Josh Allen's 'Never Seen Before' Plays Are Reason Bills Are AFC's Best
ORCHARD PARK -- Beating the Buffalo Bills is not impossible. It's happened three times this season and ultimately the prove path to that success against the AFC's top team is simply by overcoming Superman.
Josh Allen is Superman.
"He makes plays I've never seen before," tight end Dawson Knox said after the Bills beat the Dolphins 32-29 on Saturday night. "Sometimes you kind of turn into a fan watching him ...
"I've kind of talked about it before, it's not even surprising at this point. You're just, 'Oh, there's Josh being Josh again.' He's the best quarterback in the league, the best football player in the league."
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter of the game at Highmark Stadium. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Bills Have Josh Allen And You Don't
The Bills beat the Miami Dolphins because Allen was the best player on the frigid Highmark Stadium field.
In a game the Dolphins gashed the Buffalo defense for 188 rushing yards, held the ball longer than the Bills, and had fewer turnovers than the Bills, the difference in the outcome was found elsewhere.
Wearing No. 17 for the Bills.
Allen threw 4 TD passes, which is some premium quarterback stuff in of itself. But Allen was also his team's leading rusher with 77 yards, including a 44-yard run that led to a touchdown. And Allen converted a two-point conversion to tie the game.
This is where you should know Allen said "it takes everybody" to beat a feisty team like the Dolphins. And that is true.
But everybody is clearly lifted when Superman just picks them up.
That's what seemed to be happening this game. Play after stunning play.
Allen's first touchdown pass to Quintin Morris traveled only 14 yards but happened despite the fact Miami safety Jevon Holland had Morris completely covered. Allen's pass had such velocity it seemingly went through Holland and seemed to catch Morris rather than having the tight end catch the pass.
The Bills led 21-13 at half because Allen threw a 4-yard scoring pass to James Cook. That play was actually a potential disaster for the Bills because it came with zero seconds remaining in the first half. Allen snapped the ball with 8 seconds remaining and needed to get rid of the football quickly to allow time for a field goal if he couldn't get the touchdown.
But instead of giving up on the play, Allen scrambled right and waited for a window to open he could fit a touchdown pass through.
"It's either a really good play or really stupid play," Allen admitted. "I'm just thankful he came back to the ball and made a play on it. I threw it and in my head I'm thinking, 'I know I wasted too much time. There's zero seconds on the clock.
"I just kind of slid on the ground and laid there waiting for cheers. Thank God cheers came because you got to have points before the half. I shouldn't have put myself in that situation, but again, found a way to make a play."
These kind of off-schedule, ridiculous plays have become an Allen trademark.
"Yeah, run it down to zero on the clock and throw a touchdown," coach Sean McDermott joked. "He's lucky he threw a touchdown pass right there or else he and I would have ... I would have flattened his tires after the game."
We have to understand Superman doesn't always get his way. Sometimes the other team also has its own hero delivering big plays.
But this night after the Dolphins took a 29-21 lead in the fourth quarter, it was time for an Allen comeback win.
Down by 8, the Bills had two more possessions in the game. And they needed to score on both to win. So there was no margin for error.
That's fine because Allen made no errors.
Josh Allen is a weapon passing and running the football. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Allen Leads Tying and Winning Drives
He led a game-tying 75-yard drive by improbably running for 44 yards on a quarterback draw. On that run, Allen ran past a Dolphins safety to get in the clear.
"Just trusted the angle I picked and just scooted by," Allen said. "Like Forrest Gump."
Then he threw another TD pass and jumped over everyone for the tying two-point conversion.
Next possession Allen completed two third-down passes and got an interference penalty on a third one. He drove the Bills from their 7 yard line to the Miami 7 yard in 5:56 before Tyler Bass kicked the winning field goal.
"Anytime you've got on your team," Knox said, "you've got a chance to win."
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