Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at Highmark Stadium on October 15, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills offense was struggling hard against the New York Giants, a team they were considered 14-point favorites to defeat on Sunday Night Football on October 15, and tempers flared between the two teams with 1:34 left in the third quarter.
After Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke and defensive lineman Leonard Williams pushed Bills right tackle Spencer Brown to the ground in the end zone, quarterback Josh Allen thrust himself into the action. The broadcast showed Allen using his 6-foot-5, 237-pound body to throw a massive hit on Okereke.
🚨MAJOR FIGHT ALERT🚨
Pushing, shoving, punches, skirmishes all over the field with FLAGS EVERYWHERE.
#Bills QB Josh Allen also delivered a MASSIVE HIT
😳😳😳
A video of Allen’s involvement in the all-out fight quickly went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter). Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, who suffered a pectoral tear during Buffalo’s 25-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, gave Allen a shout-out for getting involved.
Jones posted, “17 standing up for is Tackle has me wanting to rush the damn field!!!!!!!”
17 standing up for is Tackle has me wanting to rush the damn field!!!!!!!
BroBible’s Dov Kleiman posted, “Okereke played great tonight, probably frustrating Allen. He’s the reason Allen threw an INT earlier.”
A fan commented, “Allen is the only QB that would defend his lineman during a fight.”
One thing about Josh Allen, he’s never running away from the fight 😂
After the melee cleared, Dexter Lawrence was called for unnecessary roughness, along with Williams, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins. The game took a long break while the officials worked out the offsetting penalties, but after it was sorted out, the Bills ended up with a first down.
Shortly afterward, Allen connected with wide receiver Deonte Harty for a 3-yard touchdown pass, breaking the Giants’ shutout through the first three quarters. The Athletic reported that “the last time the Bills were held scoreless through three quarters was Sept. 30, 2018, in a 22-0 loss at Lambeau Field.”
Josh Allen Briefly Left the Game With a Head Injury, Got X-Rays Afterward for Throwing Shoulder
This might be the worst roughing the passer call so far this season.
Bills Mafia collectively held their breath when Allen exited the game and entered the medical tent with a suspected head injury. During the second quarter, the 27-year-old was tackled by Okereke, and his head appeared to hit the turf.
Backup quarterback Kyle Allen went in to play, but he only participated in two snaps before the Bills’ $258 million star was able to run back out onto the field. The team announced, “[Josh] Allen was checked for a head injury & cleared to return,” and the entire crowd at Highmark Stadium released a collective sigh.
#Bills Josh Allen R shoulder
1st clip, you can see Allen grab at his R arm after getting driven down onto it.
2nd clip shows another angle & him working it out.
Went for X-Rays after the game.
Mechanism consistent with AC joint sprain, missed 2 plays due to concussion check.
While Allen avoided any serious injury, after the game ended, he entered the X-ray room in order to get his shoulder checked out, per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed after the game Allen’s X-rays were normal.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote, “Allen said he injured the throwing shoulder in the second quarter, one play before the hit he took that required him to get checked for a concussion. He said he played the whole second half with it and that it didn’t impact his throwing.”
Josh Allen Called the Bills Victory an ‘Ugly Win’
The final play goes the @BuffaloBills‘ way #NYGvsBUF
The Bills were expected to blow Big Blue out of the water but eked out a 14-9 win by the skin of their teeth. As the clock expired, Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor got another shot to score a touchdown at the 1-yard line after linebacker Terrel Bernard was called for defensive passive interference.
Ultimately, Taylor was unable to connect with tight end Darren Waller, and the Bills came out victorious. However, several analysts pointed out that a defensive holding penalty should’ve been called on cornerback Taron Johnson.
Was this defensive holding?
“It’s an ugly win, but it counts the same as a pretty win,” Allen said during his on-field postgame interview. “Our defense, man. They bailed us out. … We gotta be better. We’ll take the win. We hate that it came down to the last play, but we’ll take the win.”