Ex-HC Bill Belichick explains why Josh Allen’s Cam Newton-like style matters for Bills
Allen, the Buffalo Bills‘ quarterback, has seemingly carved a reputation similar to Cam Newton‘s throughout his NFL career.
The commentary emerged during Belichick’s appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Nov. 17 where he candidly discussed quarterback characteristics and performance under pressure.
“I think if you watch Josh, what you’ll see AJ, is him making a lot of those kind of plays in the fourth quarter, in a two minute situation, or near the goal line, or in the red area. He doesn’t win the game’s on the line when, when things are the most important, that’s when he’s going to, you know, take matters into his own hands and he’s a hard guy to stop.”
Allen’s performance against the Chiefs supports Belichick’s observation. On Sunday, he secured a 30-21 victory with an improbable 26-yard rushing touchdown on 4th-and-2. NFL Next Gen Stats revealed he had a 1.2% chance of scoring during that play.
A comparative look at dual-threat quarterbacks Cam Newton and Josh Allen
Belichick further contextualized Allen’s style by referencing Newton.
“We had Cam Newton for a year. You know, Cam, these guys have been doing this their whole life. They just been bigger and stronger, faster and more physical than everybody since they were in I don’t know, whatever grade they was.”
The Chiefs game further validated Belichick’s assessment. Allen finished with 262 passing yards, one touchdown, an interception, and 55 rushing yards. Most importantly, he improved to 4-4 against Patrick Mahomes, the most starts won against the Chiefs’ star quarterback.
Newton stood at 6-5 and weighed 245 pounds—a physical player who redefined quarterback mobility. Allen mirrors this approach, using size and strength to create opportunities traditional quarterbacks cannot.
