Max Kellerman: Josh Allen needs to show greatness like Caleb Williams

Max Kellerman knows Josh Allen is a really good quarterback, but learning to be great like Caleb Williams might be what takes him to the next level.

It seemed like the stars were aligning for Allen and the Buffalo Bills this season. Without Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, this was Allen’s best chance at getting to a Super Bowl. But with four turnovers in their Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos, Kellerman wonders if Allen is just the “goodest” quarterback who may never prove he’s great.

On a recent episode of Game Over with co-host Rich Paul, Kellerman manufactured a discussion about ‘goodest’ vs. ‘greatest’.

“Sometimes someone’s really, really good and you find out in the moment of truth, they’re better than everyone else,” Kellerman said. “Until it matters most, they’re not greater than everyone else.”

According to Kellerman, Allen is the “goodest,” which means he’s better than everyone else. But even with that talent, Allen hasn’t figured out how to win by doing more than just being better than everyone else, which is what makes even the “goodest” player great.

“They bristle when guys like me questions greatness in the moment of truth because they know what goes into goodness,” Kellerman continued. “Guys look at people like me saying he failed in the moment of truth, he failed the greatness test and they go, ‘that’s not fair.’ And maybe that’s not entirely fair, but it’s just the reality. Josh Allen did not play well enough when they needed him.”

Kellerman and Paul then began discussing Williams’ “Windy City Miracle,” a 14-yard Hail Mary touchdown to send the Chicago Bears into overtime against the Los Angeles Rams.

“You know who’s capable of making that pass? Josh Allen,” Kellerman said. “Because Josh Allen is like Caleb Williams, he has all the excellence, Josh Allen is the goodest. But you know who makes that play in that spot? Caleb Williams, cause he’s showing greatness. Josh Allen needs to do that with the chips on the line. Caleb Williams did.”

If you want to accuse Allen of not yet being great, now is the time to do it. The Bills quarterback turned the ball over four times in a playoff loss to the Denver Broncos in a rare year where Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson were already eliminated from Super Bowl contention. Even as the “goodest” quarterback, Allen deserves criticism for that.

But acting like Caleb Williams is already the model Allen should be following is strange, to say the least.

The Windy City miracle throw by Williams last week was incredible. But he and the Bears went on to lose the game in overtime to Matthew Stafford and the Rams. And they lost after Williams threw a brutal interception in overtime that ultimately led to the Rams’ game-winning drive. Is that really what Allen should aspire to be?