Bills HC: Josh Allen adjusting style to 'play smarter,' stay healthy

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen finished third in MVP voting in 2022, but that doesn't tell the whole story of his season. 

Allen's a gunslinger who completes some of the most insane throws in the NFL, but there are other times his approach backfires. Allen's 14 interceptions last season trailed only the 15 thrown by Dak Prescott and Davis Mills each. Things didn't get any better on that front in two playoff games, where Allen threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball three times, with one lost. 

Bills head coach Sean McDermott believes in order for Allen to take his game to another level he must become a great decision-maker. 

"We’ve talked about before this offseason — and it’s been talked about — adjusting his style of play enough to keep himself healthy and to play smarter at times as well," McDermott said on Tuesday, per Pro Football Talk. 

Allen plays a courageous brand of football, but it's often reckless and can lead to injuries. He's one of the biggest rushing threats at QB in the league, but his 762 yards one the ground and seven rushing scores led to a lot of battering and bruising from defenders. In fact, Allen battled a serious elbow injury over the second half of the 2022 season, per Sports Illustrated. Allen didn't miss any time due to the injury, but it impacted his mechanics and overall production compared to prior seasons. Playing smarter will lead to Allen throwing fewer interceptions and getting hit less.  

McDermott is noticing a change in the overall mindset of Allen's game, and that would be a benefit to the Bills offense. Allen needs to take a final leap and consistently play championship football in the biggest moments. Playing smart is usually better than playing hero ball and making each down do or die. 

"I’ve seen a different Josh this offseason. Not that it was bad before, but he’s got a new sense of focus, I would say, and determination — which is good,” McDermott said.

Allen and the Bills open the season on "Monday Night Football" against the New York Jets on Sept. 11.