Josh Allen misses second straight practice; playing status uncertain
Buffalo is set to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a much-anticipated showdown on Sunday. However, there is a chance the AFC East-leading Bills will have to do so without their superstar quarterback under center.
Josh Allen has yet to practice this week due to an elbow injury he suffered in the team's Week 9 loss to the New York Jets. Allen was injured during the final drive of the game when his elbow bent awkwardly after being hit by defensive lineman Bryce Huff. The hit prevented Allen's arm from completing a full motion, which resulted in a strip sack recovered by Buffalo.
Following the game, Allen said he was dealing with some "slight pain." He underwent tests for a UCL injury on Monday, which was related to nerves on the elbow, ESPN reported.
It was initially reported that Allen would likely be limited at practice for the Bills this week. However, the superstar QB has not practiced at all up to this point.
According to the NFL Network, the sprain in Allen's elbow is comparable to a baseball pitcher's injury, in which pain tolerance and ability to grip the ball have to be determined before playing.
While the NFL Network report said that Allen's injury isn't a major one, the fact that he's injured at all is one of the reasons FOX Sports' Emmanuel Acho is concerned about the situation.
"Even if Josh Allen is healthy enough to play, he's still going to be hurt," Acho said Thursday on "Speak." " … This is the National Football League — there’s going to be aches, there's going to be pain. But even if he's healthy enough to play, he's still going to be hurt."
Allen has enjoyed a dominant season up to this point. He currently ranks second in the NFL in passing yards per game (300.4) and passing touchdowns (19) and is third in rushing yards for a quarterback (392).
The 6-2 Bills could drop out of first place in the AFC East with a loss on Sunday, as both the Jets and Miami Dolphins sit at 6-3, which is the other reason Acho is concerned about the injury.
"The Bills are sitting there with two losses," Acho said. "The Dolphins have three. The Jets have three. The Patriots only have four. So, if Josh Allen drops a game or two due to injury, or if the Bills drop a game or two because Josh Allen is not playing or playing hurt, then all of a sudden the Bills would be on the outside looking in.
"This is not farfetched. The Bills are 0-2 in their division and the only team in that division that doesn't have a win within that division. … It is not too farfetched to look up in three weeks and have the Bills be the sixth or the seventh seed as the Dolphins or the Jets are the No. 2 or the No. 3 seed [in the AFC]."
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Craig Carton makes a bold prediction: The Buffalo Bills won't win another game if Josh Allen doesn't take the field.
Even though Bills coach Sean McDermott described Allen as "day-to-day" when addressing the media this week, Acho believes this has the potential be one of the biggest stories of the NFL season.
"I don't like how it sounds," Acho said. "I don't like how it sounds at all. I'm worried about the Bills for that reason. They are my Super Bowl pick. Josh Allen is my MVP favorite. If you care about the National Football League, you care about this story."