Lake Effect snow doesn’t exactly sound like football weather, so the Bills and 49ers have had to get creative with their offenses to combat the constant precipitation and the slippery football field.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen had a good game early, relying largely on his running backs to take a big lead. In the third quarter, though, the Bills’ offense went with some improvisation you only see with kids playing at school. Allen threw a pass to Amari Cooper, and when he was engaged by a defender and being tackled, he had the wherewithal to flip the ball to Allen on a lateral.
The quarterback then ran the ball in for a touchdown to put Buffalo up 28-3. Here’s the Allen touchdown you have to see to believe.
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Josh Allen touchdown pass to himself
Allen has forced his name into the MVP conversation. He hasn’t utilized his legs as much as in previous years, but he has focused on his passing accuracy. His turnover numbers are way down, and he is putting together a highlight reel season.
This play will likely be replayed for the remainder of the season and will be remembered as one of the wildest plays in Allen’s career.
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After taking the snap, Allen quickly slings it Cooper’s way as the receiver is slanting left to right. Cooper is caught by a defender, but while he’s being tackled, he laterals to Allen, who uses his speed to get to the outside. He dives at the pylon for the score, and the touchdown was confirmed.
WHAT THE?!?!?!?!
?: #SFvsBUF on NBC/Peacock?: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/tO1I6KTQRM
— NFL (@NFL) December 2, 2024
NFL Next Gen stats broke the play down even further, just showing how impressive Allen’s feat was:
Josh Allen-Amari Cooper-Josh Allen TD ?️
Allen accelerated from 9.70 mph to 16.61 mph in 1.8 seconds to beat linebacker Dee Winters to the pylon for the touchdown.
Allen is the 4th player in NFL history to have a receiving TD on a pass he threw.
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— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 2, 2024
How is Josh Allen’s lateral TD scored?
Officially, Allen threw a seven-yard pass and had a seven-yard receiving touchdown. He isn’t credited with an actual reception, but he does record seven receiving yards and a receiving TD. Allen is the fourth player in NFL history to score a receiving touchdown on a pass he threw. He is the first since Marcus Mariota accomplished the rare feat in the 2017 playoffs.
For those playing fantasy football, Allen was given two touchdowns on the play. In standard scoring leagues, that meant he earned 12.7 points on what started out as a relatively routine play.
Allen ran for a TD later in the game, making this the second time in 19 years that a player has run, passed, and caught a TD in the same game.
Allen is the fifth player to throw, catch and run for a TD & the first QB to do so since at least 1970. https://t.co/GiZy2OiJJ4
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) December 2, 2024
The last player to do it was Christian McCaffrey in 2022. Before that, it was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005.
How many players have rushed, passed, and caught a TD in same game?
| Player | Team | Date | Rush TDs | Pass TDs | Receiving TDs |
| Josh Allen | Bills | 10/2/24 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 49ers | 10/30/22 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | Chargers | 10/16/05 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| David Patten | Patriots | 10/21/01 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Walter Payton | Bears | 10/21/79 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Harmon Wages | Falcons | 12/7/69 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dan Reeves | Cowboys | 12/10/67 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Keith Lincoln | Chargers | 11/7/65 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| John Henry Johnson | Steelers | 12/11/60 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Gene Gedman | Lions | 11/16/58 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Frank Gifford | Giants | 12/2/56 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ray Renfro | Browns | 12/6/53 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Josh Allen stats today vs. Bills
| Passes Complete | Passing Attempts | Passing TDs | Passing Yards | Interceptions | Passer Rating | Carries | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs | Catches | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
| 13 | 17 | 2 | 148 | 0 | 141.3 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |