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Former Bills RB provides hilarious insight into what makes Josh Allen unique

Former Buffalo Bills running back Damien Harris shared humorous insight on quarterback Josh Allen during a recent podcast appearance.

Kyle Silagyi

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It’s difficult to dislike Josh Allen. 

It’s easy to say this from the perspective of the Western New York faithful, but the Buffalo Bills quarterback plays with such an aggression and tenacity that’s difficult for even the neutral fan not to find endearing. It’s, for lack of a better term, fun to watch the 6-foot-5, 240-pound signal-caller methodically pick defenses apart before hurling the ball 80 yards over their heads, or leaping over linebackers en route to the endzone. He plays football with an unwavering desire to win and little regard for his personal safety, and though it’s (more often than not) concerning, we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t entertaining.

What makes Allen’s already endearing on-field heroics that much more likable is his off-field demeanor—he’s just a dude. He likes memes. He plays Catan. He has individual handshakes with each of his pass-catchers. He’s like if the most laid-back guy at your lunch table was also the size of a linebacker and could throw the ball the length of the football field.

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This is what makes him unique and, frankly, difficult to dislike; it’s hard to be mad at a guy who did an Andy Dwyer impression in his team’s 2024 schedule release video. He approaches each and every game as though he’s a gladiator fighting for his life in the Colosseum, but carries himself off the field with the seriousness of the common cold.

This idea has been echoed by former Buffalo running back Damien Harris during a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast with Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel; the retired ballcarrier, who spent the 2023 season with the Bills, touched on his former teammate, telling the hosts that Allen’s off-field demeanor is what positions him for on-field success.

“Josh is literally the world’s biggest, strongest, fastest toddler,” Harris said. “He’s so playful. He loves to joke. He loves to have a good time. And when you’re a guy that’s that talented and that can win you games at the level of Josh Allen can, relax and be a little bit loose, that’s the way you’ve got to ride.”

Josh Allen
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Harris went on to talk about the evolution of Buffalo’s offense, which has been one of the NFL’s best through three games as it’s averaged a league-high 37.3 points per contest; he particularly noted the stellar play of third-year running back James Cook, noting that his breakout is further evidence of Allen’s impact. 

“Look at the emergence of Jimbo [James] Cook,” Harris said. “Josh Allen is like, if I’m going to be the best version of myself, we’ve got to get this dude going in the pass game and the run game. Joe Brady is getting James Cook involved, and that’s because Josh Allen wants him involved.”

No quarterback has played better than Allen through the first three weeks of the campaign, as the Buffalo signal-caller currently ranks second among quarterbacks who have thrown at least 50 passes in completion percentage (75%), second in passing touchdowns (seven), and first in total touchdowns (nine). He’s the betting favorite to earn NFL MVP honors this season; his off-field personality may not be one anticipated from one of the best football players in the world, but it’s worked for him thus far, and it doesn’t look as though his success will be slowing down anytime soon.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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