Playing through the pain is part of the job description of an NFL quarterback. This is something Josh Allen had to do Sunday afternoon as he dealt with a damaged nail on his thumb.
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Allen headed to the sidelines midway through a dominant 31-7 win at home after a hit from linebacker Nik Bonitto. The CBS Sports cameras showed that Allen had ripped off part of the nail on his throwing hand, leaving an exposed bloody section.
The cameras then showed a member of the training staff putting glue on Allen's thumb. Meanwhile, Tony Romo and Jim Nantz joked about manicures and pedicures.
YIKES: #Bills quarterback Josh Allen had to rip off the nail on his thumb.
😬
That looks extremely painful.pic.twitter.com/2e1rK2f6Re
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 12, 2025
"That's playoff football for you," one NFL fan posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Many others weighed in on the conversation with a variety of comments. Some doubted the severity of the injury while another indicated that they had felt this same pain while playing football.
Regardless of the severity of the nail injury, Allen showed that he was not limited during this pivotal playoff game. He completed 20 of his 26 attempted passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed eight times for 46 yards while converting important third downs.
One throw was improbable, to say the least. Allen dropped back on fourth down from the Broncos' 24.5-yard line. He danced around in the pocket before launching a pass to the end zone.
Running back Ty Johnson made a diving reception in which he slid on his knee at the back of the end zone. Somehow, he kept his feet elevated long enough for the play to count as a score.
WOW.
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/hwHQskhBo3
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 12, 2025
This touchdown pass proved to be a standout moment for the Bills. It increased the lead from 13-7 to 19-7. The Bills then added a two-point conversion to make the score 21-7.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the Broncos showed life early with a history-making touchdown on the opening drive, but these were the only points scored by Sean Payton's team. The Broncos were unable to generate much offense for the rest of the day.
The result was that the Bills moved on to the second round of the playoffs while the Broncos headed into the offseason. Now Allen will have time for his nail to heal.
