Balancing Josh Allen’s game-changing rushing ability with the risk of injury

• High risk, high reward: In Week 1 against Arizona, he recorded nine carries totaling 39 yards, scoring two touchdowns in the process. However, he suffered a left-hand injury on one of those touchdowns.

• A key component of the offense: Allen’s 95.7 rushing grade since 2020 actually leads all players in the NFL, regardless of position. He trails only Lamar Jackson among quarterbacks in explosive runs in that span, and perhaps most importantly for the Bills, his feet are their most lethal red-zone weapon.

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is one of the physical marvels of the sport. He is one of the NFL’s elite passers and has ranked top-two among quarterbacks in rushing grade in each of the last three seasons.

In Week 1 against Arizona, he recorded nine carries totaling 39 yards, scoring two touchdowns in the process. However, he suffered a left-hand injury on one of those touchdowns. He played through it on Thursday Night Football, but the question remains: Is Allen’s rushing ability and aggressive approach worth the risk of injury?

As valuable as any starting quarterback is — especially one of Allen’s stature — it is reasonable to assume that injury risk prevention should be at the top of every team’s mind as it relates to a franchise passer. Allen’s case is a bit different, though, as his rushing ability is a major component of the Bills offense.

Allen’s 95.7 rushing grade since 2020 actually leads all players in the NFL, regardless of position. He trails only Lamar Jackson among quarterbacks in explosive runs in that span, and perhaps most importantly for the Bills, his feet are their most lethal red-zone weapon.

Josh Allen: Red-zone rushing since 2020

Allen leads all quarterbacks in the above statistics since 2020, except for touchdowns, where he ranks second behind Jalen Hurts.

For comparison’s sake, Bills running backs in that span rank 24th in red-zone rushing grade, 29th in red-zone touchdowns, and in the middle of the pack in many other metrics. So, Allen has long been their most dynamic red-zone weapon.

The second function of Allen’s elite athleticism is that it allows him to excel under pressure consistently. Quarterback performance under pressure is not considered a stable or predictive metric. However, Allen has ranked inside the top 10 in overall grade under pressure for four consecutive years and notably held the top spot in both 2021 and 2022.

As has been the theme so far, Allen’s feet are the key.

Josh Allen under pressure since 2020

Allen ranked 13th in pressured passing grade last season. Again, though, Allen has led the NFL in each of the above categories since 2020, except for missed tackles forced, where he ranks second to Lamar Jackson.

Lastly, Allen’s scrambling is obviously lethal, but his production in the designed run game is also critical to Buffalo’s success. Among quarterbacks with at least 60 designed carries since 2020, Allen leads the NFL with an 88.7 rushing grade. Allen, Hurts, and Jackson comprise the top three of almost every major rushing category in some order.

While some may prefer Allen and the Bills' more conservative approach, it’s hard to ignore the fact that his legs bring an incredible amount of value to their offense.

At times, his rushing ability has carried them to victories. With a young receiving corps and a defense that has struggled since late last season, Allen’s legs may be why Buffalo can contend for another postseason berth.