The Buffalo Bills' trip to London went poorly, with the better-rested "hometown" Jacksonville Jaguars eking out a 25-20 victory. It's hard to make any sweeping takeaways given the travel element, but one notable moment from the broadcast made headlines.
As the game went to commercial following a change of possession, Stefon Diggs was seen throwing his tablet to the ground and uttering words we can safely assume were NSFW.
Naturally, the media went to town.
Diggs famously stormed out of the arena following the Bills' postseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a game that saw Diggs engage in a heated exchange with QB Josh Allen on the sidelines. The result was a summer's worth of trade speculation before Diggs showed up (albeit, late) to training camp, played well, and silenced the noise.
Well, the noise is kicking back up — potentially for no good reason at all, according to Allen. The Pro Bowl QB spoke to reporters and explained why Diggs was upset.
"He was mad at himself for running the wrong release on a route," he said. "I'm tired of hearing all this nonsense from people… It ticks me off when people want to say something about him."
Josh Allen defends Stefon Diggs after recent sideline outburst
It's not hard to understand Allen's frustration, a frustration Diggs no doubt shares. While his outburst in the playoffs was regrettable, it's hardly a fireable offense to show emotion on the sidelines. It certainly doesn't suggest a player wants a trade or is unhappy in his role. It simply means a player is frustrated, often with themselves.
Diggs ran the wrong route, watched it back on tape, and had an extremely relatable (if slightly aggressive) reaction to his own mistake. If anything, it's proof of how much he cares about the Bills. Not how much he wants to leave.
Allen went on to call Diggs the "juice" on Buffalo's sideline, citing the wideout's energy as a propulsive force for the team. Diggs has a competitive spirit and with the Bills squarely in the postseason hunt, there will be more instances throughout the season where Diggs gets frustrated with a costly mistake.
He remains an absolute lynchpin for the Bills' explosive offense. Diggs found plenty of success in Sunday's loss, reeling in eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. That's a regular day at the office for Diggs. It's hard to knock the emotion of a player as successful as Diggs. If it works, it works.
The 29-year-old has a claim to the title of best WR in football. He's that good. He also has a great QB on his side. Allen continues to go to bat for Diggs in the media, which should continue to strengthen their rapport on and off the field.
