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Ryan Fitzpatrick thinks history is on Josh Allen's side post-Hailee Steinfeld proposal

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick provided some historical evidence that suggests that Josh Allen may shine in his first game post-engagement.
Anthony Miller|
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If history with regard to quarterback engagements is any indication, Buffalo Bills field general Josh Allen could be in for a monster game when his team hosts the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.

Allen dominated headlines after Thanksgiving when he announced his engagement to actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld. The news prompted a bevy of reactions from fans across social media, with many suggesting that the NFL MVP frontrunner was due for an excellent performance in his first game post-proposal. Former Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is among those who believe this could be the case, turning to Twitter on Sunday morning to write about how he played in his first game post-engagement to his now-wife Liza

It was November of 2005, Fitzpatrick then a rookie quarterback for the St. Louis Rams after being the team's seventh-round pick out of Harvard. The Rams were taking on the one-win Houston Texans in a Week 12 bout, with nobody in the stands expecting that they were about to witness the birth of an NFL folk hero.

After being down 24-3 in the third quarter, the then third-string Fitzpatrick led the Rams on a massive comeback that included three touchdown passes to help St. Louis beat the Texans 33-27. He finished with 310 passing yards and 23 rushing yards in the win.

These types of moments would ultimately result in the quarterback earning the nickname "Fitzmagic," and he would have several more of them throughout his 17-year NFL career (including four with the Bills). He threw for over 3,000 yards in three of his four seasons with Buffalo, and while the team didn't have a winning season with Fitzpatrick as the starter, he still provided plenty of great moments as the quarterback.

Bills fans hope that there's some actual historical precedent here with regard to quarterbacks playing superbly post-engagement, as a win against the 49ers would secure Buffalo its fifth consecutive AFC East title. Allen also only needs one score in order to become the team's all-time leader in touchdowns; if Fitzpatrick has a bit of extra magic to spare, perhaps he could lend some to Allen this evening.

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Anthony Miller
ANTHONY MILLER

Anthony is currently writing for Buffalo Bills on SI with over six years of sports journalism experience. He also covers sports video games for Esports Illustrated. He initially joined the On SI family in 2023 covering the UFL and CFL

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