Getty Josh Allen throws a pass against the Miami Dolphins in a playoff game on January 15.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen lost his cool against the Miami Dolphins, and now he’s taking some heat for it.
The quarterback had an uneven performance in the team’s 34-31 victory in the Super Wild Card round game on January 15, throwing for 352 yards and three touchdowns but also committing three turnovers, including one that was especially costly.
After his first interception, Allen got into a shoving match with Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, kicking off a scuffle that led to offsetting penalties on the teams. Allen came under fire for his role, with NFL legend Richard Sherman taking to Twitter to call out the Bills quarterback.
Richard Sherman Takes Aim at Josh Allen for ‘Playing Victim’
The scuffle took place with close to six minutes remaining in the second quarter, when Allen threw a pass near the endzone that was intercepted by Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard. As Howard was returning the interception, Allen and Wilkins got into a shoving match before Allen walked away and Bills center Mitch Morse joined the scrap to defend his quarterback.
Though Allen wasn’t penalized for the play, Sherman believed that the Bills quarterback was responsible for the fracas for making the first shove on the Dolphins tackle.
“[Wilkins is] blocking him as politely as you can on a football field and then wants to play victim. When he initiates that he becomes a part if the play,” Sherman tweeted.
Josh Allen vs Christian Wilkins
Allen is so big for a QB.
The Dolphins hounded Allen throughout the game, forcing him into two interceptions and one costly lost fumble that was returned for a touchdown. They also sacked Allen seven times, setting a Dolphins franchise record for sacks in a playoff game.
Josh Allen and Christian Wilkins Had Beef Earlier This Season
The scuffle between Allen and Wilkins may not have been an isolated incident, as the two have some history that stretches back to last season. They have gotten chippy in previous games, with Allen famously waving goodbye to Wilkins after an October 2021 win.
Allen and Wilkins had another famous interaction earlier this season, with the two getting tangled up after a run from the Bills quarterback in their September 25 meeting. Allen pushed Wilkins’ helmet off his head at the bottom of a pile-up and was hit with a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
After the game, Allen said he was reacting to Wilkins grabbing him in a sensitive area.
“I think anybody with two eyes can understand what was going on under that pile,” Allen told Kyle Brandt on his podcast. “I let the emotions get the best of me, but there were some things happening down there that I didn’t appreciate. We’ll let everyone make their own judgments on that. I apologized to my team for putting us in a tough situation, but it is what it is and we’ll move on. I know I’ll probably get a fine for that, but I hope they’ll look at some other things too.”
Wilkins seemed to brush off the incident, saying later in the week that it was just a case of two competitive players getting heated during a play.
“It just happens. Josh is a competitor, I’m a competitor,” he said. “The game is on the line. We’re going back and forth. That’s just how it is. That’s how it is with division rivals. With alpha males, that’s how it goes.”
But the NFL didn’t agree, hitting Wilkins with a $13,261 fine for the play later that week.