Josh Allen Says Bills Have a 'Special Thing' Going on This Season

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said Friday the organization is setting up for a "special" season after it acquired star wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings last month.

Allen said Diggs' arrival will provide a "huge, huge boost for our offense" and set the stage for the Bills to take the next step after making the playoffs two of the past three years.

"What we have going on is a special thing," Allen told reporters. "I understand how big of a year it is."

Buffalo lost in the Wild Card Round in both 2017 and 2019, but even that represented significant progress after a 17-year playoff drought that featured just two winning seasons.

The Bills' fate in 2020 is tied directly to the development of Allen in his third NFL season, because the rest of the roster appears ready to contend for a championship.

Buffalo's defense was among the league's best last year, ranking fourth in yards allowed per play (via TeamRankings) and tied for fifth in defensive DVOA (via Football Outsiders).

The unit lost defensive linemen Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips in free agency. The front office filled those voids with the additions of Quinton Jefferson and Vernon Butler and further bolstered the defense by signing edge-rusher Mario Addison, linebacker A.J. Klein and cornerback Josh Norman.

Diggs' arrival gives the Bills one of the best receiving corps, as he'll slot in as the top target alongside John Brown and Cole Beasley. Running back Devin Singletary flashed three-down ability as a rookie, and tight end Dawson Knox also looked like an impact player in the making.

"That should make our other guys super happy too, just because attention is going to have to be elsewhere," Allen said Friday about the Diggs trade. "It's going to open up some things in our offense."

It puts an extreme amount of pressure on the 23-year-old California native's right shoulder, though.

Allen showed progress in his second season en route to 29 total touchdowns (20 passing and nine rushing) in 16 games. He must protect the ball better, however, after throwing nine interceptions and fumbling 14 times, the third-highest total in the league, with four of those losing the possession.

He also struggled as a passer in the Bills' playoff loss to the Houston Texans, when he completed 24 of his 46 attempts (52.2 percent) for 264 yards with no touchdowns or picks. He was sacked three times and fumbled twice, including one that was lost.

If Allen can take a third-year leap—and he certainly has the weapons around him to do so—the Bills should emerge as contenders, especially with longtime AFC East nemesis Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.