Josh Allen (Plays In Buffalo) Not A Huge Cold Weather Fan While Tua Tagovailoa (From Hawaii) Likes Throwing In Snow; Plus Zach Wilson Promotion

There's a definite AFC East feel to this week's Quarterback Talk with Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Allen addressing their date with a lot of cold and snow Saturday night in the matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. And there's a look at the Zach Wilson getting a big promotion from the New York Jets and what that really means.

We begin in Buffalo where everyone is expecting snow showers starting Friday and there's a 70 percent chance of snow Saturday when the Dolphins visit the Bills with the AFC East possibly at stake in the outcome.

The common media narrative is the Bills have a huge weather advantage because they're from Buffalo and they embrace the ice age weather while the Dolphins practice in 80-degree December temperatures (it will literally be 83 degrees in parts of South Florida on Thursday) and it's impossible for a warm-weather team to succeed in the cold.

Josh Allen Seems Built For Buffalo Weather

Allen generally fits that narrative. His strong arm is perfectly suited for rough conditions. He also played at Wyoming in college. So he obviously must be a freakin' snowman with a carrot nose and a howitzer for a right arm.

Except, Josh Allen isn't a huge fan of snow. Or cold.

"Playing in Buffalo, playing in December in Buffalo, it's not the easiest task to do," Allen told reporters on Wednesday.

Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills drops back to pass in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2022. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Josh Allen Works To Stay Warm

People forget Allen was born and reared in Firebaugh, CA., in Central California. The average annual snowfall there is zero inches and it's sunny an average of 278 days per year.

So Allen is by no means a human version of a malamute nor does he vacation in Siberia. The guy more tolerates the cold because, well, he plays in Buffalo.

"It's cold," Allen said. "I took my shoes off and my toes are still frozen from practice."

Like all mortals, Allen has searched for way to keep warm during cold weather games.

"Again, just finding what works for you," he said. "Whether it's warm-up time in the cold, finding the long sleeves, wearing some under stuff just to keep that warmth up. Whether it's some icy-hot stuff on your toes to try to keep that circulation going down there.

"Again staying on the heated bench as much as possible. Hands in the hand warmer as much as possible."

Allen doesn't much understand folks who love the crazy cold. So guys like teammate Dawson Knox.

"He gets to take all those photos outside in his tank top," Allen said. "He looks good. I'm not going to do that."

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins throws the ball during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Hard Rock Stadium on October 23, 2022. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Tua Tagovailoa Comfortable In Snow

Amazingly, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is on purpose not thinking too much about weather or start time (it's a night game) because the team wants to "do grand things."

 "It’s a mindset thing," Tagovailoa said. "And if I’m too focused and worried about if it’s too cold, can I grab the ball, can I not, then I would say I’m focused on the wrong things."

Tagovailoa was born in Hawaii. So the media asked if he's seen snow.

"It snows in Alabama, guys," the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback said. "People don’t know that. Some people just think it gets cold but it does snow."

And Tagovailoa has experienced football in the snow.

"Yeah, I went to Maryland to go visit my brother after the season, and it was pretty cold up there," Tagovailoa said. "It was probably in the 20s and there was snow on the ground, too. So I got to test that out. I got to throw up there with a couple of his guys. That was good."

And here's a warning to the Bills: Tagovailoa liked passing the football in the snow.

"It felt really good throwing it while it was snowing," he said. "I don’t know, I can’t give anything more than that. I didn’t feel any effects of throwing in the snow."

Zach Wilson of the New York Jets looks on prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 12, 2021. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Zach Wilson Fights To Regain Fun And Starting Job

It was a striking press conference by Zach Wilson on Wednesday. He spent one part saying he still believes he's the future of the New York Jets only moments after admitting part of the last three weeks on the bench have been spent "finding the fun in football."

Wilson, we all know, struggled in a majority of his seven starts before losing his starting job to Mike White. And he didn't just lose his starting job, he was demoted all the way to third string. Wilson was inactive on game day.

Well, coach Robert Saleh announced Wilson's promotion to second string. So he'll be active and in uniform Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

But that has come after some work on fundamentals, covering everything from his eye discipline (moving defenders but then actually looking where he's throwing the football) to footwork. And Wilson has also worked on finding himself a little bit.

"The biggest thing for me mentally was finding the fun in football," Wilson said. "I love this game. And it definitely wasn’t lost, but I think you guys felt the frustrations over some of those rough games and so, for me, it’s I love this game, I’d play this game for free.

"So, it’s going out there and enjoying it with the guys and every single play just enjoying being out there and being grateful to be here and to be able to play football for a living. It’s truly an amazing job."

Jets Believe In Developing Zach Wilson

Wilson's job is to be the franchise quarterback of the Jets. It's something he still has not achieved in his second season.

But, despite his obvious setback with the benching, it's not a permanent state. In fact, Saleh consistently says he expects Wilson to play again this season and believe his staff will develop their quarterback as they do other players.

And Wilson buys it. He believes he's still the future of the New York Jets.

"Yeah, I definitely believe in myself," he said. "Of course, I have all the confidence in the world, and I think that’s how it should be, but you’ve got to be able to prove that. And like I said, that goes back to just attacking every single day."

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