A late hit on Josh Allen led to a potential momentum-shifting Bills-Dolphins fight
As the Buffalo Bills cruised along in their AFC Wild Card matchup, the Miami Dolphins were looking for an opening. Anything that might rattle the AFC East champions enough to crack open the door and come back from a multiple-score deficit on the road. With third-stringer Skylar Thompson playing quarterback for the Dolphins, finding any extra edge would be paramount.
We saw a perfect example of the Dolphins’ strategy after a late second-quarter Josh Allen interception. While Miami’s Xavien Howard picked the stud QB off on an errant deep toss, defensive lineman Christian Wilkins took some apparent liberties with Allen after the throw.
Allen, understandably, took exception to Wilkins’ antics, and a moderately-sized fight eventually broke out between the two divisional rival teams:
Xavien Howard makes a massive play! INT off Josh Allen.pic.twitter.com/upITzg4JBs
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 15, 2023
Nice play and hands by Howard!
Josh Allen vs Christian Wilkins
Allen is so big for a QB.pic.twitter.com/AWL2CoAIUb
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 15, 2023
Not a nice play by Wilkins!
But at least Allen is a rather large quarterback — a listed 6-foot-5, 237 pounds — and can defend himself, even against 300-plus-pound men like Wilkins. Once the physical exchange happened between these two, there was no way the Bills would let Wilkins get off unscathed.
Again, I totally understand the response. Look at how fast they swarmed him. Once more, a lesson to all defenders: Don’t touch the QB away from the play or between the whistles.
Brawl!pic.twitter.com/jwLmH5qSZQ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 15, 2023
If this is how the Dolphins want to win this game, by getting in the Bills’ head, I don’t think it’s a very sustainable strategy. Though, Miami started to stymie Buffalo more after this whole mess, going on a 14-0 run — picking off Allen again — to close the first half and stay within a three-point margin.
So, I guess playing outside the margins a bit couldn’t hurt to try for an underdog like Miami. But then again, given this incident — it seems like it would hurt to try! At least in the moment when Wilkins received the full wrath of the Bills’ team for getting into it with Allen.