Josh Allen and the Bills played a game they want to forget in Week 5, when they lost 25-20 to the Jaguars in London, but it will be fondly remembered by NFL fans.
It wasn’t because of how Buffalo performed in the game; It’s because of one of the voices Allen makes in it.
With 11:58 left in the second quarter and the Bills at the Jacksonville 25-yard line, Allen approached the line of scrimmage and looked at the Jaguars defense. Then he saw something he liked or didn’t like and called on Buffalo to change the way it plays.
In doing so, he called out the name of one of the most famous athletes in the world.
“LeBron James,” I yelled. “LeBron James.”
Bill hits the sound of “LEBRON JAMES” 😂 @KingJames
📺： #JAXvsBUF on NFL Network
📱: Live broadcast #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/xh7kO4Xp5J– NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023
Naturally, the sound piqued the interest of NFL viewers. While it didn’t end up being a huge drama, it got a lot of attention from fans and even James himself.
Since then, Allen has continued to occasionally use the title “LeBron James.” He also used the names of several other athletes, including several NFL players, when he called out at the line of scrimmage.
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Here’s what Allen had to say about LeBron James’ voice and how the play ultimately sealed the win for the Bills.
What’s the voice of Josh Allen’s LeBron James?
Allen said the LeBron James speaker was appropriately named. When asked about it, the Bills quarterback described it as “one of our best games.”
“We run it a lot,” Allen said, according to Syracuse.com.
That said, the outcome of the game in that situation doesn’t exactly make it look good. Allen threw an incomplete pass to the right side of the field in what looked to be a disjointed play.
This has left a lot of people wondering what LeBron James’ speakers sound like, including James himself.
I wonder what Josh Allen means when he yells “LeBron James” 🤔. Haha😂
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 8, 2023
Maybe the Bills offense didn’t understand the entire call, or maybe Jacksonville’s defense was ready for it at that moment.
Regardless, LeBron James’ failure doesn’t matter much. Allen then threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs to put the Bills up two points.
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What other vocal athletes does Josh Allen call?
LeBron James’ call may have gotten the most attention from Allen, but Allen noted it wasn’t the only smart call used by the offense.
“We have a lot of code words,” Allen told Syracuse.com. “So I’m sure during our games, especially without the noise, you’re going to hear a lot of voices. Whether it’s athletes, celebrities or whatever, the spice, like we get a lot of things in the game plan Just the same, we can call and bring fun to everyone.”
What other athletes are in Allen’s repertoire? Here are some of the calls he made during his Thursday Night Football start in Week 8 against the Buccaneers.
JR Smith
James isn’t the only NBA player to be named to Allen’s listenable list. James’ former teammate JR Smith was also selected.
During the first quarter of the Bills’ game against the Rockets, Allen called out Smith’s name. Week 8 Buccaneers game, before second-and-10 at 9:23. He then quickly passed the ball to receiver Khalil Shakir, who gained 5 yards.
Josh Allen vs. “J.R. Smith” game call. ??pic.twitter.com/zGkFbOLmXs
— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) October 27, 2023
It’s unclear what exactly Smith’s name means in connection with the play and how it differs from James’ voice. Smith averaged 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 977 career NBA games.
james adams
After hearing LeBron James’ voice again in the second quarter, Allen changed his movement in the third quarter. He started calling out Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ name before passing the ball just over three minutes into the third quarter.
Josh Allen’s vocals tonight so far:
– LeBron James
——J.R. Smith
– Jamal Adams
——Bobby Wagner pic.twitter.com/TSOU5UeXeH— Ari Meirov (@AriMeirov) October 27, 2023
Allen again quickly passed the ball to the right side of the court. Stefon Diggs caught the ball and gained 3 yards.
Adams played with Allen in the AFC East, but their careers overlapped in that division for only two seasons, 2018 and 2019. In five games against the Bills since Allen joined the team, Adams has 20 tackles, including two tackles for loss. Sacks and three passes defensed.
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Bobby Wagner
Oddly enough, Allen called out another Seahawks player on one play in the third quarter. That would be Bobby Wagner, the team’s top defender.
Allen made the announcement with 1:02 left in the third quarter. I completed another pass to Diggs, this time for 10 yards.
Wagner was a six-time All-Pro selection, twice led the NFL in tackles and had 31.5 career sacks. Perhaps Allen called out Wagner’s name to notify the linebackers of what they were doing, but as one would expect, the Bills kept the meaning of their call secret.