Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen Praises New York Giants Coach Brian Daboll: 'Meant So Much To Me!'

Now the head coach of the New York Giants, Brian Daboll was the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021.

Few coaches have played a more pivotal role in Josh Allen's career than New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. 

Now, Allen will play against his former coach for the first time on Sunday when the Buffalo Bills (3-2) host the New York Giants (1-4) on Sunday Night Football at Highmark Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET.

"Dap him up and give him a big old hug," Allen said of what'll happen when he sees Daboll. "He's meant so much to me in my football career and my life. Excited to see him."

Daboll had nothing but praise for Allen both for his play on the field and who he is off of it.

"Josh Allen is an unbelievable player, one of the best in the league," Daboll said. "You can put him in probably any offense and he's going to produce. You know, I missed him as a person, we are close, but as a player, he's a heck of a player. Put on any tape, he's exceptional at everything. 

"He can run, but he can throw it and he can throw it wherever he needs to throw it, 80 yards down the field, drop a dime, on the move to the right put it back across his body, scramble, back up, scramble around, throw it out, throw it on time ... He makes you better as a playcaller, too, so he's one of a kind."

Daboll was the Bills' offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021 before he was hired as the Giants' head coach. 

After Allen's rookie year and Daboll's first season as the offensive play caller in 2018, when Buffalo went 6-10, they made three straight playoff appearances and became one of the best quarterback and offensive coordinator tandems in football. 

Josh Allen and Brian Daboll before a game / © Rich Barnes, USA TODAY

Allen and Daboll's success hit another stratosphere in 2020, which was aided by the arrival of Stefon Diggs from a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. The Bills were second in points, averaging 31.3 points per game, and won the AFC East for the first time since 1995.

Allen threw for a career-high 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He also ran for 421 yards and eight scores. 

"When you look at the grand scheme of things in terms of football and having a handle and being a quarterback in this league, relying on the knowledge that he has and the guys that he's been around in his career, I spent a lot of time with him," Allen said. "There's been a lot of people that have had their hand in the pie and the success that we've had here in Buffalo. First and foremost for me, it was him first." 

Buffalo's offense was also one of the NFL's best in Daboll's final year with the Bills, as they averaged 28.4 points per game, the third-best in the NFL. 

Daboll's ability to develop Allen into one of the best quarterbacks in football helped land him the head coaching gig with New York last offseason. The Giants went 8-7-1, made their first playoff appearance since 2016 and won their first playoff game since 2011. 

Now, after Daboll and Allen were so instrumental in the growth of one another, they'll be on opposing sidelines for the first time in their NFL careers.