The Bills appeared ready to take a two-score lead on the Eagles when Josh Allen was made the victim of a blatant horse-collar tackle late in the first half of their Week 12 matchup.
The apparent penalty occurred with 1:30 left in the first half. Allen was ripped to the ground by Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick, who grabbed the front of Allen's jersey and the nameplate on the back before throwing him to the ground violently.
It was presumed that the officials would flag Reddick for the hit, which would set up a first-and-goal from inside the 2-yard line.
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However, there was just one problem. The officials somehow didn't see the penalty. They opted not to penalize Reddick for the hit and instead called Allen for intentional grounding.
Naturally, Allen was irate after the play. He demonstrated to officials that his jersey had ripped from the collar as a result of the tackle.
Josh Allen may need a new jersey sheesh pic.twitter.com/USIY0atiEd
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 26, 2023
CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with Allen's assessment. He told viewers that Reddick should have been called for a horse-collar tackle after his takedown of Allen.
The officials' apparent miss proved costly to the Bills. They were forced to settle for a field goal on the drive, but Tyler Bass' attempt was blocked by Eagles rookie Jalen Carter. So, they came away from the drive without logging a point.
The Bills made up for it by turning over the Eagles before halftime. Allen then found Stefon Diggs for a 13-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half to extend their lead to 17-7.
Bills extend the lead before the end of the half
— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2023
📺: #BUFvsPHI on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/1dOevJjoZZ pic.twitter.com/Wzq5trjZ5U
Still, that the Bills were denied a new set of downs after that play will likely be a sore spot among Buffalo's players, coaches and fans alike.
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What is a horse-collar tackle?
For those wondering, the NFL's horse-collar tackle rule states that players are not allowed to "grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, or grab the jersey at the name plate or above, and pull the runner toward the ground" to make a tackle.
That said, the NFL also clarifies that a player doesn't have to be tackled for a play to be ruled a horse-collar tackle. Instead, it says that "if [a runner's] knees are buckled by the action, it is a foul, even if the runner is not pulled completely to the ground." That incentivizes players to avoid reaching for the inside of the jersey or the name plate.
However, it must be noted that if a player is either a runner in the tackle box or quarterback who is in the pocket, they do not receive horse-collar protection. Thus, it only applies to players on the edge of the offensive backfield or players who are further down the field.
In either case, Allen was outside of the pocket and was clearly brought to the ground by the inside of his jersey and his name plate. Thus, a horse-collar tackle should have been called, which would have resulted in a "half the distance to the goal" penalty.
Under normal circumstances, a horse-collar tackle is flagged as a 15-yard personal foul.
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