The Buffalo Bills dominant win over the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving could have gone very differently. In the third quarter, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was tackled below the knees as he threw the ball away by Saints lineman Christian Ringo. Allen getting hurt would have been a disastrous misfortune for the Bills but he got up right after the play.
Roughing the passer calls in the NFL are often enforced unevenly. Sometimes the infraction is called when it doesn't seem like there's any unreasonable contact, as Saints head coach Sean Payton can attest to. But sometimes it's not called when it should be, which can lead to injuries to quarterbacks. New Orleans was the beneficiary of this non-call in the 3rd quarter of their Thanksgiving defeat.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott had something to say about Ringo not getting flagged for the low hit.
Asked McDermott about the fewer penalties in general. He then brought up this hit on Allen: "I thought they should be called for one, quite honestly, on Josh. I’m really frustrated that that doesn’t get called. That’s clear as day to see that. I just want to protect my QB." https://t.co/dT71BaeHlJ
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) November 26, 2021
The hit on Allen didn't throw off his game. Despite continuing his turnover proneness, he tossed four touchdowns in a rout over the Saints while on the road. The Bills won 31-6 and improved to 7-4 on the season. It was a major win for Buffalo, who is now tied with the New England Patriots for the top spot in the AFC East.
Not losing Allen to injury is a great stroke of luck for Buffalo. Unfortunately, they did lose cornerback Tre'Davious White for the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear in the victory over New Orleans.
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