PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Each of the last four seasons Josh Allen has thrown for at least 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. Over that same time, he’s rushed for a total of 2,470 yards and 36 touchdowns (15 this year). He is 3-1 in his career against the Steelers with nine total touchdowns.
The sixth-year quarterback has won double-digit games in each of the last five seasons, is 63-30 overall in his career. While he has yet to lead his team to a Super Bowl, in eight playoff games he has 17 touchdowns to four interceptions with another 417 yards rushing and two scores.
Steelers rookie Joey Porter, Junior called him a freak of nature in how at his size he can hurdle, evade or truck a defensive player. It’s the trucking part that is unique, aside from Cam Newton, there were or are few quarterbacks with any longevity that can run over an NFL player.
“He’s a big guy,” said Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has faced him a handful of times. “He can move. He’s a competitor, so he’s always going to make the extra effort. He’s not like most quarterbacks that will see you coming and slide. He will lower his shoulder or try to make you miss or pump fake. He’s a great quarterback that presents a lot of challenges.”
“The thing about him is he’s a ballplayer,” said Steelers linebacker Mykal Walker. “He’s going to fight for those extra yards. He’s going to make those plays. Make those runs. Make those throws. I have a lot of respect for Josh.”
“He can make every single throw,” said Steelers defensive back Patrick Peterson. “He can have three or four guys hanging on him and still has the arm power to get the ball downfield. His ability to create extra time. His competitive edge. He’s a guy that loves the moment. You can’t do nothing but respect that. The guys rally around him and they all understand they will go as far as he takes them.”
Few know that part as well as Steelers corner Levi Wallace. He was Allen’s teammate for the first four years of his career. He said the Bills understand Allen. They know he is going to give them time and they prepare using his unusual skill set. And Wallace said what sets Allen apart, is that he won’t just make a special play once or twice.
“It’s play-after-play, it’s not just one play,” Wallace said. “They do a great job, a lot of his great plays come off script. You have to be able to plaster.”
To do that, Peterson said they need will need rookie Nick Herbig or veteran Markus Golden (along with Alex Highsmith on the other side) to step up and make a TJ Watt-like play. While healthy now in the secondary, they will still need help with pressure.
“Josh Allen is a unique talent,” said Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts.
“I think he is the engine that gets that offense going. Quarterback mobility is a big thing for him. He’s so strong, even when you have him wrapped up, the play is not over yet.”
“You have to get him to the ground. That’s why he’s in the top echelon of quarterbacks in the league.”
“They have a border line, some people say Hall of Fame quarterback,” said Steelers linebacker Myles Jack. “They have a very air-out style with the receiver. I think the running backs are really, really good. I think they are underrated.”
If you let Allen make a few plays, you might forget about James Cook, who had a 1,000-yard season and has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. But it starts with controlling Allen.
“He’s like a taller running back,” said Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward of Allen. “You got to have your eyes up. It’s got to be gang tackling. We are not asking our DBs to go out and tackle. D-line has got to run, linebackers have to finish and there has to be a meeting at the quarterback.”
“You try to keep him contained, not let him get outside of the pocket where he can really make some damage, and try to limit his explosives,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “You just go into the game with that, and you just have to keep plugging away knowing he's a great player and he’ll probably make a play or two. We just can't let that snowball.
We got to fight back and make our plays when they're available.”
Last time they faced him in a real game, Allen torched the Steelers. He threw for a career-high 424 yards and four touchdowns, running for another 42 yards in a 38-3 Bills win in Buffalo in 2022. The weather might limit some of that Monday, but the Steelers better limit their share or it will be an seventh straight season without a playoff win.