Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen has come to the defense of New York Jets starter Zach Wilson. 

“Sometimes it takes a little longer,” Allen said of a young quarterback’s development during the recent edition of the “Kyle Brandt’s Basement” podcast, as shared by Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. “It took me a while to kind of understand the nuances of this game and trying not to do too much. I think that’s what it comes down to, not trying to do too much…and allowing you to trust your guys on the field with you.” 

Allen was speaking about Wilson as the second-year pro has faced mounting criticism following a woeful performance in last Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots, during which the 23-year-old threw three interceptions. Former NFL quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Ryan Fitzpatrick, along with NFL insider Jason La Canfora, are among the noteworthy individuals who have blasted Wilson this week. Both Cassel and La Canfora said Jets head coach Robert Saleh should consider benching Wilson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco.

“I threw three picks against the Patriots my second year, and that’s kind of the game where it all clicked for me. So you can take that for what it is,” Allen remarked about Wilson. 

The two quarterbacks will get good looks at each other this Sunday when the 5-3 Jets host the 6-1 Bills at MetLife Stadium. 

“I don’t want to give him too much advice before we play him,” Allen continued about Wilson. “But guys got to go out there and play football man, we can’t think about making mistakes because that’s ultimately when we do make mistakes. You just got to go out there and ball.” 

While Oddschecker lists Allen as the current favorite to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the season, Wilson is completing just 54.9% of his passes on the campaign. Per ESPN stats, Wilson is 34th among eligible players with a 71.0 passer rating and 24th with a 41.7 total QBR that he’s accumulated across five games. 

“I’ve had a lot of different talks with Zach along the way,” Allen explained. “And I’ve seen him here [and] there. He’s such a good dude. I do really appreciate how he is as a person. He’s a guy that guys can get behind and really follow.”