Cam Heyward accuses Josh Allen of intentionally kneeing him during Bills' win

Josh Allen is used to knees in victory formation. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward is accusing the Buffalo Bills quarterback of delivering a knee to his stomach.

Heyward said Allen intentionally struck him during the Bills' 26–7 win on Sunday, triggering a game-long feud. The 15-year veteran said a dirty play by Allen set him off.

"Being kneed in my stomach and then just jawing back and forth," Heyward, 36, told reporters postgame. "And then ticked off the entire game because as a quarterback they're protected but I'm not. It just pisses me off."

The incident happened in the second quarter after Allen converted a third-and-3 run and stayed on the turf momentarily as bodies untangled. When Heyward stood up, he pressed his helmet into Allen’s facemask as the two shouted, with sideline microphones picking up profanity. Officials and Bills linemen stepped in as Heyward pointed and barked from across the line.

Heyward, a seven-time Pro Bowler and the NFL’s 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year, said the confrontation began because Allen deliberately drove a knee into his midsection.

“Yes," Heyward said when asked if Allen did it on purpose. “He even said after, you know, "I had to do something to get you off me.’”

The tension between the two boiled over repeatedly throughout the game.

The animosity resurfaced later in the drive when Allen slid and was hit by linebacker Patrick Queen, touching off another shoving match between both tams. Queen was injured on the next snap, and Heyward continued exchanging words with Allen during the stoppage.

In the fourth quarter, Allen threw a 1-yard touchdown to rookie Keon Coleman on fourth-and-goal. Heyward was in Allen's face on the throw and then knocked into his helmet. Allen celebrated by shouting in Heyward's face and Heyward was flagged for taunting.

Allen's response to Heyward confrontations

Allen, 29, did not mention the alleged knee in his postgame press conference but admitted the in-game hostility gave him a boost.

“Maybe a little bit," Allen said. “I love the competitiveness of this game. He’s such a great player. Sometimes you need fire like that to get you going.”

Allen finished with one passing and one rushing touchdown as the Bills scored 26 unanswered points.

The Bills quarterback won the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award last season, the same year an ESPN player poll voted him the NFL’s “biggest trash-talking quarterback.”

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Cam Heyward accuses Josh Allen of dirty play to set off confrontations