Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen made a bit of franchise history in his team’s Week 13 win over the San Francisco 49ers, scoring his 245th, 246th, 247th, and 248th career touchdowns to become his team’s all-time leader in the statistic.
And though it wasn’t the touchdown that allowed him to break the record, his 246th (and, thus, 247th) career touchdown(s) will be long remembered in Western New York, as the two scores came on the same play. The veteran signal-caller targeted wide receiver Amari Cooper on a quick slant in the third quarter, with the 10th-year pass catcher having to adjust to the errant pass in order to secure it; having lost momentum amid his adjustment, Cooper pitched the ball to an approaching Allen as he was being swarmed by defenders, with Allen shedding off a 49er before darting toward the goalline and diving for the pylon.
Allen was credited with both a passing and receiving touchdown on the play, though he was not scored with a reception, as only one player can technically record a catch on a single play. It was a simply astonishing play that resulted in a strange scoring quirk, and it’s safe to assume that you’ll be seeing it in highlight reels for the foreseeable future. Both Allen and Cooper spoke about the exchange following Buffalo’s 35-10 win, with the quarterback giving all of the credit to his wide receiver.
“I wish [Cooper] got credited for something there, an assist or a passing touchdown,” Allen said. “Again, I kind of threw a bad ball, so I was just kind of chasing it. It was kind of tipped around, he made a heck of a catch. It was just kind of sticky hand, and I just kind of chased the ball just to be there. We made eye contact and he just pitched it, and I had to go make a play. It was dope.”
Cooper, who is still adjusting to life with a field general as unique as Allen after being acquired by the team from the Cleveland Browns in mid-October, told reporters that his mid-play pitch was just instinctive; he saw his quarterback approaching and deduced that he wanted the ball back.
“I was wondering what he was doing over there,” Cooper joked. “That doesn’t usually happen when you throw a dart route like that. I just saw him, I figured he was over there because he wanted the ball, so I gave it to him.”
The score proved to be the death knell in what was already a rapidly devolving game for San Francisco, the win allowing Buffalo to secure a franchise-record fifth straight AFC East crown. With a spot in the postseason (and at least one home playoff game at Highmark Stadium) now secured, Allen and Cooper may spend the next few weeks scheming up their next magic trick to pull out at an opportune time.
