Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Bills quarterback Josh Allen will play in the same NFL game for the first time Sunday, but their first duel took place three years ago in Laramie, Wyoming, with representatives from 16 NFL teams in attendance.
Scouts were mainly there to see what Allen could do against a Power 5 defense. Allen, a junior prospect for Wyoming, struggled in the 49-13 loss to Oregon, completing 9 of 24 passes for 64 yards and one interception.
Allen had the size and physical tools needed to develop into a top NFL quarterback, but many dwelled on his Oregon performance ahead of the 2018 NFL draft.
Allen, 24, didn’t have a draft-day slide, but he was the third quarterback selected behind Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold before the Bills took a chance on Allen with the seventh overall pick.
Herbert, 22, was an unknown sophomore quarterback for Oregon when scouts flocked to watch Allen, but Herbert had a similar story three years later.
Herbert also had the size and physical tools, but had one memorable bad game against Arizona State during his senior season. Herbert was the third quarterback selected behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa before the Chargers bet on Herbert’s physical attributes with the sixth overall pick.
The top-10 selections of Allen and Herbert were viewed as risky, but perhaps it wasn’t perceived that way by the Bills and Chargers. They put aside the bad game tape and focused on the untapped potential.
The Chargers told Herbert they would be patient with his development. It hasn’t worked out that way and it was likely for the best. Herbert is enjoying one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
The Bills had to wait longer for their raw prospect to develop into a star quarterback.
Allen made his first career start against the Chargers in Week 2 of his rookie season in 2018. The Chargers won that day in Buffalo, 31-20, with Allen completing 18 of 33 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
“Obviously, very nervous and things didn’t turn out so great,” Allen said this week about his first NFL start. “When I look back at it, just how little I knew about our protections and our schemes, and I … could’ve done a better job if I could go back and do it all over now. But it did teach me some valuable lessons. I got to see some different things … it helped me. It really did.”
The Chargers return to Buffalo on Sunday to again face Allen, only this time he is an MVP candidate and not the nervous rookie who struggled with accuracy.
Allen’s rocket arm and athleticism have the Bills at 7-3 and in position to win their first AFC East title since 1995.
“He’s a beast,” Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa said about Allen. “Big guy. He doesn’t run like most quarterbacks. He’s going to put a shoulder down and try to run right through you, so you have to be ready for that. He does get a little loose with the ball, but he’s a great athlete. He’s a great runner.”
Bosa was sidelined with an injury when Allen made his first career start in 2018. He’ll get an opportunity Sunday to force Allen into turnovers, but he won’t have much help on the defensive line.
The Chargers will be without pass rushers Melvin Ingram (knee) and Uchenna Nwosu (shoulder/chest) and No. 1 outside cornerback Casey Hayward (groin).
The Chargers will be thin on defense against Allen and star receiver Stefon Diggs, but Herbert and star receiver Keenan Allen are capable of keeping pace for a scoring shootout at Bills Stadium. The Chargers will also have running back Austin Ekeler available to play after the team activated him Saturday afternoon.
The front-office employees for the Bills and Chargers will likely fret over their struggling defenses if it does become a shootout, but they’ll at least get to marvel at Allen’s and Herbert’s rocket throws and pat themselves on the backs for drafting the quarterbacks.
Many compared Herbert to Allen during the draft process because of their similar skill sets as big-bodied quarterbacks with arm strength and mobility. Allen stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 238 pounds. Herbert is 6-foot-6 and weighs 236 pounds.
They both grew up playing baseball and basketball and weren’t highly recruited out of high school. Allen played one season for Reedley College, a junior college in central California, before transferring to Wyoming.
Herbert was on the verge of committing to Montana State before Oregon made an offer late in the recruiting process.
“Being able to watch Josh has been awesome,” Herbert said about Allen. “He’s had so much success over the past couple of weeks.
“The way he’s able to extend plays, read defenses is exceptional. I’m going to be watching him on Sunday and learning whatever I can from him.”
Herbert said he got a chance to speak to Allen after their college game in 2017 and got to know him when they were coaches at the Manning Passing Academy.
The two didn’t engage in a game of who can throw the furthest or fastest at the youth camp. They might have the strongest arms in the NFL, along with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.
“We were coaches,” Herbert said about the academy. “We had a specific group that we took care of. No competition like that.”
Now Herbert and Allen will get to compete for the first time Sunday as NFL star quarterbacks.
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