ESPN analyst claps back at executive who called Josh Allen overrated: 'He's an idiot'

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky defended Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen during a Tuesday morning appearance on Get Up.

Kyle Silagyi | Jul 16, 2024

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) reacts after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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ESPN has driven offseason football discourse in recent weeks with the publication of its NFL-employee polled positional rankings, a series in which the outlet surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts and asked them to rank the NFL’s top 10 players in each position group. The network published its quarterback ranking on Monday morning, with Buffalo Bills passer Josh Allen slotting in at No. 3 amongst his peers.

Some of the surveyed individuals praised Allen’s prowess with both his arm and legs while others were comparatively down on the 28-year-old, noting his turnover troubles as cause for concern. One veteran executive was particularly harsh in their analysis, stating that the Buffalo signal-caller isn’t as prolific as some would suggest.

"One of the more overrated players in the NFL," the executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. "Immense talent but he makes a lot of mistakes. He's underdeveloped at winning at the line of scrimmage, tends to lock on to targets, more of a thrower than precision passer, forces throws into traffic."

Jan 22, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen walks off the field after throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter during an AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports / Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports

The critique, though true of a younger Allen, really doesn’t relate to the quarterback of today in any substantial way. The veteran, sure, is prone to the occasional mistake or questionable decision, but he’s become a remarkably refined passer in recent years, this a testament to his reworked throwing motion and general work ethic. He still does occasionally force throws into traffic, but that’s because his otherworldly arm talent allows him to do so.

The Buffalo faithful justifiably took issue with this executive’s quote, the statement dominating social media discourse throughout Monday afternoon. Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky also disagreed with the statement, disproving the executive’s notion during a Tuesday morning appearance on Get Up.

"Josh Allen is two or three plays away from being a multi-Super Bowl appearing quarterback and potentially Super Bowl winning quarterback. ... It's a moronic statement to make."@danorlovsky7 can't believe people are calling Josh Allen overrated 😯 pic.twitter.com/FArfwUkOhX
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 16, 2024

“He’s an idiot, that source,” Orlovsky said. “Respectfully. That’s moronic to say, first of all. In the last four seasons, the only quarterback that has a better plus-minus turnover-to-touchdown ratio is Patrick Mahomes. The only guy. He’s the only guy that you would definitively, without question, take over Josh Allen. They’ve lost to Kansas City three times in the playoffs, Josh Allen is two or three plays away from being a multi-Super Bowl-appearing quarterback, and potentially Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

“He’s lost to Kansas City in the playoffs by freak defense and lost to Kansas City in the playoffs by a missed field goal. It’s a moronic statement to make, and for some reason, I don’t know what the reason is, Josh Allen has become the cover boy for ‘Who could be the biggest hater and say the dumbest stuff?’”

Aug 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky (8). Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

As Orlovsky notes, Allen has become an oft-critiqued quarterback over the past several years despite his dominance, with doubters often pointing to Buffalo’s lack of substantial playoff success as evidence of Allen’s shortcomings despite his stellar postseason play. Allen has a 100.00 career playoff passer rating, throwing for 21 touchdowns compared to four interceptions; he’s also rushed for another five scores. Buffalo, indeed, has yet to make a Super Bowl appearance with Allen at the helm, but it’s wholly ignorant to pin this on the quarterback.

Allen’s dominance isn’t limited to the postseason, as he’s notched over 40 touchdowns in an NFL-record four consecutive seasons. He’s earned NFL MVP votes in three of these campaigns—he’s not only one of the league’s best quarterbacks, he’s one of its best players, regardless of what an anonymous executive states.