The Buffalo Bills were dealing with several injuries walking into their first game at the new Highmark Stadium. Running back Ty Johnson was injured, and so was safety Cole Bishop. Add defensive lineman T.J. Sanders to the questionable list, and the fact that defensive tackle Ed Oliver injured his hip during warm-ups, and things looked a bit wobbly. But truth be told, behind the scenes, something more was unfolding that very few people knew about.

It was Josh Allen. He was unwell, shivering in the hot tub before the game, and absolutely refused to get admitted to the hospital, as revealed by Richard Sherman on Prime’s Thursday Night Football post-match show. What did Allen have to say about it?

“I mean, I’m just trying to do my job,” Josh Allen replied, satisfied that his team won 41-31. “Help this team in football games. It’s easy to do when you’ve got a left tackle like this, and all-around like I do.”

Despite it all, Josh Allen put up solid numbers on the field.

Against the Lions, Allen finished 20-of-31 for 248 yards and three passing touchdowns, while adding 69 rushing yards and two rushing scores.

It was almost like Michael Jordan’s flu-game in the 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5. Jordan was sick, suffered from flu-like symptoms, and was also dehydrated. But despite it all, he recorded 38 points against the Utah Jazz, in what he once called the “most difficult thing I’ve ever done.” Allen will surely relate to this.

No wonder Sherman suggested, “You didn’t want to get admitted, but you were having a flu game.”

His persistence paid off! As per ESPN Insights, he is the first player in the league with 3+ pass TD and 3+ rush TD in his team’s first two games of a season since 1960.

The victory meant more than simply christening Buffalo’s new stadium with a win. The Bills completely dismantled Detroit’s defense, and the fact that Allen played through illness and wasn’t at his best says a lot about how lopsided the contest was.

Also, this isn’t the first time he has pushed himself through illness. Last year, Josh Allen helped the Buffalo Bills come back from a 21-point deficit to beat the New England Patriots 35-31, even though he had an upset stomach during the game. The Bills quarterback was caught on camera throwing up on the sideline in the fourth quarter.

The incident did not stop Allen from playing. He quickly returned to the field and continued leading the Bills’ offense. “If they don’t catch it every game, I don’t know,” Allen said after the Patriots game. “It basically happens every game. If I don’t get enough out pregame, it usually happens at halftime.

“If I don’t get enough at halftime, it usually happens in the third or fourth quarter. I don’t know why I do it. It just happens. It’s due to nothing else other than just a weird feeling. Just gotta get it out.”

The same determination showed up again back in 2023, when Josh Allen revealed after the Bills’ win over the Giants that he had hurt his shoulder during the first half (second quarter). Despite the injury, Allen stayed in the game and continued playing. He even threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

So, it’s been his habit to push himself through adversity. Plus, the win justifies it. Even head coach Joe Brady couldn’t hold back his praise for Allen.

“The only difference is now I’m on the field watching it, and it’s actually kind of more amazing,” Brady said after the Lions game. “He literally gave everything he had out there, and he put the team on his back in a lot of those situations.”

Later on, Allen also mentioned how he got emotional before the game in the new Highmark Stadium.

“I caught myself taking it all in and understanding how cool it is to do what I get to do. My job is the coolest in the world,” Allen said. “It’s everything I ever wanted, to be the quarterback of an NFL franchise. I’m just very fortunate to have ended up in Buffalo.”

However, the team also faced major injury setbacks.

Buffalo Bills injury setbacks

The Buffalo Bills dealt with an injury concern involving D.J. Moore late in the second quarter. Moore was hurt while trying to make a catch from Josh Allen in the end zone, but landed awkwardly on his left side and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation.

Moore was checked for a shoulder injury and a possible stinger. After being examined, he was ruled out for the rest of the game, leaving Buffalo without him for the second half.

Keon Coleman also briefly went down around the same time. He appeared to be dealing with an ankle problem, but was able to get up and walk off the field without help. Coleman returned just two plays later and continued playing.

Before the game against the Lions, Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver hurt his hip during warmups. The injury came just before kickoff, and he was later ruled inactive, meaning he could not play against Detroit.

Now, with so many injuries piling up, it will be interesting to see how the team holds up against the Chargers in the coming week.