Getty Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie at a game in 2019.
All of Bills Mafia – and perhaps all of the NFL world – has seen tight end Dawson Knox’s two-point conversion pass to quarterback Josh Allen from the team’s week six loss to the Tennessee Titans by now.
The aptly-dubbed “Buffalo Special” wasn’t enough to get the Buffalo Bills a victory, but when it was soon reported that the breakout third-year player made the successful toss with a broken band in his hand, it gained the respect and admiration of fans and analysts across the league. One former NFL player who made his approval quite obvious on Wednesday was Doug Flutie.
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Flutie’s most memorable football highlight may have come before his NFL days, while playing at Boston College, but the now-58-year-old crafted a solid 12-year career in the NFL, including three seasons with Buffalo. The 285th overall pick from the 1985 NFL draft didn’t do much across his first 22 professional games split between the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots from 1986 through 1989, but after a highly-accomplished eight-year run in the Canadian Football League, Flutie returned to the U.S. and suited up for the Bills during the 1998, 1999 and 2000 campaigns.
Already in his late-30s, Flutie made his lone Pro Bowl team in 1998 after compiling a completion percentage of 57.1% while recording 2,711 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He also earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award following the season.
Flutie helped lead the Bills to the postseason in his first two years with the club, before being limited to 11 games and just five starts in 2000. Buffalo’s playoff appearance in 1999 would be their final one until 2017.
The former Los Angeles Rams draft pick wrapped up his NFL career by spending parts of the next four seasons with the then-San Diego Changers and then five final games with the Patriots in 2005.
Following Surgery, Knox Has Goal of Returning ‘as Soon as Possible’
Knox reportedly underwent successful surgery on the broken bone in his hand on Tuesday and is optimistic that he won’t miss much time.
While there’s never a good time for an injury to occur, if Knox and his team had to choose a week for this type of incident to occur, it would probably be now. The Bills, now 4-2, have a week seven bye.
Obviously the tight end is going to miss practice time, but it sounds like there’s a chance he could be ready for Buffalo’s week eight tilt against the Miami Dolphins. That game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on October 31.
Knox Pokes Fun at His ‘Shotput’ TD Throw
GettyBuffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox and quarterback Josh Allen during the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 10, 2021.
In contrast to the amazement that many felt when hearing about Knox’s conversion throw while being injured, what made the feat temporarily not as surprising was that the 24-year-old played quarterback in high school. Apparently in the spring season though, you could find Knox on the track and field team.
It’s probably safe to assume that the Knox-to-Allen toss would’ve looked a bit prettier if No. 88 hadn’t just suffered a broken bone.
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