Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen Slams Controversial Grounding Call: 'Never Seen That!'

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was not happy with a controversial intentional grounding call at the end of the first half.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen may have been more involved with the officials in Sunday night's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals than he has been in any other game in his career.

Allen's long night with the officials began on the Bills' first drive, when he got a soft taunting penalty for pointing at a Bengals defender as he ran into the end zone. The second, and perhaps more notable, run-in with the referees came at the end of the first half, when Allen picked up a late intentional grounding penalty after failing to connect with receiver Gabe Davis. 

Allen was visibly upset with the call during the game, and he shared his frustrations in more detail after it as well.

“I’ve never seen that call in my life,” Allen said. “It’s an option route. Gabe can sit down or go. I wasn’t pressured. They decided to make that call and unfortunately didn’t allow us to get points there. I wouldn’t do anything different. I’m expecting him to run a go, he made the read to stop. That’s what it is.”

Here's a look at the penalty in question:

Josh Allen was not happy about that intentional grounding flag…

Extremely late.
pic.twitter.com/UAz957vtSK

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 6, 2023

 

Allen hands the ball off to running back James Cook / © Katie Stratman, USA TODAY

That call had a huge impact on the game as a whole. The Bills were on the Bengals' 38-yard line, so they could have attempted a long field goal just before halftime. With the 15-yard penalty, the half came to an unceremonious end with Buffalo still trailing by 14 points.

“It’s a huge swing. Whether it’s three or six coming out of the half, scoring on back-to-back drives and getting yourself some momentum, that’s huge in a game, especially against a good team like we just played,” Allen said.

Buffalo ended the game with five penalties to Cincinnati's six, although both teams lost an equal 49 yards to flags. The officiating isn't an excuse for the Bills' loss, but they're now left to pick up the pieces and move on.