One of the problems Allen had were balls being knocked down at the line of scrimmage. The quarterback said the defense is cheating a little, “There’s some tall defensive lineman without pads and without actually trying to get the quarterback and D-linemen tend to stay back and put their hands up. It’s a little bit of cheating the drill, but at the same time, it’s something I have to work on as well. If it’s happened a couple times and maybe, maybe something to think about, just kind of move in finding a window to find some these underneath routes. So that’s something we’ll keep an eye on but something that’s not a big concern for me.”
Allen busted the pocket a lot his rookie season. It produced some big plays running the football, but this season, he’s working on staying put, “It’s trusting those around me. Understanding that, five guys in front of me, they got their job and I have to trust that they’re going to do it. Stay back there and find one of our receivers or tight ends or backs that are going to do their job and get open and it’s my job to put the ball on them. So, that’s what I’m thinking about back there.”
In his rookie season, Allen was forced into the starting job sooner than the Bills brass wanted. He learned a lot with all the reps he got and it’s made things a whole lot easier in training camp No. 2, “Just as far as understanding the type of offense that we have going in. Obviously the concepts and knowing where our receivers are supposed to be lining up, it’s just night and day for me.
“I’m going out there and I’m seeing little things and coach Daboll always preaches, don’t be extraordinary at one thing, but make the ordinary things great. So that’s what we’ve been trying to work on and seeing these little things and whether one of our guys lined up a little too far outside, bringing them in if he’s got a block for us, letting him know he’s got the safety. I think that part of my game has been evolving and it’s going to continue to grow as time goes on.”
Brian Daboll keeps pounding into Allen to take what the defense gives him. Allen said he’s has that in his head each and every day, “Absolutely. We had one play today and [Andre Roberts] had just kind of found a window like four yards in front of me. I dumped it on to him before it got to the will linebacker and that was a touchdown and that’s one of those like, ‘let’s go Dre!’ That’s what we need right there and for him to have a knack to find a little zone and me to find him and put it on and where I did. It’s definitely steps in the right direction.”
The Bills will be back in front of the fans in Orchard Park on Friday evening for a 6:15 practice. The players feel the excitement inside the stadium and Allen knows that firsthand from last season, “I think it’s kind of the first time some of the new guys will be able to feel that excitement and energy in our stadium. We always talk about defending our dirt and it starts tomorrow. So, I’m assuming there’s going to be quite a large fan base there. We’re excited to get in there and excited to practice and show you what we’ve been working on.”