-
Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNSep 8, 2024, 06:55 PM ET
- Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer who covers the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her via Twitter @agetzenberg.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen‘s second rushing touchdown Sunday was a leaping effort into the end zone over Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker that put the team up by two scores in the fourth quarter, but the landing appeared to leave Allen with a left hand injury.
After leaping over Baker, Allen put his hands around the football to brace for impact as defensive lineman Justin Jones tried to push the quarterback from falling into the end zone. As a result, Allen landed with his left (non-throwing) hand around the ball and underneath him.
“The first rushing touchdown, I kind of lowered the shoulder, knowing that was a corner,” Allen said. “Second time, I knew it was Budda, and Budda’s a good player and he’ll lay the boom on you, so I decided to go up and over, but probably can’t make a living doing that, but here we are.”
The Bills went on to recover from a 17-3 deficit with less than three minutes remaining in the first half to win 34-28.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
Allen’s left hand and wrist were wrapped by athletic trainers on the sideline after the score, and he played the remainder of the game. He said afterward that his hand was “fine.” When asked whether he would be getting X-rays, Allen said, “Well, probably, yeah, don’t know yet.” After the game and his news conference, Allen briefly went into the X-ray room at the stadium. He did not have his hand wrapped in the postgame locker room.
“Again, we’ll find out — I’m not quite sure,” Allen said. “I’m not a doctor. But just kind of landed on it, I guess.”
The Bills have a quick turnaround with a trip to the Miami Dolphins for “Thursday Night Football” in Week 2. Coach Sean McDermott said in his postgame news conference that he did not have enough information to give an update on any of the team’s injuries.
“Yeah, always concerned anytime anybody is hurt,” McDermott said. “In this case, for sure Josh. I’ll know more, again, hopefully in the next couple of hours. Maybe even when I walk back through the hallway here, so always concerned.”
Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson left the game on the first drive with a forearm injury. Defensive back Cam Lewis filled in for Johnson and had multiple big plays, which left backup cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram to take on more of a role in the team’s dime package, including defending the Cardinals’ final fourth-down incompletion to end the game.
Allen recovered from a less-than-ideal start to the game with a sack-fumble on the first drive by completing 18 of 23 passes (78.3%) for 232 yards and two touchdowns. He also had nine carries for 39 yards and the two rushing touchdowns.
He became the fifth player in NFL history with multiple touchdowns both passing and rushing in a season opener, and the first since Troy Aikman in 1998. It was Allen’s fourth career game with multiple touchdowns in the air and on the ground, tying Steve Young for the most such games in NFL history.
“I’m always trying to keep my eyes on [Allen],” McDermott said. “We were talking at my locker room after and someone was saying, ‘Hey, Josh had this guy over on this play?’ And I’m like, ‘I just keep my eyes on him most of the time just to make sure he’s doing all right and making sure that he’s not hit late or whatever.'”
