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Bills QB Josh Allen records bizarre stat with TD pass, catch vs. 49ers

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen received a two-for-one special in his team's Week 13 clash with the San Francisco 49ers.

Kyle Silagyi

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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They don’t award assists in football like they do in hockey, but if they did, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper would’ve just picked up an apple.

Quarterback Josh Allen targeted him on a quick pass in the red zone during the third quarter of their team’s Week 13 clash with the San Francisco 49ers, the (admittedly errant) throw causing Cooper to stop and adjust in order to reel in the pass with one hand. The adjustment caused the veteran wideout to lose his momentum, with three 49ers defenders immediately swarming around him; ever the heads-up player, Allen came up alongside Cooper, who lateraled the ball to his quarterback to create a spontaneous hook-and-ladder. Allen took the ball to the endzone and dove for the pylon, reaching paydirt to extend Buffalo’s lead to 28-3.

It was simply an unbelievable play, the likes of which we may never see again. Perhaps the strangest part of the play was the quirky way in which it was scored; Allen threw the initial pass and was, thus, credited with a passing touchdown. He was also credited with a receiving touchdown, as he caught a lateral on the play; that said, he was not credited with a reception. Very rarely do quarterbacks score a receiving touchdown in any given game, and even more infrequently do they do so without technically recording a reception.

It was a bizarre play that resulted in a bizarre box score designation, but it’s been a bizarre 2024 campaign for Buffalo. Allen had already broken a franchise record earlier in the game by taking sole possession of the top spot on the list of the Bills’ all-time touchdown leaders, and he just increased his lead by two additional scores with one trip to the endzone. Nobody has ever complained about a two-for-one special, and Allen certainly isn't right now.

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Kyle Silagyi
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