Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen made NFL history Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. In finding the end zone three times en route to a blowout win, Allen notched his 46th career game with both a passing and rushing touchdown. That surpassed the mark of 45 such games that Cam Newton racked up throughout his career, making Allen the NFL’s new leader. Coincidentally, Allen broke the record against Newton’s old team.
The history-making touchdown came in thrilling fashion, too. Allen hit Khalil Shakir for an explosive 54-yard scoring pass with 12:18 left in the third quarter, which at the time extended the Bills’ lead to 23 points. He notched his first rushing score earlier in the game when he punched the ball in from a yard out late in the second quarter.
Later in the third quarter, Allen made even more history with his second rushing score of the afternoon. The lunge into the end zone made him just the second quarterback in league history with 70 career rushing touchdowns.
Allen closed the day with modest yardage but was immensely efficient in the rout of the Panthers. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 163 yards and the big-play touchdown, and he added three carries for seven yards and his two scores.
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Brad Crawford
Sunday’s outstanding performance is the latest in a string of them for Allen to start the season. Buffalo’s superstar quarterback is in the heat of the NFL MVP race and, per FanDuel, and has the second-best odds to win the award (+330), trailing only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+140).
Despite the historic effort from their quarterback, the Bills got most of their offensive production from running back James Cook. The fourth-year standout set a new career high with 216 rushing yards, crossing the 200-yard mark for his first time as a pro. He now has four games with at least 100 yards through seven outings.
