Getty Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills offense couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm during their 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional round, and wide receiver Stefon Diggs couldn’t contain his frustration. A video of the wide receiver’s fourth-quarter outburst toward quarterback Josh Allen quickly went viral, as did reports of him packing up his belongings and bolting from the locker room after the game.
Following the backlash of his outburst, “It’s easy to criticize my reaction more than the result,” Diggs tweeted. “Want me to be okay with our level of play when it’s not up to the standard ? Nah… Want me to be okay with losing ? Nah.”
The three-time Pro Bowler returned to Twitter after watching the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the AFC Championship game and liked a tweet that sent a slight jab toward Allen. Buffalo Fanatics co-founder Rico Belony tweeted on Sunday, January 28, “When Ur QB don’t give a f*** if his WR1 is doubled!!! Put it up there and Let YOUR guy make a play!!! Stefon Diggs reading this tweet lol.”
When Ur QB don’t give a fuck if his WR1 is doubled!!! Put it up there and Let YOUR guy make a play!!!
Stefon Diggs reading this tweet lol
One Bills fan replied, “He liked it too 👀 but facts!” to which Belony responded, “As he should!! He can’t say it… But I will 😉 I got u @stefondiggs.”
The tweet appears to have been inspired by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s bold throw to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase on fourth down at the start of the fourth quarter. While Chase was in double coverage, he was able to jump above both defenders and come down with the ball for a huge first down deep in the red zone.
Ja’Marrvelous
Chase was double-teamed throughout the bulk of the matchup, but was still able to make a huge impact with six receptions for 75 yards. If it wasn’t for Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai’s costly unnecessary roughness penalty on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which set up Kansas City for a game-winning field goal, there’s a strong chance Cincinnati could’ve come out on top.
Watching the AFC Championship instead of participating in it is never an easy pill to swallow. During the Bills’ loss to the Bengals, Diggs caught 4-of-10 targets for a total of 35 yards. In 15 game appearances during the regular season, he recorded 108 receptions, for 1,429 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Diggs Sent a Series of Tweets About Bengals CB Eli Apple
After Cincinnati’s postseason came to an abrupt close at Arrowhead Stadium, Twitter had a field day with Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, who had gone on a tirade trash-talking Diggs and Allen for their lackluster performance, and took what many people considered a step too far by involving Damar Hamlin in a classless joke.
Apple’s relentless remarks seemed wildly premature considering the Bengals had yet to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, so when Cincinnati lost, it wasn’t just Bills Mafia taking a shot at the veteran cornerback. The name “Eli Apple” and “Cancun” became Twitter’s top trending words on Sunday night.
Diggs took pleasure in seeing Apple trending for all the wrong reasons. He tweeted on Monday, January 30, “The internet undefeated… That’s why I mind my business. And just play the creases…Have a good day world 🫶🏾.”
Wild Trade Rumors Spiked Following Diggs’ Public Outburst
GettyStefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after catching a touchdown against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 08, 2023.
While Diggs’ tweets following his postgame behavior sounded more like a player venting, not threatening to leave, his public frustration with the Bills had some analysts and fans under the impression that his relationship with Allen had soured, and he was ready to request a trade out of Buffalo.
This wasn’t the first time this season that Diggs lost his cool due to a lack of targets. Head coach Sean McDermott had to calm Diggs down during the second quarter of the Bills-Brown game on November 20, and it was glaring issue following Buffalo’s win over the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve, as the veteran receiver wasn’t targeted once during the first half.
However, the Bills have zero plans to trade their $96 million star. Diggs is one of the toughest competitors in the league and while he could’ve handled the loss better, it’s not difficult to understand why he acted out. This season was hyped to be the year Buffalo finally won the Super Bowl but once again, they came up woefully short. And at age 28, the clock is ticking on his prime years.
However, Bills general manager Brandon Beane, McDermott, and Allen all said they took no offense to Diggs’ fiery reaction, instead mentioning how they’d be more worried if he didn’t have such a passionate response to losing.