Getty Josh Allen scrambles in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Peyton Manning is owning up to the unusual role he may have played in the Buffalo Bills losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The Hall of Fame quarterback apologized for “cursing” Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who appeared on the Monday Night Football broadcast featuring the Manning brothers. There has been a tendency this season for players featured on the ManningCast to go on to lose the following week, with Allen being the latest victim. Manning himself addressed the curse this week, sending a message to Bills fans.
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Manning Sorry for ‘Curse’
As SI.com’s Joseph Salvador noted, the ManningCast curse is undefeated so far this season. In Week 1, the Manning brothers hosted Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, with both teams going on to lose that week. Rob Gronkowski joined in Week 2, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams fell victim the following week, however, losing after quarterback Matthew Stafford joined the Mannings for their broadcast. The Buccaneers then became two-time victims, losing after Tom Brady appeared in Week 6.
Allen seemed an unlikely victim to the ManningCast curse, as the Bills were heavy favorites over the one-win Jaguars. But the Jacksonville defense hounded Allen all game en route to a 9-6 win, keeping the curse’s perfect record intact.
For his part, Peyton Manning is sorry about it. Golfweek Managing Editor Tim Schmitt caught up with the NFL legend and asked about the “jinx” he put on Allen, prompting an apology from Manning.
Me to Peyton Manning tonight: “My mom says you jinxed Josh Allen, dude.”
Peyton: “I didn’t mean to. Sorry.”
Allen Takes the Blame
Allen himself doesn’t appear to believe in curses. Following the loss to Jacksonville, he took the blame in somewhat graphic terms, using some four-letter adjectives to describe the way he played.
“We had a lot of little things add up to big things. I put the ball in danger too, often, and it bit us in the butt,” he said, via Matt Parrino of NewYorkUpstate.com. “I played like s**t today.”
Allen had one of his worst statistical games of the season, throwing for 264 yards with two interceptions. He also took some costly sacks that close the Bills field position, which was especially difficult in a game where field goals made the difference.
QB Josh Allen: We played like sh*t and it starts with me. This loss stings, but we will be better because of it. #BUFvsJAX
Though they frequently let him down against Jacksonville’s pass rushers, Allen’s offensive line stuck up for him after the game. Center Mitch Morse said they failed to give Allen enough time to make plays.
“When you don’t give your quarterback time early even when the pocket is clean, you kind of feel someone breathing down your neck,” he said. “You can’t put this on one person. Every person’s got a little bit of blame in this. And that’s the frustrating part and it’s the beautiful part.”
With the ManningCast curse now in the past, the Bills are looking to rebound against the New York Jets on November 14 in what could be an important AFC East contest. The race for the division has tightened considerably, with the 5-4 New England Patriots now just a half-game out of the lead.
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