A Colts defensive player had a solid excuse for hitting Bills QB Josh Allen but the NFL punished him anyway

The Indianapolis Colts suffered their largest loss of the season to the Buffalo Bills in Week 10 by a score of 30 to 20. And the NFL is making the loss even worse for one player with the news of them fining a key Cotls defender who might have punched Bills QB Josh Allen.  Colts DE […]

Destin Adams NFL News Writer
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Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen watches the action on the field Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts suffered their largest loss of the season to the Buffalo Bills in Week 10 by a score of 30 to 20. 

And the NFL is making the loss even worse for one player with the news of them fining a key Cotls defender who might have punched Bills QB Josh Allen. 


Colts DE Dayo Odeyingbo fined for punching Bills QB Josh Allen in the helmet 

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) evades tackle by Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (54) on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The NFL fined Dayo Odeyingbo $10,919.00 for striking Bills QB Josh Allen, which the league ruled was "Unnecessary Roughness." Usually, if a player punches another player on the field, I'd say the fine is warranted. In this case, I feel for Odeyingbo, as it was very clear what he was trying to do. 

During the play, the Bills picked up a big first down using Allen on a quarterback sneak. With the pile still moving, Odeyingbo tried to punch the ball out. He threw multiple punches, and a few of them made contact with the Bills' quarterback's helmet. It's certainly an example of the video looking a lot worse than the actual play. 

Odeyingbo had no intent of hitting Allen with his fists;  the contact was incidental. The play was not flagged during live game action, but the video was too much for the league to let go. Hopefully, Odeyingbo will not let this deter him from trying to punch a ball out in the future, especially with the Colts' defense excelling in that area this season.