As Josh Allen stood on the sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium preparing to take the field with the Buffalo Bills’ offense Sunday, the circumstances alone of making his first career road start could have been overwhelming.
The rookie quarterback was playing without his top offensive playmaker, LeSean McCoy, and for a reeling team considered 17-point underdogs.cheap nike nfl jerseys from china
More rattling, though, could have been the synchronized “Skol” chant performed by Minnesota Vikings fans seconds before the opening kickoff.
“It’s intimidating to come out and hear the ‘Skol’ chant,” Allen said. “[It was] extremely loud, and it was continuous through practically the entire game. There are some good fans here.”
Perhaps their Scandinavian salute to good fortune was accidentally applied to the wrong quarterback.
Allen, the No. 7 overall pick in April’s draft, presented himself in the Bills’ 27-6 victory as more polished and unfazed than Kirk Cousins, who became the NFL‘s highest-paid player when he signed a fully-guaranteed $84 million deal in March.
If Allen can maintain his impressive composure longer than the Vikings retained their perceived advantage Sunday, the Bills might actually fare a chance as their brutal early-season schedule continues with three road trips in the next four weeks.
“[Allen] was decisive early and that’s important,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “It looked like he played with a clear mind, which is also important for our young players.”cheap official nike nfl jerseys
The environment Sunday — where the Bills’ blue and red merely dotted the sea of Vikings purple among a crowd of 66,800 — was almost entirely foreign to Allen. He was raised in a farming town of about 8,000 people outside of Fresno, California and, after not receiving any Division I offers, made his mark at Reedley College. The Tigers play their games at a high school stadium where out 350 people witnessed a Reedley win Saturday.
Allen played in front of a larger stage at Wyoming, but only two of his road starts — both blowout losses to Big Ten foes Nebraska and Iowa — came in front of more than 36,000 people.
