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OC Brian Daboll: 'Underdog mentality' is the driver behind Allen success

Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll expands on Josh Allen's approach coming off a run to the AFC title game.
Credit: AP
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) talks to Bills Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll during the stretching period of practice at Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. (James P. McCoy/The Buffalo News via AP, Pool)

The Bills continue going through offseason workouts with an entirely different set of expectations. 

At the center of it, is of course quarterback Josh Allen. 

Questions have now been answered.  

Can he be an accurate passer?

Can he connect consistently down the field?

Check... check. 

He was the NFL's fifth leading passer in 2020, rewrote the Bills record books. Perhaps most impressive was that his completion percentage jumped more  than ten percentage points (58.8 to 69.2) from 2019 to 2020.  He of course led his team to the AFC title game. 

With that kind of success and experience now under his belt, 2 On Your Side's Adam Benigni asked Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll what's different as Allen works toward 2021. 

"He is really the same guy every day since he's been here.  He's got an underdog mentality.  He's a grinder.  He's never satisfied."

"He's not relying on what happened the year before or anything like that.  That's what I appreciate about him.  He's turned the page really quick."

Along those lines, Daboll won't point to anything specific where Allen is focused on improving, other than to say essentially everywhere.

"He's always working on... It's like a golf swing right... like his mechanics. His follow through, his base, his movement in the pocket.  He does those things I would say religiously throughout the offseason."

It's an approach that's led to his success.

It's an approach that has the Bills ready to invest in the neighborhood of $40-million a year on a long term deal. 

It's an approach that Daboll doesn't see changing. 

"He's just really the same guy since I went to see him with the rest of the group at Wyoming.  That's what you appreciate about the young man is that he's humble. He's never satisfied.  He's an underdog."

"That's what happens when you're not recruited and all these type of things.  That's just his mindset.  I don't think that will ever go away."

The Bills are betting it won't. 

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