ‘What can I get better at?’ ” He’s always pushing himself to reach that next level. That’s what makes him great.”
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The never-ending pursuit for perfection isn’t about individual accolades or statistics. He trains almost tirelessly and studies video meticulously, because every detail in every play matters to Allen. He wants to be even better in 2025, to lead the Bills past the AFC championship and to a victory in the Super Bowl.
His response to winning the MVP award surprised none of his teammates or coaches. “The easiest way to put it is, he’s Josh Allen,” said center Connor McGovern, echoing a sentiment shared by everyone at One Bills Drive.
The Bills had numerous detractors before and after general manager Brandon Beane selected Allen with the seventh pick of the 2018 draft. They called him unfit to be an elite NFL quarterback because of his unrefined mechanics. They questioned the level of competition he faced in college and whether the Bills could develop him into a playoff-caliber starter. But he’s proven them wrong with a relentless drive that became apparent to the Bills while they watched him at the University of Wyoming.
“Every step of the way, you saw a competitive dude,” Beane told The Buffalo News. “A guy who can relate to anyone. He’s just real and authentic. Nothing fazed him at all.”
Day Eleven of Buffalo Bills Training Camp (copy)
Josh Allen attempted 96 fewer passes in 2024 than he did the previous season for the Buffalo Bills. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Competitiveness
Allen was trying to lead Wyoming on another scoring drive before halftime at Air Force on Nov. 11, 2017, when he got hit while attempting a pass toward the right sideline.
Beane saw the hit from the press box and wondered if his scouting trip would be cut short. He stuck around through halftime, and to his surprise, Allen convinced Wyoming coach Craig Bohl to allow him to return for the third quarter.
Bohl pulled Allen from the game after his first throw fell short of his receiver. Allen didn’t have the arm strength to continue. It could have been the last pass Allen threw in his college career. Admittedly, Beane didn’t want Allen to play another snap for Wyoming.
The Bills saw enough to know he had the talent and intangibles of a top 10 pick. They preferred he sit out and heal for pre-draft workouts like the Senior Bowl. Most prospects wouldn’t have played. But Allen wasn’t like most prospects.
Though Beane had yet to meet his favorite quarterback prospect, their interactions in the months that followed confirmed that Allen was going to be the general manager’s first draft pick. He impressed everyone, including owners Terry and Kim Pegula, by showing an authenticity and affability that has since endeared him to teammates in Western New York.
Allen showed as much poise and confidence while tested on a whiteboard by then-offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as he did while facing defenses.
“With Josh, just like he wants the ball in his hands, he wanted the marker in his hand to draw on the board and prove to us what he knew,” Beane said. “’I know exactly what you just taught me Brian Daboll, and I’m ready to show you what I know.' … All those things really gave me reassurance that this is the kind of guy you want as the face of your franchise.”
The desire to be great didn’t develop during his time at Wyoming. Bohl saw that determination from the moment Allen arrived on campus. Allen led his teammates on an eight-play, 82-yard scoring drive during his first game as a freshman. On his second drive, Allen got hit hard at the end of a 24-yard run.
His collarbone was broken in several places, and his season was over. Wyoming chose to redshirt Allen to preserve his eligibility, but he didn’t accept the notion that he wasn’t going to help the Cowboys in 2015.
Once Allen returned to the practice field later that season to lead their scout team, he quickly showed Bohl he wasn’t your average freshman quarterback.
“I started to hear the ball, not just see it,” Bohl recalled. “I heard it. His understanding and improving, the internal mechanism to always want more – ‘I’ve got to be better, I’ve got to be better' – that’s still there. To get to that MVP level, you’re talking about separation and he’s been able to accomplish that.’”
Bills Ravens NFL Playoff Football (copy)
Josh Allen has thrown eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in his last five playoff games with the Buffalo Bills. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
After Day 1 of his eighth NFL training camp, Allen told the Bills’ three other quarterbacks he wasn’t happy with several throws in their first practice.
Bothered by mistakes that others may overlook, Allen created a list of objectives for his next practice at St. John Fisher University. Their quarterback meetings are idea incubators. They exchange honest, constructive feedback. The MVP asks for his teammates’ opinions and observations. He wants to know if they notice anything off about his throwing mechanics and footwork.
Every play in every practice also matters to Allen.
“When he throws a ball at practice, he’s not just throwing it to throw it,” said quarterback Mike White, who spent last season on the Bills' practice squad. “He’s always got something he’s working on. That’s where his love for the game and his love for the position shows. It’s not just results-oriented. It’s process-driven, and he falls in love with the process. When someone like him wins MVP, you love to see it.”
Through diligent work and repetition, Allen sharpened his throwing mechanics to become one of the league's best passers. In 2023, he passed for 4,306 yards with 29 touchdowns, but he saw through video study that he was getting too long with his right arm on throws. His stride was off, and he was getting too low with the ball. Allen wanted to iron out every bad habit created by the shoulder injury he had suffered in Week 6 and played through for much of the season.
Past injuries have led to Bills quarterback Josh Allen refining his throwing mechanics
The Buffalo Bills’ star quarterback is going through the process of making adjustments to his throwing motion in an effort to, in his words, get it as efficient as possible.
Mechanics have been a focal point for Allen since his rookie season. His throwing motion is vastly different than the one he used at Wyoming. Allen and the rest of the Bills’ quarterbacks identify flaws through their work with Chris Hess, owner of the California-based movement analysis company, Biometrek. They throw a variety of passes while cameras measure their movement and digitally map every throw to optimize efficiency and help them avoid injury. It pinpoints any flaws in their footwork and posture, reaffirming good habits and pointing out areas the quarterbacks need to address.
Allen also relies on Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry to point out issues and remind him where to hold the ball, how to turn and where to release it.
Allen can get tall in the pocket at times, Curry said, and the coach immediately repeats, “’Keep your base, keep your base, keep your base, get your shoulders through and get open.’” In 2024, Allen threw just six interceptions, 12 fewer than the previous season, and he had 41 total touchdowns.
“It all comes down to his attention to detail,” Curry said. “Controlling his eyes, keeping his feet together and when he misses throws, he self-corrects. It’s important to nitpick those small details in his game. He knows when he’s off. It’s just getting back to his base.”
Bills Blue and Red (copy)
Josh Allen was the Buffalo Bills' highest drafted quarterback since Jim Kelly was selected with the 14th pick in 1983. Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News
Allen meets with the rest of the Bills’ offense each week during the season to discuss which plays they like and which ones they don’t want in the game plan.
Brady has the final say, but he wants his quarterback and everyone else on offense to take ownership. There are also times when Brady presents Allen with a set of plays he’d like to try based on their opponent’s defense.
Whereas some quarterbacks may be unwilling to experiment, Allen trusts Brady’s vision. That collaborative process, combined with a shift toward running the ball more often, raised the ceiling of the Bills’ offense in 2024.
Buffalo ranked second in points per game (30.9), third in EPA per play, 10th in yards per game and second in red-zone success rate (71.6%). The Bills were the first team in NFL history with 30-plus touchdowns passing and rushing. Allen also embraced their increased use of motion, which disguises their play calls and creates matchup problems for the defense.
“Our offense is able to evolve because of him,” Brady said. “At the core, this isn’t my playbook. This is Josh Allen’s playbook. He can do so many unique things, and he can do so many things at such a high level while being open to trying whatever. There’s a lot of plays in our offense that we can’t really do, but Josh can do it. He is as creative as it gets. There isn’t a throw he can’t make. He’s obviously become such an elite decision-maker, but our philosophy and our identity and the growth of our offense starts with him, always."
Allen didn't have a proven No. 1 receiver in 2024. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis were gone. The only Pro Bowler, Amari Cooper, didn't arrive until Week 7 and caught just 20 passes in eight games.
But the Bills still completed the sixth-most passes (56) of 20-plus yards, and he had 40-plus total touchdowns for a fifth consecutive season. Thirteen different players caught a touchdown pass, tying an NFL record. Buffalo matched its franchise record in 2024 with 13 regular-season wins and clinched its fifth consecutive AFC East title in Week 13.
Twice, the Bills have lost to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game. In those games, Allen completed 60.9% of his passes for 524 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. The preparation and attention to detail have led to clutch postseason performances. He threw for 636 yards and four touchdowns in Buffalo's last playoff run. Across his last five playoff games, Allen has 13 total touchdowns, eight passing, and no interceptions.
"The moment is never too big for him," Curry said.
The offensive line had the fourth-best pass-block success rate, according to ESPN, but Allen also bailed out the Bills with his ability to throw accurate passes on the run. He’d elude a defensive lineman by rolling to his right and heaving the ball downfield to an open receiver.
“He protected the football and played smart,” Trubisky said. “It really felt like he was in control of our whole offense and controlling whatever the defense threw at us. Josh protected the football and improved in game management, but he still kept his ability to make plays on the run and make plays for the offense. That’s why he’s the best player in the league.”
Josh Allen huddle in the tunnel
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen leads a huddle in the tunnel before a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 11, 2023. Harry Scull Jr./News file photo
A different type of leader
Some of the best athletes in the history of pro sports were intense, abrasive leaders. They clashed with teammates while trying to set a standard that was unreachable to most. Curry described Allen as a “selfless leader,” unwilling to pass blame on anyone. Following another loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game, Allen second-guessed himself. You’ll never hear him take a shot at a teammate, even subtly, and he’s shouldered the blame following each of the Bills’ shortcomings in the playoffs.
Allen is firm when he needs to be. By words and actions, he has helped set the playoff-caliber standard coach Sean McDermott brought to Buffalo. But Allen also cultivates a light atmosphere his receivers describe as unlike anything they’ve experienced in the NFL. He makes it fun to come to work every day. Late in training camp last month, Allen left the sideline to chase down and strip the football from linebacker Joe Andreessen, who forced a turnover against the second-team offense during a red-zone drill.
“Whether you’re on offense or defense, guys love being his teammate and playing with him and playing for him,” Beane said.
The supporting cast and infrastructure are in place for Allen to become the third quarterback in the last 25 years to repeat as MVP. The Bills returned 10 offensive linemen, including all five starters. Mack Hollins is the only starter from the AFC championship game who left this offseason. Brady is entering his second full season as the offensive coordinator, and Beane added veteran receiver Joshua Palmer in free agency.
Individual awards don’t drive Allen, though. His mission is to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo.
The Bills are the first team to win 11 or more games in five straight seasons and not reach the Super Bowl at least once during that span. His exceptional talent and remarkable drive to improve make them one of just several teams with a legitimate chance to get there.
“Even though he won the MVP, he wants to be better,” said practice-squad quarterback Shane Buechele. “The next step is getting to the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl. He knows what it takes.”
Josh Allen passing chart from 2024 season:
Left Middle Right
16+ yards 24-50, 628 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT 13-29, 314 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT 16-42, 582 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
11-15 7-15, 116 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT 13-21, 221 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT 4-11, 65 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
6-10 17-27, 232 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT 19-28, 194 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT 14-23, 130 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
1-5 29-35, 289 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT 56-69, 493 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT 33-45, 270 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
LOS 61-76, 363 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT 6-11, 49 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT 55-83, 421 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Most recent MVPs and how they performed the following season:
Year Player MVP stats Next year
2014 Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers 64.6 comp%, 38TD, 6 INT 60.7 comp%, 31 TD, 8 INT
2015 Cam Newton, QB, Panthers 59.8 comp%, 35 TD, 10 INT 52.9 comp%, 19 TD, 14 INT
2016 Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons 69.9 comp%, 38 TD, 7 INT 64.7 comp%, 20 TD, 12 INT
2017 Tom Brady, QB, Patriots 66.3 comp%, 32 TD, 8 INT 65.8 comp%, 29 TD, 11 INT
2018 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs 66 comp%, 50 TD, 12 INT 65.9 comp%, 26 TD, 5 INT
2019 Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens 66.1 comp%, 36 TD, 6 INT 64.4 comp%, 26 TD, 9 INT
2020 Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers 70.7 comp%, 48 TD, 5 INT 68.9 comp%, 37 TD, 4 INT
2021 Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers 68.9 comp%, 37 TD, 4 INT 64.6 comp%, 26 TD, 12 INT
2022 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs 67.1 comp%, 41 TD, 12 INT 67.2 comp%, 27 TD, 14 INT
2023 Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens 67.2 comp%, 24 TD, 7 INT 66.7%, 41 TD, 4 INT
2024 Josh Allen, QB, Bills 64.6 comp%, 28 TD, 6 INT TBD
Career stats
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