The topic of Josh Allen running the football dominated Monday's water-cooler talk after the Buffalo Bills' 27-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday at Bills Stadium.
Allen ran the ball 14 times for 57 yards and a touchdown. It was a very good day for him on the ground statistically. However, he also fumbled twice on runs - both in the Jets' red zone - and both recovered by New York.
On one of the fumbles, Allen was cutdown at the legs and went airborne before putting the ball on the turf. Some of Allen's 14 carries were on designed runs, while others were scrambles where he took off himself.
Head coach Sean McDermott was asked on Monday if Allen ran too much and how the team tries to find the proper balance.
McDermott on Allen running: “It is a weapon of his game," McDermott said. "It's got to be a good balance, a healthy balance, and that's what we shoot for every week. It's something that we do take seriously for a lot of reasons."
Allen and McDermott are in their third year together, but the Bills head coach is no stranger to mobile quarterbacks. He was on the defensive staff and later the coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles when Donovan McNabb was their quarterback, then the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers while Cam Newton was the signal-caller. Combined, the two have gained 8,340 yards rushing in their careers.
"I've been around those conversations before, albeit in a different position, but very close to the topic nonetheless," he said when asked about being on teams with those quarterbacks. "It never goes away. Just from my experience, you're always trying to find that sweet spot. What's not enough? What's too much? It takes everyone. It takes us as coaches and Josh, to find that right balance."
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