A horse collar in Gridiron Football happens when a defensive player grabs the back collar or rear shoulders of an offensive player to aggressively pull him down to the ground in order to make him lose the ball. It is an illegal move in the NFL and has been banned from the league since 2005. On the contrary, an intentional grounding occurs when a passer feels pressurized by the opposite defense and sees his pass might not get completed before reaching a receiver, but throws it, anyway. This play is considered a foul in Gridiron rules as well, and the defending team receives a penalty 5 yards away from the spot.

But did Josh Allen just land on the wrong end of decisions in the game against the Eagles? Social media thinks so. And it has raised questions about the officiating as well, with video evidence supposedly hinting the play was a tackle and not a grounding which the QB was penalized for.

Did Josh Allen get robbed by the referees?

During the final minutes of the second quarter between the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick intercepted Allen in a violent manner. He looked to have grabbed a hold of the QB’s collar and back of the neck and took Allen down after a swirl. Allen’s jersey was also ripped in the process, demonstrating the strength applied in the tackle by Reddick.

But the referee in charge made an interesting call. Raddick wasn’t penalized for a Horse Collar tackle, which the commentators initially assumed. Instead, Allen got called for an intentional grounding, after a few video reviews. And that isn’t sitting well with pundits and social media users. Some questioned if the decision was right, while some even stated the reaction of fellow players available on the spot.

However, the Eagles saw the better of it in a nail-biting battle. They just managed to edge past the Bills despite going down in overtime. And the result pushes the two franchises towards two very different routes.

Eagles persist, tougher time for Josh Allen

While a loss against the Bills wouldn’t have changed the scenario by large margins, the Eagles didn’t let them ruin their streak further. They held onto their nerves and fought their way through a continuous assault from Josh Allen. He not only accounted for 29-51 for 339 yards with 2 touchdowns, but also carried 9 passes for 81 yards for 2 further touchdowns. In a game when homeboy Jalen Hurts didn’t shine the brightest, the WRs and RBs did their job perfectly to snitch the victory from under the Bills’ nose.

Jan 2, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) reacts to the injury of safety Damar Hamlin (not pictured) during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY SportsThe motivated Bills on the other side were playing for a cause, and the cause was to keep a playoff chance alive. That may still be possible, but the equation just got a lot more complex with six losses to their name. Only 3 teams other than the division leaders will make it to the playoffs, and many of them stand on the same bandwidth with the Bills if not better. A realistic example would be the NFC East’s Cowboys, who, despite being in second place behind the Eagles, have an impressive 8-3 to show for. It will be harder for fellow second-placed teams such as the Bills to cover that gap with only six games remaining in the season.

Read More: Does The Surname ‘Brady’ Automatically Improve Team’s Offense? Bills Seem To Agree

And things keep getting increasingly tougher for them from here on. After facing last season’s runner-up, the Bills will take on the defending champion Chiefs next on Sunday, December 10. And that will follow up with arguably the best second-placed team in the league right now, the Cowboys. On paper, Allen and co. aren’t a favorite to win either of these matches, and that means a potential 6-8 is awaiting in the season. A miracle is needed now to push them to the playoffs, but will Josh Allen or anyone else be able to create it?

Watch This Story: Here’s Why Fans Consider Fortnite Season X to Be Incomplete