The Buffalo Bills suffered their second consecutive loss of the season, marking another rough outing for Josh Allen. However, things could have been far worse for the quarterback in the 4th quarter when, after undergoing an injury check—including a concussion evaluation—officials allowed him to return to the game.
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According to an injury expert, Dr. Jesse Morse, Allen appears to have suffered a concussion but was allowed to return after using smelling salts, for which they should have penalized the Bills.
According to the doctor, they took a huge gamble with their QB’s health because a second concussion could have led to second-impact syndrome, which is often lethal.
Josh Allen appears to have SUFFERED A CONCUSSION, they gave him SMELLING SALTS then allowed him to return to the game.
This should be a HUGE PENALTY and VERY risky for Josh Allen’s health.
He could have suffered another concussion which could have caused second impact… https://t.co/1d7Tl4WCCO
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) October 6, 2024
Allen took a hit in the 4th quarter after following an incompletion on third-and-8. During the tackle, he banged his head on the turf, and Bills medical staff immediately rushed to the field to his rescue.
He eventually left the field and they took him to the medical blue tent for further evaluation. Medical staff examined him for multiple injuries, including to his chest and ankle.
After the Bills’ 23-20 defeat, Allen spoke to reporters about his injuries. He mentioned that he was being evaluated for a rolled ankle and a hit to the chest when trainers called for a concussion assessment. According to him, “They flagged me for hitting my head, but felt good enough to go back in.”
He missed only one snap during that time, as he was quickly rushed back into the game while Buffalo was trailing. He finished the game with just 131 yards, completing only 9 of his 30 passes. He failed to complete a pass on five attempts after coming back.
In the game between the Dolphins and the Jets in 2022, a similar incident happened when Teddy Bridgewater took a hit to the head, much in the same way as Allen. However, unlike the Bills, Miami didn’t allow him to return.
Bridgewater was taken out while Allen was allowed to continue
In the 2022 season, Bridgewater was signed by Miami after Tua suffered head injuries. However, they didn’t anticipate that their backup would also suffer a concussion. That’s what happened in week 5 of that season as Teddy slammed his head on the field after a tackle by the Jets’ Sauce Gardner.
However, a concussion spotter quickly removed Bridgewater from the field, and he didn’t return after the evaluation. The protocols were followed that day, but they seemingly weren’t upheld today when Allen hit his head on the turf and was still cleared to play.
On the left, Teddy Bridgewater is taken out of the game by the concussion spotter.
On the right, Josh Allen is cleared to continue playing.
CONCUSSION PROTOCOL IS A JOKE@NFLOfficiating #BillsMafia #GoFins https://t.co/YcmQpmFlPt pic.twitter.com/onCCmeXkEC
— Mike McDaniel (@MikMcDaniel) October 6, 2024
The NFL’s concussion protocols are now in question, as fans and some experts seem convinced that Allen suffered a concussion but was allowed to return without proper evaluation.
However, there is no official diagnosis at present. It seems Allen did go through an evaluation and was well enough to be cleared to play.
