AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Patriots

Bills

Bills QB Josh Allen faced his stiffest test yet of the season in Sunday’s matchup against the Rams. And while it wasn’t flawless, Allen still continued his incendiary start to the  season with four total touchdowns in a 32-28. Allen’s completion percentage is above 70 percent, he has 10 touchdowns to just one interception passing and he’s gone over 300 yards in each of his first three games. It’s a major leap from his first two seasons and he credits his work this offseason with a number of people including former Cowboys QB Tony Romo.

“I’ve kind of been tweaking a few things in my mechanics,” Allen said via NBC Sports’ Peter King, “and allowing myself to throw a better, more catchable ball. As much as I want to pat myself on the back, I had a lot of help along the way with Jordan Palmer, and with [Bills OC] Brian Daboll and [QB coach] Ken Dorsey and the players we brought in. [Romo taught me to] feel your head is on a stake through the ground and you’re just trying to rotate it around and use [the torso] as an axis. . . .

“With Jordan Palmer, we worked on how to be a more rotational thrower. Then obviously, having these Zoom calls with Dorsey and Daboll and just kinda going over our offense. And I feel like I’m very in tune with what our offense is doing. I know our answers when we’re not right. I feel like I’m being put in a good situation.”

Jets

• Per the Athletic’s Connor Hughes, Jets first-round LT Mekhi Becton got good news from the MRI on his shoulder and there’s a chance he’ll be able to play on Thursday night against the Broncos. 
• Jets HC Adam Gase said WR Jamison Crowder will do walkthroughs with the goal of playing Thursday, while WR Breshad Perriman likely won’t be back. Jets RT George Fant is still in the concussion protocol. (Ralph Vacchiano)
• Gase added the Jets would evaluate LB Jordan Jenkins this week, as he’s day to day with a shoulder injury: “I think it’s going to be hard to hold him out. But he’s the same, we’re working this thing day to day.” (Vacchiano)
• Gase noted he kept QB Sam Darnold in the game even when it was out of hand because he felt like his young passer needed the reps: “I feel like that’s always a tough decision because he’s 23 years old and he’s in his third year and I think every snap he takes in a real game is so valuable. You have to go through tough situations sometimes. It’s not always going to be smooth. He needs to keep playing and fixing the mistakes that have been made, emphasize the things he does well and keep building on those.” (Vacchiano)

Patriots

Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Patriots QB Cam Newton showed how little was guaranteed to him when he signed with New England by revealing he didn’t move his family when he signed.

He called his one-year deal a “business trip” and said he’s highly motivated to prove his career is far from over: “The fact that I don’t have none of my children here in Boston with me, and the fact I haven’t been able to see them with regularity, that’s angry in and of itself for me.”

• Mike Reiss reports that the Patriots hosted free agent LB Michael Pinkney for COVID testing and an eventual workout.