Getty Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates after a win over the Miami Dolphins.
The Buffalo Bills likely won’t have a fully healthy Josh Allen when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals in what could be the most important game of their season.
The 12-3 Bills travel to Cincinnati for a Monday Night Football game on January 2, 2023, that has massive playoff implications, with the Bills moving a step toward the top overall seed with a win and potentially falling down to the No. 3 seed with a loss. Though Allen does not appear to be in danger of missing the game, this week’s injury report showed that he is still bothered by a lingering elbow injury.
Josh Allen Says He Expects to ‘Deal With’ the Injury for ‘the Foreseeable Future’
The Bills added their star quarterback to the December 29 injury report. Though Allen was listed as a full practice participant, the report noted that he was dealing with an elbow injury.
Allen initially suffered the injury in the final seconds of a Week 9 loss to the New York Jets. In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on December 8, Allen said it will likely be with him all season, though not as much of a concern on game days.
“I’m gonna have to deal with the elbow for the foreseeable future but on game day it doesn’t even bother me” ~@JoshAllenQB
“I think every day gets a little better,” Allen said. “It’s something that, you know, I’m going to have to deal with for probably the foreseeable future.”
The injury did not stop Allen from throwing at practice on Thursday, as video posted on Twitter by Dan Fetes of 13 WHAM showed.
Allen has able to push through the injury, playing against the Minnesota Vikings the following week and remaining in the lineup throughout the season. Though the Bills quarterback hit a midseason slump, he has helped the team to a six-game winning streak that helped them wrap up a third straight AFC East title.
Josh Allen Ready for Season-Defining Game
The January 2 matchup between the Bills and Bengals will be one for the history books. As the Bills’ official website noted, the teams have combined for 23 wins, tied for the most ever between Monday Night Football opponents since the league added Monday games in 1970. Allen and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow have also combined for 66 passing touchdowns this season, the most all-time between Monday Night Football opponents.
Allen said he’s well aware of the importance of the game and ready for it.
“I get there’s a lot of implications for that. That’s in the back of our mind,” Allen said. “Trying to control what we can control.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor added that he’s seen a lot of Allen this season while prepping for opponents and knows what the Bills quarterback can bring to the game.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Taylor said during a December 27 press conference. “We’ve seen him all year because of the crossover tape with that division and them playing our opponents. We’ve probably crossed over with Buffalo seven or eight times this year, so we’ve gotten a full dose of what he does. Really exciting player, extends plays, the play’s never dead. He’s got the arm strength to make every throw that he can possibly make.”