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The injury incident

In the first quarter of Buffalo’s 23-19 loss to Houston, Allen was tackled hard from behind by Texans’ edge rusher William Anderson Jr.

Allen landed awkwardly on the field and remained on the turf for several seconds in visible discomfort. The hit appeared to target Allen’s left side, and he told reporters after the game, “I’m OK … left shoulder. Landed on it(shoulder). Went a little numb on me. We’re good.”

Buffalo Rumblings confirmed that Allen did not miss a single offensive snap, returned after the hit, and was seen shaking out his right hand later in the game.

His final stats stand at 24-of-34 passing for 253 yards and two interceptions. The Bill’s offensive line allowed a career-high eight sacks.

The quick return and post-game comments from Allen suggest that the injury is not believed to be serious at present.

Allens’ durability- a hallmark of his career

Allen’s durability has been a hallmark of his career. His ability to absorb hits and still lead the offence is a strength of the team.

But the volume of sacks (eight) and the severity of the hit raise concerns about protection and future risk.

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This is the sole reason why the NFL introduced the new kickoff rule, where the kicking team lines up on one half of the field and the return team on the other half, a little behind in the field. This is specifically intended to reduce high-speed collisions and encourage more returns.

Head coach Sean McDermott worriedly said, “When they hit the quarterback 12 times, I don’t like that. … It’s just not a good formula to keep our quarterback healthy for the rest of the season.”