Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Bills quarterback Josh Allen made history in a few different ways on Sunday in Buffalo's AFC East-clinching win over the San Francisco 49ers at Highmark Stadium.
Late in the second quarter, with Buffalo already leading 14-3, Allen was able to fire a strike just past the pylon to wide receiver Mack Hollins for a seven-yard touchdown strike.
The significance of this touchdown for Allen is it gave the 28-year-old his 245th career touchdown in the NFL, giving him the most total touchdowns in franchise history. Allen passes Bills' Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, who recorded 244 total touchdowns during his 11-year career in Buffalo.
Allen now only trails Kelly by 50 passing touchdowns for the all-time franchise mark, while only trailing Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas for the most rushing touchdowns in franchise history by six scores.
Then in the second half, Allen made a pair of plays to put him in unique territory in NFL lore.
With just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter and facing a 1st-and-goal at the 49ers' 7-yard line, Allen completed a short pass to his left to wideout Amari Cooper. With Cooper wrapped up and not gaining anymore ground, he found a way to lateral the ball back to Allen, who took off for the pylon to give the Bills a 28-3 lead.
The play counted not only as a passing touchdown for Allen, but also a receiving touchdown for the quarterback, despite never actually receiving credit for a reception.
Not only is it Allen's third-career receiving touchdown, second in the regular season, he also becomes the fourth player in NFL history to have a receiving touchdown on a pass he threw.
The last player to accomplish this feat was Marcus Mariota when he caught his own pass for a touchdown in a playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 AFC Wild Card Round.
Then early in the fourth quarter and facing a 2nd-and-goal at the 49ers' 8-yard line, Allen escaped pressure in the pocket, and took off for a touchdown run. That capped the scoring on the evening, giving Buffalo a 35-10 lead in front of a raucous hometown crowd at a snowy Highmark Stadium.
That score made Allen the fifth player to throw, catch and run for a touchdown, and the first quarterback to do so in the NFL since, at least, 1970.
When all was said and done for Allen in just over three quarters of action, he finished the game by going 13-of-17 for 148 yards, two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and his receiving touchdown.
It was another stellar performance from the Bills quarterback on Sunday, as he not only helped punch Buffalo's ticket to the playoffs with another AFC East title, but likely also boosted his chances of winning his first NFL MVP honor.
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