Josh Allen’s turnovers expose a double standard in how NFL quarterbacks are judged

Josh Allen’s turnovers are forcing a question about how the NFL discusses its biggest stars: Would the same risky decisions receive the same scrutiny if a different quarterback made them? Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter says no. He argues that Allen’s reputation and status can soften the reaction to plays that might bring harsher criticism for someone else.

“If Cam Newton was playing the same way as Josh Allen, people would be criticizing him,” Carter said on Inside Football. His point was that a quarterback’s name should not change the standard. Carter cited Allen’s habit of scrambling to extend a play and then throwing into coverage a high-risk style that can produce spectacular gains but can also give the ball away.

Carter used Newton as a comparison, not as a rookie: Newton was a former NFL MVP. The broader argument is about whether Allen’s star status changes how analysts and fans judge the same kind of mistake. It is Carter’s assessment of the coverage, rather than proof that every quarterback is treated differently.

Allen’s turnovers put the question in focus

The concern is grounded in recent games. Against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, Allen threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as Buffalo committed five turnovers. The Bills still won 24-16, but needed their defense to keep Los Angeles from turning those giveaways into a comeback.

A week later, a late interception helped seal Buffalo’s 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots. With 1:14 remaining and the Bills down three, Allen escaped a sack and threw deep toward Josh Palmer. Safety Craig Woodson intercepted the pass. Allen acknowledged afterward that he should have thrown the ball away.

Pro Football Focus had charted 10 turnover-worthy plays for Allen through five games. That is an evaluation of plays judged likely to result in turnovers not 10 actual giveaways but it adds context to Carter’s concern.

Buffalo’s defense has also struggled against the pass, allowing 280.4 passing yards per game through Week 5, the second-highest rate in the league. When the defense is giving up that much yardage, every lost possession can carry extra weight.

Allen has faced severe criticism before. After Buffalo’s 33-30 overtime playoff loss to Denver in January, he threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. He was emotional after the game and said he felt he had let his teammates down. Newton himself criticized Allen’s performance afterward, calling him “the underperforming Josh Allen” on ESPN’s First Take.

That history complicates any claim that Allen is never held accountable. Carter’s argument is narrower: the standard should be consistent, not that criticism has been absent.

The counterpoint is that Allen’s risk-taking is part of what makes him so valuable. In Buffalo’s 37-34 overtime win over the Rams, he accounted for 331 total yards and two touchdowns, including a rushing score, while throwing one interception.

His ability to turn a broken play into a game-changing one helped the Bills escape with a win.

That balance is why the debate persists. Allen’s improvisation can lift Buffalo when a play breaks down; the same instinct can put the game in jeopardy when he forces a throw.

Carter is asking whether those mistakes are judged with the same intensity when the quarterback is already a star. For the Bills, the practical issue is simpler: keep the creativity that makes Allen special while finding ways to protect the ball.