The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills faced off in a chippy contest on Sunday, with one player facing potential punishment for a hit on Josh Allen.
The Bills focused on their rushing game in the 26-7 win, setting an all-time record for a Steelers’ opponent. Though running back James Cook led the way for the Bills, Allen also took a heavy workload on the ground.
One of those runs ended in controversy, with Allen taking an apparent late hit that was not called. Though linebacker Patrick Queen got away without giving the Bills an extra 15 yards, he could put himself in danger of facing an NFL fine when the league announces them next week.
Late Hit Draws Controversy
As SI.com’s Randy Gurzi noted, Buffalo’s run-heavy approach included Allen keeping the ball on a number of designed runs — something that has become more of a rarity as the Bills have taken more measures to protect their franchise quarterback from hits.
As Gurzi noted, one of the runs ended with a hard hit on a sliding Allen — and no penalty on the Steelers.
“That’s led to multiple runs from Josh Allen, including one late in the second quarter that should have resulted in a 15-yard penalty,” Gurzi wrote. “Allen, who had to escape pressure from [Edge rusher J.J.] Watt, ran for one yard and slid down just short of the sticks. As he slid, Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen hit Allen hard, sparking outrage on the bench.”
Even though Queen was not flagged, the NFL reviews all plays during the week and announces fines even for those that were not caught by officials.
The hit did attract some controversy, with many criticizing officials for not calling what appeared to be a clear late hit after Allen had given himself up on the run.
Josh Allen Praises Offensive Line
The Bills rushed for 249 total yards in the game, the most ever by a Steelers opponent in a game in Pittsburgh. They did it with a patchwork offensive line, as right tackle Spencer Brown and left tackle Dion Dawkins were both ruled out of the game with injuries.
After the game, Allen praised the unit for paving the way for the ground attack.
“I’m so proud of my O-line, everyone stepping up,” Allen said, adding, “We’ve got to find a way to start winning these football games on a cold, wintry night against an AFC North opponent. We found a way.”
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