Getty For the first time ever, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (R) will face off against Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars star linebacker (L).
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will be facing Josh Allen on Sunday, November 7 and that’s a fact, not a metaphorical statement about how last season’s MVP runner-up needs to look inward to win.
When the Bills take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9, Allen will literally be face to face with Josh Allen, the opposing team’s star linebacker. While both NFL players are 6-foot-5, Jacksonville’s Allen weighs 18 pounds more and will be looking to sack his namesake.
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The Jaguars drafted Allen as their 7th overall pick in 2019, and the Kentucky alum quickly became the team’s top defensive player. During his rookie season, he set a franchise record in sacks (10.5) and earned Pro Bowl recognition. In 2020, after a bulk of the Jaguars’ defensive starters went to play elsewhere, the team looked to Allen to carry the team’s defense.
A Pro Bowler in year one.
Happy birthday to @Jaguars DE @JoshAllen41_! 🎂
Unfortunately, Allen, 24, suffered a knee injury in November of last season, and only appeared in eight games. As for the 2021 NFL season, Allen is one of the lone bright spots on the Jaguars team.
During Jacksonville’s 31-7 loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, Allen tallied six tackles, four for losses, and two quarterback sacks.
Allen Is ‘Excited’ To Face Buffalo’s Allen
GettyJosh Allen #41 of the Jacksonville Jaguars lines up during the game against the Miami Dolphins at TIAA Bank Field on September 24, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The odds are not in the Jaguars’ favor on Sunday, the Bills head to Florida as 14-point favorites to win, but Jacksonville’s Allen is pumped to take on one of the best teams in the NFL right now.
He’s also looking forward to meeting quarterback Allen, who thus far this season has thrown 17 touchdowns for 1,972 yards, and only three interceptions.
“I’m excited about this one, not just because of who we’re playing against, or him but the team and how that team has been playing of recent,” the Jaguars linebacker said, via Jacksonville.com. “It’s a good opportunity for us. I wouldn’t want anything else but to bounce back on a good team like this. I would really show our character and how we battled.”
Josh Allen says he has not met Josh Allen, but Josh Allen has talked to Josh Allen. He hopes to talk to Josh Allen before the game and after the game, but Josh Allen definitely doesn’t want to talk to Josh Allen during the game.
The Bills have faced off against the Jaguars just 17 times in NFL history, according to The Football Database, with Buffalo winning nine and Jacksonville victorious in eight.
The last time these two teams faced each other was on November 25, 2018, in which the Bills won 24-21. On November 7, linebacker Allen will have his work cut out for him, as Buffalo’s Allen has only been sacked eight times this season, tied for the third-fewest among starting quarterbacks.
Did Buffalo’s Allen Curse the Team By Appearing on ManningCast?
Few people will bet against the Bills on Sunday, however, the quarterback’s appearance on Peyton and Eli Manning’s Monday Night Football stream has both fans and analysts worried. Every single guest that has appeared on ManningCast thus far, has lost their next game.
The Manning Curse is real.
Every time a player comes on the ManningCast, that player loses the next game.
— Kelce on Week 1, lost Week 2
— Russ on Week 1, lost Week 2
— Gronk on Week 2, lost Week 3
— Stafford on Week 3, lost Week 4
— Brady on Week 7, lost Week 8
It’s not just the ManningCast curse that’s worrying, there’s also an issue considering the Bills will be wearing white jerseys with blue pants on Sunday, a combo that has not been good luck for the franchise. The Bills lost all of their games in 2020 when they wore white jerseys with blue pants. And you can guess what the Bills wearing when they narrowly lost to the Tennesee Titans on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago.
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