How Josh Allen turned a contract year into a breakout campaign

Ben Arthur

AFC South Reporter

Josh Allen smelled blood. 

Carolina Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu reacted late on the edge, giving Allen a free rush at the snap. He quickly got behind quarterback Bryce Young, who was trying to step up in the pocket. He brought down the 2023 No. 1 overall pick for a seven-yard loss. And as the home crowd roared, Allen motioned to his teammates. 

The moment of celebration was capped with fellow edge rusher Travon Walker throwing Allen a fake pitch, which he blasted out of the park — the same sack celebration of former Jaguars Pro Bowler Calais Campbell, his ex-teammate and mentor whose single-season franchise record for sacks he’d just broken. 

Campbell had texted him days prior to Allen breaking the record. 

Allen could finally say he’d done it. 

“For me, man, to be in the history books, it’s huge,” Allen said after the Jaguars’ 26-0 shutout of the Panthers last Sunday, which snapped a four-game losing streak. “I’m a legacy type of guy. I want to leave a legacy everywhere that I go.”

For Allen, setting the new single-season sack record served as a punctuation in what’s been a dominant tear in a contract year. 

With one regular-season game remaining, he has career-highs in sacks (16.5), tackles for loss (16) and quarterback hits (31). His sack total ranks third in the NFL. He’s second in the league with 94 pressures and third among qualified edge rushers (minimum of 100 defensive snaps) with a 20.1 percent pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats. He was named a Pro Bowler for the second time in his career on Wednesday.  He’s played his way into a big-money extension.

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But that’s a matter for the offseason. Arguably the Jaguars’ best player, Allen will need to set the tone for a defense that will be leaned on heavily in Jacksonville’s hopeful playoff run. 

The Jaguars, with quarterback Trevor…

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Publish date : 2024-01-06 14:00:45

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