During the Buffalo Bills' loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, Josh Allen took a hard hit where his head smashed against the turf, forcing him to leave the game. Many assumed after watching the replay that Allen would be done for the day after the nasty spill, but that wasn't the case.
Allen quickly returned to the game to try and lead a comeback for the Bills, who eventually dropped their second straight game in a 23-20 loss. After the game, the NFL and the NFLPA stated that the concussion protocol had been properly followed in Allen's evaluation, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Despite the public investigation results, fans were still skeptical of the fact that Allen was allowed to return and didn't hesitate to question the concussion protocol.
“That's some BS, we all saw he lost consciousness…how does he get back on the field after that?” one fan commented on X, formerly Twitter. Another added, “Ah yes the smelling salts protocol, that’s my favorite one.”
Allen was also dealing with an ankle injury during the game, but still was able to finish the contest. However, it ended up being one of the worst days of his career, as the star quarterback finished just 9-for-30 with 131 yards and a touchdown.
Is it time to worry about the Bills offense?
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The Bills have come crashing down to Earth after a scorching hot 3-0 start, dropping two games in unconvincing fashion against the Ravens and Texans. In both games, Josh Allen and the offense were stuck in the mud a little bit, which was a stark contrast from their stellar showings over the first three weeks.
The Texans and the Ravens shut the Bills down by playing a lot of man coverage and challenging the Buffalo receivers to beat them in one-on-one matchups, and they failed to do it more often than not. In both matchups, the absence of Stefon Diggs was really felt. Additionally, Khalil Shakir missed the game in Houston, leaving Allen without anybody who could get separation downfield.
The Bills offense suffered as a result. Allen was constantly forced to fend for himself, and the offense was unable to provide a consistent running game to keep them ahead of the sticks. At times in past seasons, Allen has been forced to enter hero-ball mode to keep the offense moving, which is something that he's more than capable of. However, asking him to do that on a down-to-down basis isn't a sustainable way of doing things on offense.
Shakir's return will help assuage some of those concerns, but he is still not the level of receiver that truly changes the offense. The Bills could target someone like Davante Adams on the trade market to try and bolster the pass-catching group, but there are plenty of bidders for Adams' services. For now, unless something changes, the Bills offense will continue to be a very volatile unit.