ROCHESTER, N.Y. — As Bills training camp winds down at St. John Fisher, Josh Allen is switching things up and breaking out the mustache.
“O-line, it wasn’t much of a choice,” Allen explained, crediting Connor McGovern and David Edwards for the aesthetic change.
The Bills QB1 is sporting a new look while leading an offense that’s getting used to its new look this season without Stefon Diggs.
“Stef’s a great player, and what he brought to this team was special,” Allen said when asked if he missed having the star receiver in Buffalo. “I don’t know that I’d say miss. He was a guy that was reliable, you can look to. He’s going to have the juice each and every day. I’m sure he’s bringing it over there in Houston, so definitely, you can’t say that you don’t miss that, but I am very happy with what we’ve got going on over here and how hard the guys have been working.”
Allen acknowledged how hard it is for one single player to replace an All-Pro talent like Diggs, but says he’s comfortable with the receivers the team has brought in. So far this camp, those new pieces are starting to come together into the 2024 version of what the Bills offense will look like.
“I feel like we’ve found a sense of identity in what we are and what we want to do with the football,” Allen said. “We’ve got certain plays we like more than others, and those are the plays we’re going to run more than others. Just trusting what Joe (Brady) is calling, just trying to be an extension of him on the field. We’ve got a lot of guys that are smart, can play a lot of different positions, that you can move around. There’s a bit of unpredictability for us and that’s kind of fun as a quarterback.”
With so many pieces that haven’t caught a pass from Allen in an actual game yet, it’s fair to ask if reps in the preseason would be beneficial for continuing to build the group’s chemistry. Allen said extra reps are always a good thing, as is getting used to being hit in game-like settings.
But does Allen actually want to play in the preseason?
“Yes and no, it doesn’t really, I feel, make a difference at this point in my career,” Allen said. “To get things rolling would be nice but I understand not getting out there and making sure we’re being healthy and being protective. It’s a double-edged sword any way you look at it. If I’m asked to play, I’ll play and if I’m told not to play, I won’t play. The competitive juices in me want to play, but I understand that Week 1, we’ve still got some time.”
Time to continue working on his stache, and continue to gel with the pieces of this new version of the Bills offense.