Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was hurt against the Cleveland Browns, going down just before halftime with what appeared to be a knee injury.
Allen was hurt while taking a long sack on Buffalo’s final drive of the first half, falling into the endzone and keeping the ball just out to avoid a safety. Allen was seen holding his leg on the play and was evaluated by trainers.
Allen had his right shoe off while running to the locker room in the closing seconds of the half. While Allen was able to return for the second half, the injury could be a concern for the Bills quarterback down the most critical stretch of the season.
Josh Allen Returns in Critical Game
Allen was evaluated for a foot injury during the half, with reporter Sal Capaccio of the team’s official radio broadcast noting that he was cleared to return. The injury did not appear to hamper Allen in the second half, but the Bills struggled at times against Myles Garrett and the Browns defense.
Allen has played hurt through the second half of many recent seasons, even changing his throwing mechanics in 2023 after suffering a shoulder injury. Allen suffered a broken bone in his non-throwing hand in the team’s season-opening win in 2024, playing with a padded glove for the remainder of the season.
The Bills struggled on offense against the Browns in the second half, with Allen missing some passes and wide receivers struggling. Newcomer Brandin Cooks dropped a second-down pass in the fourth quarter that would have put the Bills into field-goal range.
Bills Entering Key Final Stretch of the Season
The Bills gained new life in their hunt for the AFC East title last week, erasing a 21-point deficit in a win over the New England Patriots. The Patriots game into the game with a chance to clinch the division, but instead the Bills go into the final three weeks with a chance to win the AFC East.
The Bills would need to win one more game than the Patriots over the final three games, with at least one of New England’s losses coming against a divisional foe. The Patriots face the New York Jets in Week 17 and close out the season against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.
Allen said he believes the Bills are starting to put things together, but knows the Bills will need to start games stronger and not fall into early holes. The Bills had three big fourth-quarter comebacks this year — coming back from down 15 against the Baltimore Ravens and 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals — along with last week’s 21-point comeback over the Patriots.
But Allen said the team needs to stop playing sloppily on offense in the first half to put the team in those deficits.
“I feel like we’re close,” Allen said. “I feel like we still got some things to work on. Obviously, want to start faster in these games, but we’re playing good football right now. I think there’s still some more stuff that we can unlock.”
Josh Allen Injury Update: Bills QB Hurt Against Browns