ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When the Bills face the Colts in Orchard Park on Sunday, there's the indirect matchup of the Bills quarterback of the present and future facing a Buffalo quarterback of the past on the opposing sideline.
Colts head coach Frank Reich knows a thing or two about playing and winning games in Buffalo. Jim Kelly's legendary backup engineered the greatest comeback in NFL history over the Houston Oilers in 1993.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Reich said there's no doubt the Bills have found their long awaited franchise quarterback in Josh Allen.
"Certainly we know that he can put the ball on the field anywhere that he wants. His toughness mentally and physically," Reich said. "Watching from afar you can tell the kind of leader he is. It just jumps off the tape. This guy's not just a great player, you can feel his leadership. You can feel the team's belief in him."
Part of that belief comes from having success in the postseason last year. The first step in Buffalo's run to the AFC title game was a 27-24 wild card win over Reich and the Colts in Orchard Park. Allen threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns in that game. He ran for one as well.
Reich says it confirms what he and Jim Kelly suspected when the Bills drafted Allen seventh overall in 2018.
"When he got drafted there, I remember Jim Kelly and I had a conversation about this could be the right guy to put our old team back on the map offensively. A guy kind of like a Jim Kelly. Cut out of the same mold in a lot of respects. It's not just any guy that should be there. It is that kind of guy so a real credit to the organization," Reich said.
Allen says he knows what kind of a coach he's facing on Sunday, and he appreciates the kind of quarterback Reich was in Buffalo.
"It's very humbling, very rewarding, for sure, for what Frank means to this fanbase and this city, for some of the games that he played here. Most notably the big comeback, right?" Allen said. "He's really known for that, and it's such a cool thing that he did. So to hear that coming from him, it's pretty cool. ... But that doesn't change my feelings on Sunday."
Reich says the same, but that he remains a Bills fan "most of the time."
Josh Allen has become part of the reason.
