Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen at FedExField on September 24, 2023.
With the Buffalo Bills driving late in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback Josh Allen summoned Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for an audible at the line — and the NBA legend was watching.
The Bills were trailing 11-0 late in the first half of their October 8 game against the Jaguars when Allen changed the play at the line by shouting out “LeBron James!” Though Allen came under pressure and had to throw the ball away on the ensuing play, the unusual audible caught some attention online and earned a viral response from James himself.
LeBron James Responds
After video of Allen’s audible was shared on social media, James posted an amused response and wondered what the play would have been.
“I wonder what that ‘LeBron James’ audible Josh Allen yelled out meant,” James wrote on X, adding “LOL.”
I wonder what that “LeBron James” audible Josh Allen yelled out meant 🤔 . LOL 😂
This was not the first time that Allen has gotten some attention for an unusual audible. In the team’s season-opening win over the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, Allen was heard yelling “Blue Cheese!” at the line before a play.
@JoshAllenQB called out a Blue Cheese Audible 😂 @BuffaloBills #bluecheese #joshallen #BuffaloBills #BillsMafia #GoBills
Painful Game for the Bills
While Allen’s audible may have been a light moment for Bills fans — and the team ultimately did score later that drive to cut the lead to 11-7 — it was a mostly painful game for the team. The Bills lost to the Jaguars to drop their record to 3-2 and out of a tie for first place in the AFC East, while the team likely lost All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano for the season with a leg fracture and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones with a pectoral injury.
After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDemott painted a bleak picture for the two key players.
“Injury update for you,” McDermott told reporters, via Syracuse.com. “Matt Milano, it’s a knee, a lower leg injury. I know it’s not looking good right now, but I don’t know any details beyond that at this point. And then DaQuan Jones. It’s a pec injury and also not looking good at this point. I’ll know more in a little bit here.”
With Milano out, the Bills will turn to a pair of young linebackers to help fill the void, McDermott said.
“It was a setback for us,” McDermott said. “We were confident in Dorian (Williams) who went out there and T. Dod (Tyrel Dodson) who was out there as well. I applaud those guys, T. Dod and Dorian going out there, not getting a lot of reps during the week, but going out there and having to perform.”
The Bills watched other opportunities go to waste in Sunday’s game. The team committed 11 penalties for 109 yards, with some costly and other controversial calls that hurt Buffalo’s field position and allowed the Jaguars to extend drives. After the game, Allen took some of the blame and said the team needed to be sharper.
“We didn’t take care of the little things,” Allen said, via The Associated Press. “That’s on us captains, making sure that this team is ready to go. You know, the opposing team, they were ready to go today. We weren’t.”
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LeBron James Shares Viral Reaction to Bills QB Josh Allen’s Shout Out