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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is getting some support after his controversial penalty call in Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Allen was flagged for taunting on a touchdown run in the first quarter of Buffalo’s 24-18 loss on November 5. Allen had pump-faked Bengals safety Nick Scott on the play, then pointed toward Scott as he walked into the endzone for the game-tying touchdown.
Officials flagged Allen for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play, but Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce made it clear this week that he vehemently disagrees with the call.
“One of the weakest taunting calls you’ve ever seen? Probably,” Kelce said on an episode of the New Heights podcast. “I’m not sure if I’ve seen too many of them… I think it’s bogus. I’m on Josh’s team on this. This is bull****.”
Travis Kelce Wants Players to Play
Kelce took aim at referees for inserting themselves into the game, saying players should be allowed to point at opponents during the game. While the call did not have any bearing on the play itself, it did force the Bills to kick off 15 yards farther back after the score.
“Who is struggling right now, is my guy Josh Allen,” Kelce said. “And he was struggling with this taunting penalty. Man, it’s f***** up, man. You can’t point at a guy? … This is so f****** wack.”
Allen may not be done paying for the penalty. The Bills quarterback is likely to incur a fine, as the league regularly issues financial punishments for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Josh Allen Questioned Another Call
Allen had already aired grievances on another questionable call from the loss to the Bengals. Near the end of the first half, with the Bills driving into field-goal range, referees throw a flag for intentional grounding after Allen overthrew wide receiver Gabe Davis when the two had a miscommunication on a route.
Allen was seen growing visibly angry over the call and said afterward that he had never seen another quarterback draw a penalty over an overthrow of an option route, which allows Davis to run shallow or deep depending on the coverage.
“I’ve never seen that call in my life,” Allen said. “It’s an option route. Gabe can sit down or go. I wasn’t pressured. They decided to make that call and unfortunately didn’t allow us to get points there. I wouldn’t do anything different. I’m expecting him to run a go, he made the read to stop. That’s what it is.”
The 15-yard penalty pushed the Bills out of field goal range, and they ended up running out the clock before halftime. Had they scored, the Bills would have had the chance to take the second-half kickoff and get points on consecutive drives.
Allen said after the game that the call had a significant impact on the momentum of the game.
“It’s a huge swing. Whether it’s three or six coming out of the half, scoring on back-to-back drives and getting yourself some momentum, that’s huge in a game, especially against a good team like we just played,” Allen said.
