Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen took apart the Detroit Lions defense in Thursday’s win — all while battling flu symptoms.
Amazon commentator and former NFL great Richard Sherman revealed on the broadcast after Buffalo’s 41-31 win that the Bills quarterback was suffering flu-like symptoms before the game. While it made Allen’s five-touchdown performance even more impressive, it also led to some criticism of the team for what some saw as keeping the illness under wraps.
Bills Taking Heat for Josh Allen Decision
The announcement that Allen was ill during the game led to some criticism of the team for not including him on the final injury report before the game. Allen had been listed as a full participant in practice during the week and did not carry any injury designation, despite players regularly being listed for an illness.
There could be a logical explanation, however. SI.com writer Ralph Ventre suggested that Allen could have developed the symptoms after the deadline for the final injury report.
“It’s possible symptoms didn’t emerge until after Wednesday’s walkthrough practice, which would explain why the quarterback did not appear on the official injury report with an illness,” Ventre wrote. “It’s worth noting that defensive lineman TJ Sanders, who was already on the injury report with a knee issue, was absent on Tuesday due to illness.”
The Bills face a similar situation with another key starter this week. Defensive lineman Ed Oliver had been healthy throughout the week, but tweaked his hip during warm-ups before the game and was later ruled out. Oliver never appeared on any of the team’s injury reports before being listed as inactive for the game.
Josh Allen Battled Through Symptoms
It wasn’t known until after the game that Allen was suffering flu-like symptoms, when Sherman revealed that the Bills quarterback was undergoing treatment.
“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,” said Sherman.
Allen didn’t seem to be hampered by the illness, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another two while leading his team to 41 points. The Bills quarterback has now racked up nine total touchdowns in a span of five days, staking his team to an early 2-0 record and a lead in the AFC East.
Allen will now get 10 days to recover from his symptoms before the Bills host the Los Angeles Chargers on September 27.
Bills Under Fire for Josh Allen Decision Before Lions Win