Like it or not, Josh Allen has a knack for putting defenders in a tough spot. When he takes off and runs, he’ll wait until the last possible moment to slide. By then, the linebacker has already committed to finishing the tackle. The contact looks rough, flags come out, and Allen walks away with 15 yards. Risky for him, maddening for the defense. And so, he did it again against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Allen tucked it and took off, then hit the brakes into a late slide. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen was already barreling in and delivered a hard shot he couldn’t pull up from. He will likely see a fine in his locker later this week.

“When Josh Allen does slide in and is down by contact, Patrick Queen kinda has not committed to the tackle yet. But I think it’s a late hit because Josh Allen is already clearly down before Queen makes a committed tackle to him, so I think there’s something there for a late hit,” the commentator said as the incident took place.

It came on a second-and-three, with Allen picking up a yard to the right before sliding.

Queen arrived a beat too late, but somehow there was no penalty on the field. For a play that usually draws automatic laundry, the non-call surprised everyone.

Under league rules, a first late-hit offense can carry a fine of up to $11,593, jumping to $17,389 if it’s the second one of the season. So, Queen could be staring at a hefty fine from the league office by Saturday, on the Gameday Accountability report. After all, many analysts thought Pittsburgh should’ve been hit with 15 yards on the spot.

Even Allen was upset that no flag was thrown. He showed his frustration by throwing his hands up in the air after the play. Running back James Cook was seen demanding a flag while the Bills’ offensive line immediately confronted Queen. That led to chaos on the sidelines.

But it doesn’t end there. That late hit and no flag changed the way the Bills played.

The team became more physical. They turned it up at halftime.

On the other hand, while Queen avoided punishment, he had to leave the game later due to an injury.

Patrick Queen exits the Bills game after a painful hit

A few snaps after the hit on Josh Allen, Patrick Queen found himself on the wrong side of another collision. Midway through a Bills drive, the Steelers linebacker came up hobbled after what looked like a routine run stop. He tried to shake it off, took a few steps, then went down and stayed there.

Trainers hurried out, and after a minute on the turf, Queen was able to get up and make his way to the blue tent under his own power. The team called it a hip injury, and Steelers senior director of communications Burt Lauten announced Queen was questionable to return.

“UPDATE: Patrick Queen (hip) has been downgraded to OUT for the rest of today’s game,” Lauten posted.

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Before walking away, the player recorded six total tackles and a fumble recovery. So, Malik Harrison handled the responsibilities, but it was obvious that Pittsburgh was losing.

For a defense that’s already been stretched thin, losing a player like Queen in the middle of a game like this is a gut punch. They needed him for the second half of this matchup, and they’ll need him even more for whatever comes next. For now, all they can do is hope the injury doesn’t turn into a long-term problem.

Pittsburgh is next scheduled to face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14.