Dave Portnoy Asked Josh Allen To Sit Out Week 18 So The Patriots' Playoff Hopes Might Stay Alive
During Friday's Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl — no big deal — Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen — again, no big deal — jumped on the Barstool.TV cast to chop it up with Dave Portnoy, Big Cat and Jake Marsh. Many topics were covered, from the grisly footage of Jersey Jerry's ill-fated tee retrieving cameo, to the fan similarities between Allen's alma mater Wyoming and the Bills Mafia.
But a personal favorite part of mine was when El Pres, still clinging to the New England Patriots' postseason hopes, tried to convince Josh Allen how great of an idea it'd be to not risk injury, and ride the bench for Week 18. Of course, the Pats need to win out to have any hope at sneaking in as the AFC's seventh and final playoff seed. It was the ultimate gamesmanshippy type of tactic you'd expect from a man with such an entrepreneurial spirit about him, and as we all know, New England's football operation has pulled more than a few fast ones against the opposition during the Bill Belichick era.
DON'T WORRY I'm not counting Deflategate. That was bullshit. Anyway, Allen handled the exchange with Dave like a true franchise quarterback would.
El Pres: "Are the thoughts just to take that last week off and prep up for the playoffs?"
JA: "I couldn't tell you. We're focused on the Bengals right now, Monday night. It's the biggest game we got because it's the next one. Maybe Tuesday morning I can give you a better sense on that."
El Pres: "OK because just to repeat...the Patriots have to win the last two, they've got you guys...so you probably shouldn't risk injuries. Just a thought. Just a thought! Just a thought just a thought."
Hell yeah, driving home that negative reverse sell at the end. This is some Inception-type shit going on. Allen's gonna be all in his head about Week 18 after, you know, the Bengals beat that Bills ass on Monday night.
JUST KIDDING. I am the resident Bengals guy here and I know better than to jinx it.
However, I will reiterate what I've been saying amid Cincinnati's seven-game winning streak that Joe Burrow and the reigning AFC champs haven't even played a complete, 60-minute game all season. Even during this run of nothing but victories.
Just a thought to kick around for y'all New England fans as you uncomfortably root for the AFC East rival Bills on Monday and the field general who just straight-up has your number lately.
To bring it home back to the Pats, though: They are indeed alive for the playoffs, and get a big break on Sunday by going up against Dolphins backup QB Teddy Bridgewater. Unfortunately, Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion, so it'll be Teddy Two Gloves against Mac Jones in a divisional clash with massive postseason implications.
I personally don't want to see the Pats' ugly-ass, Matt Patricia-masterminded offense in the playoffs, but I'll never count Belichick out.
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