Many people reacted to Jonathan Jones’ hit on Josh Allen by taking a lazy, incorrect stance: Jones delivered a dirty hit that, at the very least, warranted ejection from the game. Yes, the optics were bad — Jones did make contact with Allen’s head — but the Buffalo Bills quarterback, who left the game and is in concussion protocol, lowered his helmet and initiated the contact.
But forget what the replays and various camera angles show you. Ultimately, this play featured a player fighting for a first down, and another player refusing to let him reach it — it was a football play. Not all helmet-to-helmet contact spawns from nefarious intentions.
Alas, that didn’t stop the Buffalo News from taking a predictably biased stance on the matter.
Check out the cover of Monday’s paper:
Unsurprisingly, the locker rooms were divided on the play after the New England Patriots’ 16-10 win at New Era Field on Sunday.
Jones and his Patriots teammates felt the play didn’t even warrant a penalty, while Bills players deployed the tired “what if that happened to Tom Brady” argument. Believe it or not, the NFL and the officials might have had the most reasoned take on the matter.
It remains to be seen whether Jones will receive further discipline for the hit. Will the NFL stick to its guns, or will it allow itself to be influenced by phony internet outrage?
If the league makes the correct call, you can bet the Buffalo News will have something to say about it.
Update (11:04 a.m. ET): The NFL reportedly will not suspend Jonathan Jones.
