Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen didn’t let some flu symptoms stop him from dominating a Detroit Lions team in Thursday’s win, but some fans are questioning just how sick Allen might have actually been.
Allen accounted for five total touchdowns in the team’s 41-31 victory on Thursday Night Football, continuing his red-hot start to the season and planting himself at the top of the early MVP discussions. Analyst Richard Sherman revealed after the game that Allen had been suffering flu-like symptoms prior to the game, leading to even more praise for Allen’s performance.
The admission also led some fans to question whether the team was intentionally playing up Allen’s symptoms in a ploy to make his fast start look more impressive.
Josh Allen’s ‘Flu Game’ Played Up?
Though Allen himself didn’t reveal his sickness, Sherman revealed in a postgame interview that he witnessed the Bills quarterback receiving treatment to alleviate the symptoms. A pregame video also showed Allen chewing on a pack of smelling salts while he was warming up.
“You were shivering in the hot tub before the game. You’re getting IVs. You don’t want to admit it, but you were having a flu game of your own,” Sherman said.
While few questioned whether Allen was truly sick, some fans believe that the narrative was inflated a bit. After NFL Films released a video showing Allen engaging in animated pregame discussion with officials, the team received some pushback.
“They def made up the flu game so they had a story to push for his first game. Incredibly corny franchise,” one person shared in a post on X.
“People are saying it’s the worst flu anyone has ever had,” another wrote.
The Bills also faced some criticism for leaving Allen off their injury report, though that would be explained if the symptoms first showed up on game day, after the Wednesday deadline for the final injury report.
Josh Allen Earns Praise Amid Hot Start
Despite the stray criticism, Allen has earned even more praise during a start that has included nine total touchdowns in just five days. The Bills quarterback threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two in the win over the Lions.
After the game, Bills center Connor McGovern said he believes Allen is headed to a career-best season.
“I’ve never seen him start out like this. This is like mid- to late-season form of him,” McGovern said, via The Athletic. “I think this can be the chance to put his statement on, like, this is going to be a career year.”
New Bills head coach Joe Brady added that Allen’s play is serving as an inspiration to his teammates to match the intensity.
“When you ask everybody on the team to empty the tank, you can watch how he plays,” Brady said. “And it’s like, how does everybody else not feel like they need to empty it out? Because he literally gave everything he had out there. He put the team on his back in a lot of those situations.”
Bills QB Josh Allen’s ‘Flu Game’ Narrative Questioned After New Video Emerges