For a bona fide Super Bowl contender like the Buffalo Bills, everyone has to be on the same page — especially their best players.
When it comes to Human Terminator quarterback Josh Allen and superstar receiver Stefon Diggs, that doesn’t seem to be the case right now. According to one NFL personality, Diggs’ strange absence from the start of the Bills’ minicamp earlier this month had to do with a rift between himself and Allen.
On Wednesday’s episode of the Rich Eisen Show, ESPN’s Robert Griffin III had an interesting take on the Bills’ situation with their top playmaker. Apparently, per “some people close” to Buffalo, Griffin maintains that it’s a “personal thing” between Diggs and Allen.
Why?
Diggs believes Allen unnecessarily (and occasionally) ignores him in crunch time, especially in last January’s deflating Divisional Round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Honestly, if true, this is quite the shift from what I thought was a dynamic and tight-knit relationship:
🗣️ @RGIII
“I think it’s clear this is a personal thing between Josh (Allen) and Diggs.”
The ESPN analyst told us what he thinks is really happening in Buffalo between the star WR and franchise QB — truly wow stuff:#NFL #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/jTHkZreVFw
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 21, 2023
I can’t say I agree if Diggs is distraught with how Allen uses him whenever the Bills have their back against the wall. I know he was frustrated after Buffalo’s defeat at the hands of the Bengals, but this wouldn’t be the path to project them.
In the three years since the Bills traded for Diggs, he’s accumulated a whopping 486 targets. He’s never been lower than fifth overall in total targets in a single campaign and is one of the most-used receivers in pro football. Full stop. In fact, part of the reason the Bills were (are?) a rumored suitor for DeAndre Hopkins was explicitly because they leaned on Diggs’ excellence far too much in playoff contexts when defenses are usually more disciplined and constricting.
Otherwise, the Bills generally throw the ball to Diggs 10 times a game in his Buffalo career — a number that would be unsustainable in almost any other contending offense. To me, for Diggs to have any kind of issue with Allen’s trust in him as a quarterback is a player scapegoating their own disappointing individual playoff performances. In the Bills’ last three postseason exits, Diggs has recorded 13 receptions, 119 receiving yards, and zero touchdowns on 27 targets. That is, in two words: not good!
The problem for Diggs in Buffalo, if there is one, is not Allen — the quarterback who arguably elevated him to a household name and vice versa. It’s Diggs getting erased by defenses as a No. 1 option when the Bills need him most. I don’t think all of that falls at the feet of Diggs — there are extenuating offensive line and playcalling issues — but the meager production in do-or-die situations doesn’t lie.
It’s June, meaning reported team heat such as this is bound to evaporate by the time meaningful football is played in September, and will likely be viewed in a trivial sense soon enough. At the very least, you’d hope the Bills and their two faces of the franchise can get back in sync before another golden opportunity for a championship floats away.
This was how Twitter reacted to Robert Griffin III's claims about Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen
Very important little nuggets in here from RG3. The one at the end about this whole situation potentially never reaching this level if Allen/Bills didn’t ignore Diggs as he was complaining in Bengals game is very interesting. Lines up with Allen’s organization communication quote https://t.co/edaLrej3YZ
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) June 21, 2023
Another day… another theory on Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs.
This is why the Bills should have had Diggs speak to the media at camp. By not doing so, they let this story linger into the slow news weeks of the NFL Calendar. https://t.co/jI7otTZqr2
— Bills Chat Podcast (@BillsChatPod) June 21, 2023
Everything RG3 is saying is probably right, he has actual intel
But when do we stop only blaming Josh for the Bengals debacle when the OC could’ve called plays for 14 and chose not to on that 10 play drive they reference
Daboll would never https://t.co/aZ0JnCKxr4
— Jake Majka (@JakeMajka15) June 21, 2023
The Bengals out here ruining relationships, I love it😆 https://t.co/Uem7YT1zN3
— JAKE (@JuicyJake_) June 21, 2023
man, this really isn’t over, is it? https://t.co/JMVWs2jWxE
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) June 21, 2023
I was digging through some data to see how Diggs could be upset with his usage. Many point to the quantity of targets, but maybe it's about the quality of targets?
Instead of reaching a conclusion on that, my biggest takeaway is this.
All of the numbers aren't very kind to Gabe… https://t.co/OALoZqKbhx
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) June 21, 2023
— JamieMac (@JaceJaxJett) June 21, 2023
