Getty Case Keenum #18 of the Buffalo Bills stands on the field before a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 26, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott addressed the media on Wednesday, November 9 to give the latest update on quarterback Josh Allen’s arm injury which the $258 million superstar suffered during the team’s loss to the New York Jets in Week 9.
“He’s day to day,” McDermott said of Allen’s status. As for whether or not he’ll be ready to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, “We’ll see.” Allen will not practice on Wednesday, McDermott said, while noting that backup quarterback Case Keenum will be ready to go.
“McDermott says this is not new to Case Keenum and that he has full confidence in the backup,” per Bills reporter Maddy Glab.
While fans and analysts had strongly mixed reactions to the non-definitive update on Allen, Twitter immediately filled with comments about the wild timing of Keenum’s possible first start in Buffalo. The Bills’ matchup against the Vikings already marks the first time wide receiver Stefon Diggs will face his former team since he was traded in March 2020, but now he might play them with his former quarterback, as well.
I hope Josh Allen’s elbow is OK, but if he’s out this week, Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs against the Vikings is juicy
Pro Football Talk tweeted, “If for some reason Josh Allen (elbow) can’t go next week for Buffalo, it will be the Bizarro Minneapolis Miracle game, with Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs facing the Vikings.”
Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs revenge game against the Vikings is going to be glorious
A Bills fan account tweeted on Wednesday, “Case Keenum and Stefon Diggs revenge Vs the Vikings was written in the stars. If Josh misses one game this year and this is it, I chalk it up to divine intervention,” while another person inquired, “Keenum and Diggs vs the Vikings do the scriptwriters ever sleep?”
McDermott previously spoke about the 34-year-old veteran suiting up on Sunday during his press conference on Monday, as did offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. “He’s been in multiple different systems and he’s seen a lot of ball,” Dorsey said, per Yahoo! Sports . “So I think there’s some merit to having guys like that in your room that can come in and you’ve got a lot of faith in to step in and operate effectively.” McDermott said of Keenum, “He’s a veteran player who has taken a lot of snaps and won games. Just his presence on our team carries an influence in a unique way. He knows his role. It’s been good to have him with us here.”
NFL Insider Says Allen Told His Teammates He’ll Be Ready to Go
Coach McDermott: Josh Allen is day-to-day and we will see if he plays on Sunday.
Of course, if the decision was up to Allen, he’d be suiting up no matter what when the Bills host the Vikings at Highmark Stadium on November 13. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted, “Word is Josh Allen has expressed confidence to teammates he’ll be able to play Sunday vs. the #Vikings but that’s what I’d expect him to say. We’ll see as Sunday draws closer for the #Bills’ franchise QB.”
While McDermott didn’t define Allen’s exact injury, NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport reported Wednseday morning that “Allen is believed to be dealing with an elbow sprain, a UCL sprain, which is something actually he has had in the past,” and that it’s “not considered to be a major, major injury. Which means the belief is that it is something he can play through.”
Allen previously suffered an elbow sprain during his rookie year at Wyoming in 2018. The injury kept him out for four games, per 13 WHAM‘s Dan Fetes.
“I’m not saying that he is definitively playing this week. That is described to me as being up in the air,” Rapoport continued. “Essentially, we do not know if Josh Allen is going to be on the field this week. From what I understand, he is expected to be limited in practice and then will be judged day-by-day to see how he progresses.”
‘Day-to-Day’ Is Better Than Week-to-Week
McDermott’s comments on Wednesday were incredibly vague and much of Bills Mafia wasn’t quite sure how to react. However, 13WHAM reporter Dan Fetes offered some insight into the coach’s cryptic messaging.
Fetes tweeted, “Josh Allen being ‘day to day’ in Sean McDermott’s book is a ‘pretty’ good thing. Is it vague? Yes. But when McDermott says ‘week to week’ is USUALLY a more serious injury than just A week… if that makes sense.”
Naturally, the thought of Allen missing any time doesn’t sit well with fans, and it’s also quickly affecting the team’s betting odds to win on Sunday. While the Bills were initially favored to beat quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Vikings by 9.5 points, those odds dropped to 7.5 points following Allen’s injury, and with his status up in the air, Buffalo is now deemed 3.5-point favorites, per Fan Duel.