With the help of the incredible duo quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, the Buffalo Bills have recently cut short the mighty Miami Dolphins’ winning streak. After embarrassing the Dolphins in the last week, the Bills went down to the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday.
With a 20-25 loss in week 5, the Bills are now sitting in the second spot of the AFC East division with a 3-2 mark. Besides on-field rivalry, fans and viewers were treated to an unexpected moment of humor in the match when Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen decided to get creative on the field with his audibles.
What is an audible in the NFL?
Audibles, also called automatic, checkoff, have always served as a crucial aspect of football which are commonly used to change the original play based on the rival team’s formation or to confuse the defense. These audibles are used by the signal-callers of the team to adjust plays at the line of scrimmage based on the defensive alignment they witness.
The exact meaning of these on-field jargons sometimes remains a mystery for the fans and analysts. However, over time, sports enthusiasts got to know the meaning of some popular audibles like the Pro Football Hall of Fame Payton Meaning’s “Omaha”, which was used as a signal to change the play, usually after calling two plays in the huddle.
A QB can call as many audibles as he wants, albeit he can get time to call usually two audibles at the line of scrimmage before the play clock of the game reaches zero. However, it indeed needs quick thinking and incredible communication within the team to put to effect.
Josh Allen called ‘LeBron James’ audible during the Bills-Jaguars game
During the game between the Bills and the Jaguars at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England, Josh Allen approached the line of scrimmage and began barking out signals to his teammates. Instead of using any football terminology or calling out numbers and formations, the QB reportedly yelled “LeBron James!” at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of everyone on the field and in the stands.
The moment quickly went viral on social media, with everyone sharing their thoughts and reactions to the hilarious audible. Even the NBA superstar LeBron himself took notice of the audible while wondering the meaning of it.
It is also possible that the call might not be audible at all. Instead, it is a dummy cadence used to confuse the Jaguars defense into thinking Allen was changing the play, as noted by the former New England Patriots defensive end Jabaal Sheard in 2018. However, at the end, Buffalo ended up running a pass play that their QB completed to wide receiver Gabe Davis who picked up 10 yards.
What’s your take on Josh Allen’s bizarre audible? Tell us in the comments.
