In the closing minutes of the Buffalo Bills’ home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, it was clear that star wide receiver Stefon Diggs wasn’t too happy with quarterback Josh Allen.
The 10-27 loss didn’t produce Allen’s best performance, as the result clearly shows. He finished 25 of 42 in the snowy Buffalo weather for 265 yards with no touchdown passes and an interception. His only touchdown of the day was on the floor.
Diggs saw 10 goals from Allen to lead the Bills, but he only caught four of them for 35 yards. There were times when Allen narrowly missed what looked like big games to Diggs, but receiver frustration came after the game’s penultimate drive when the Bills flipped it on downs.
Down 17 years, one would think Diggs would be targeted by Allen, as has been the case all season. But Allen looked at Diggs just once on that 10-play drive, leading to an incompletion when BJ Hill hit the intended pass at the line of scrimmage.
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Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills kneels on the floor after a game against the Cincinnati Bengals during the third quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York.
(Bryan M Bennett/Getty Images)
On the 4th and 6th, Allen also scrambled to the right to extend the drive and it seemed like Diggs was a bit open in the end zone. Instead, Allen threw it to Gabriel Davis, who dropped a 3rd and 2nd pass earlier in the game that killed the previous drive, and he couldn’t catch it.
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At that moment, Diggs appeared to say a few words to Allen on the touchline, throwing his arms in the air while the quarterback ignored him and looked at his tablet.
As if that wasn’t enough, Diggs also reportedly booked it from the Bills’ dressing room before many came down the tunnel after the final whistle. According to The Athletic, it was the practice team running back Duke Johnson, an NFL veteran, that kept Diggs from leaving the stadium.
Diggs eventually returned to the Bills’ dressing room, but not for long.
Head coach Sean McDermott noted that Diggs was present for his post-game speech to the team prior to his departure.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) plays in the second half of an NFL wildcard playoff football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, January 15, 2023, in Orchard Park, NY
(AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
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It’s no secret that Diggs is extremely competitive, and sometimes that boils over. Buffalo was the favorite in this contest given the conditions, the fact that the Bengals were battered on their offensive line and the offense is one of the best in football.
However, Joe Burrow and the Bengals thought otherwise and made it clear they are a force in the AFC, returning to the championship for the second straight season for the first time in franchise history.
It is the second year in a row that the Bills have failed in the AFC divisional round by coming on the wrong side of a legendary game in Kansas City last season. Travis Kelce’s overtime touchdown was the winner of the back-and-forth offensive tackle that the NFL world witnessed.
Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York.
(Bryan M Bennett/Getty Images)
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But make no mistake, Diggs and Allen are a dynamic duo who still fear the league. And Diggs is going nowhere as he’s set to go free in 2028.
Scott Thompson is a sportswriter at Fox News Digital.
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