Getty Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
With the Buffalo Bills facing a key matchup on Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, a banged-up Josh Allen says he’s ready to go.
After aggravating a shoulder injury in the team’s October 26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and being limited in practice, Allen told reporters this week that he feels good enough to take the field in his team’s game against the Bengals.
“Every day it gets so much better, and again, if I had to practice today, absolutely would have. If the game was today, I’m playing the game,” Allen said after missing practice on Wednesday. “But just in terms of making sure that it’s not going to be super sore and wanting to be smart when we’re throwing it and that’s up to our training staff.”
Josh Allen Not Worried About Long-Term Effects
After playing hurt through the second half of the 2022 season with a lingering elbow injury, Allen is confident that his shoulder injury won’t turn into a long-term issue.
“I don’t think it’s going to linger too much,” Allen said. “But I think this was the best thing for me in making sure that, just trying to stay ahead of it and not let this affect me long term.”
Josh Allen: highest graded QB in the NFL this season – 90.0 🦬
It wasn’t clear yet if the injury could change the offensive plan for the Bills. After taking some heat for cutting back on Allen’s runs through the first seven games of the season, the Bills allowed him to open up more in Thursday’s win over the Buccaneers. He had a season-high seven rushing attempts for 41 yards with a rushing score, though also took a number of hits.
Bengals Getting Healthier
Allen is not the only member of the Bills dealing with an injury. The team has been hit hard on defense, losing a number of players to season-ending injuries including cornerback Tre’Davious White, linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
The Bengals are moving in the other direction, getting healthier after an injury-struck start to the season. Quarterback Joe Burrow was dealing with an ailing calf that knocked him out of the preseason, but has been recovering and is finally back to full health.
“Joe Burrow, actually, for the first time all season, he is 100% … he dealt with a calf injury for basically every single second of the season until really this week,” the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on October 29.
Bills safety Jordan Poyer said the team is ready to face a full-strength Burrow and they’re well aware of his capabilities. Burrow carved up the Buffalo defense in last year’s 27-10 playoff win, and has thrown for eight touchdowns over the course of the last three games for the Bengals.
“He’s an extremely smart quarterback who’s seen all the looks, he knows where to go with the football, he can make all the throws, he’s got good playmakers around him that understand that offense as well,” Poyer told reporters after practice on Wednesday. “We’re going to have to play extremely well to win and find ways to take the football away.”
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