Sports

RGIII Says The Media Is Afraid To Criticize Josh Allen, Explains Why QB Deserves Blame For Defining 4th Down Play

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Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) rushes the ball past Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner (27) during the second half in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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The consensus among both NFL fans and analysts seems to be that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen did all he could possibly do to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game on Sunday, and that the blame for the defeat ought to be placed elsewhere: head coach Sean McDermott, the refs, Dalton Kincaid, you name it.

One person who isn’t entirely letting Josh Allen off the hook, however, is former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, whose been known to take the contrarian route over the years.

While appearing as a guest on Kay Adams’ Up & Adams show, RGIII said that the media isn’t calling out Allen’s apparent failure to change his protection on the game-defining fourth down play because there’s a “fear” to criticize the Buffalo Bills quarterback.

“No one has pointed this out last night and earlier today. I’ve watched the tape back multiple times, Josh Allen could have actually adjusted the protection and got that blitz picked up. But no one is talking about that because I think there’s a fear right now amongst the media to criticize Josh Allen because he’s been so great. And I do think Josh Allen is a great quarterback,” Griffin prefaced his analysis.

“But they’re in an empty formation, they motion Khalil Shakir into the backfield and have him run that bubble, If Josh Allen simply, I don’t know what they call it, but it’s an R/L call and it borrows the backside guard and takes them to the right. They would have been able to pick up the blitz and he would have had an opportunity to hit Dalton Kincaid for a massive gain with the entire play opened up.”

Reactions to the former Heisman Trophy winner’s analysis of the play have been mixed, with some praising Griffin for speaking the truth and others giving Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo credit for a good call in a big moment.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, for example, disagreed (albeit indirectly) with RGIII’s interpretation of play, saying that the blitz Spags called was “impossible” to pick up.

“This blitz is impossible to pick up with a 5 man protection. The hope is that you are protected inside/out so the free rushers are coming from the edges not up the middle,” Fitzpatrick, famously one of the smartest quarterback to ever play in the NFL,” Fitz tweeted on Monday.

“The two things that could have helped but hard to know presnap were sliding the line to the right and having a free edge rusher to your left (where a good quick throw to Shakir was) or anticipating blitz in the play call and leaving in more protectors or at least chippers Spags loves the FS blitz in big time moments and when the single WR has a cut split the FS blitz turns into a corner blitz which is much harder to detect.”

In the 32-29 loss to the Chiefs, bringing his record to 0-4 against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid in the playoffs, Allen completed 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, while also carrying the ball 11 times for 39 yards. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to get past the Chiefs, who are seeking to win a historic third straight NFL championship if they can overcome the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9.