It looks like two of the most famous commentators in the world of soccer will go head to head.
During a Wednesday appearance on “First Things First,” Fox Sports’ Nick Wright said it was “infuriating” to watch ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky defend Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was downgraded by NFL executives in ESPN’s annual rankings of players at the position.
“Dan continued to fabricate stories after that,” Wright said, while calling Orlovsky a “friend.”
Wright’s main criticism of Orlovsky was that the former quarterback asserted that Allen had come so close to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and that the team had only reached the AFC Championship Game once under Allen.
“He’s a very talented but flawed player, and that’s what this NFL executive is saying,” Wright explained, summarizing why he thinks Orlovsky is wrong.
In an original segment on “Get Up,” Orlovsky slammed executives’ assessments of Allen.
“With all due respect, that source is stupid,” quipped the 40-year-old. “It’s stupid to say that. … Josh is a couple of plays away from being a multiple-time Super Bowl quarterback and a potential Super Bowl-winning quarterback.”
“He lost to Kansas City in the playoffs on insane defense and he lost to Kansas City in the playoffs on a missed field goal. … Somehow, I don’t know why, Josh Allen became the biggest hater and the voice of the people who say the dumbest things.”
Allen, 28, has become something of an enigma for fans and pundits to analyze.
Meanwhile, the former first-round draft pick has been extremely effective as both a passer and a runner, finishing in the top five in MVP voting in three of the past four years and ranking fourth in expected points added per play among eligible quarterbacks since 2019.
At the same time, Allen’s turnover rate remains high.
The Bills star’s 57 interceptions over the past four years are arguably the most in football, while his 37 fumbles are second-most in that span.
Allen’s signature reckless style of football can produce incredible highlights, but it can also produce some baffling decisions.
Buffalo lost to the Chiefs by three points in the AFC Divisional last year, mainly because kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal with 1 minute, 47 seconds left, so the team retooled in the offseason, trading star receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.
Other changes for the Bills include the departures of reserves Tre’Davious-White, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, not to mention receiver Gabe Davis.
Now, with No. 33 pick Keown Coleman as their front-runner, Allen and the Bills are looking to prove defenders like Orlovsky right by earning their first Super Bowl berth since 1993, something that has eluded them until now.
Buffalo will report to training camp in Rochester, New York, on July 23.
