Josh Allen Continued To Play Despite Seeking Therapy For His Shoulder.
The Buffalo Bills’ one-man show on Thursday night led his team to a 24–18 victory against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He ran, threw, sidestepped a shoulder injury, had a couple of bad plays, and mostly looked amazing.
“He’s so tough, very competitive,” said Sean McDermott, head coach of the Bills, who saw their team go to 5-3. “When they said, ‘Hey, he’s getting back in,’ I wasn’t shocked. But in order to prevent him from gong back out there, you’re going need to take his helmet away from him. He is a fighter.
With the exception of some anticipated pain, Allen reported that his shoulder was doing well following the crucial triumph, which came only four days after a devastating loss to the Patriots of New England.
“I mean, I took an accidental fall on it and I just felt a bit funky about it, yet you know, just trying to keep things warm and keep it loose,” Allen explained. “I’ll be sore in a couple days, but we’re going to be fine.”
By the end of the game, Allen had completed 31 of 40 passes for 324 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and an interception, and on seven carries, he had gained 41 yards and a touchdown through rushing.
With 22 total touchdowns (17 passing, 5 rushing), Allen leads the NFL. According to NFL Research, he tied Hall of Famer Steve Young for second place in NFL history with his 43rd career touchdown run. Allen also recorded his 30th career contest with a passing and rushing touchdown.
The purpose of his examination remains unknown, since the Bills made no formal announcement about an injury during the first half.
Though Allen was not raising his right arm significantly on the sideline, as noted by Amazon Prime side reporter Kaylee Hartung, Bills coach Sean McDermott responded, “He’s fine,” when questioned about it during the second half interview.
Following warmups, player Stefon Diggs electrified the crowd in the final zone with what manager Sean McDermott described as an intense pregame speech.
Subsequently, Josh Allen overcame an exacerbation of a throwing shoulder injury to throw a pair of touchdown passes and rush for another, and the Bills managed to defeat the Buccaneers from Tampa Bay, 24–18.
“Well, it felt like a team to me. They had a bad attitude as they left, and it really began in the locker room. McDermott mentioned Buffalo’s first degree of intensity.
Before we headed outside, Stefon Diggs gave the players a few words of encouragement. That is the role of a leader. He did a fantastic job of essentially establishing the mood.
Diggs wasn’t always the main target, but he did end up with nine catches for 70 yards. In a game that the Buffalo Bills never trailed, rookie tight end Johnny Kincaid scored his debut touchdown on a 22-yard catch, while Gabriel Davis recorded a career-best nine receptions for 87 yards plus a touchdown.
And after a week of criticism regarding his “low-positive” style of play, Allen delivered for the Bills (5-3), connecting for 324 yards on 31 of 40 passes.
Despite being evaluated in the orange medical tent during the second quarter, he continued to play despite having a right shoulder problem as reported in the Bills report.
In another incident, the defense managed to shoot themselves on the foot. The Bills’ facemask penalty during a fourth-down sack during the Buccaneers’ final drive didn’t kill the game; instead, it sparked a touchdown drive.
The play that resulted in the touchdown touched Christian Benford, the cornerback, on the helmet.
And tight end Cade Otten somehow managed to get his hands on a high, tipped toss that resulted in the two-point convert that came next.