With a short week ahead and a division rival on the horizon, the Buffalo Bills averted the worst-case scenario regarding Josh Allen’s injury.
On September 9, head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Allen would be ready for the Thursday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins.
“Bills HC Sean McDermott says QB Josh Allen has been cleared to practice Monday and play in the game Thursday,” reported Joe Buscaglia on X.
Allen injured his left, non-throwing hand during a fourth-quarter touchdown run in Sunday’s 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Bills quarterback went airborne to evade Cardinals safety Budda Baker but hit the ground hard, landing on his hand.
Despite showing signs of discomfort, Allen had the hand taped and finished the game.
Josh Allen: ‘Not Worried’ About Injury
After undergoing X-rays on his left hand postgame, Allen couldn’t immediately confirm whether he would miss time but told reporters he wasn’t worried about the injury.
He acknowledged the risk he took in leaping over a talented defender like Baker and admitted he would need to avoid making such risky plays in the future.
“My first rushing touchdown, I lowered the shoulder, knowing it was a corner,” Allen explained, via ESPN. “The second time, I knew it was Budda, and Budda’s a great player who can lay the boom, so I went up and over. But I can’t make a living doing that — still, here we are.”
Left tackle Dion Dawkins was impressed with the play, even though it was nerve-wracking to see the franchise quarterback go airborne for the score.
“Josh is a dog, bro,” Dawkins said, via the team’s website. “He shocks me every time. When he goes airborne, I’m like, ‘Josh, please, please.’ But he does it. It looks good, feels good, and he gets up.”
After an early fumble, Allen rebounded with an impressive performance in the win, completing 18 of 23 passes for 232 yards, throwing two touchdown passes, and rushing for 39 yards with two additional scores.
Preparing for Miami
Before the team announced his Week 2 status, Allen was already preparing for the matchup against their division rival. Last season, the Bills and Dolphins had a closely contested race, with Buffalo winning the division by beating Miami in the final game of the season.
“We’re focused on going 1-0 each week,” Allen said, via the team’s website. “We’ve got a short week heading to Miami, so we need a quick turnaround, review the film from this one, and get ready to move on and prepare for them.”
