In Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Josh Allen achieved a season-best performance with three touchdowns on the ground — and also contributed three touchdowns through the air, adding to his total in the 44-32 victory for the Buffalo Bills. This pushed his career total to 75.
Throughout the history of the NFL, including playoff games, there have only been three instances where a quarterback has recorded three touchdowns by passing and three touchdowns by rushing in a single game. Allen accounts for two of these occurrences (the other being last year in Week 14 during a defeat against the Los Angeles Rams), while Otto Graham accomplished this feat once back in 1954.
Allen, currently in his eighth year in the league, is now even with Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns achieved by a quarterback throughout NFL history. Just one more touchdown would give him the record outright.
However, Allen’s Week 12 opponent, the Houston Texans, stands as one of only three teams that have yet to concede a rushing touchdown to an opposing quarterback this season. The Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts are the other two.
Therefore, the question arises: will he surpass the record in Week 12? Or will we need to exercise patience? We consulted our team of analysts to get their insights and forecasts.
Will he break the record against the Texans?
Matt Bowen: Affirmative. Allen’s utilization on the ground in close proximity to the end zone has increased, as evidenced by his five carries inside the opponent’s 10-yard line over the course of his last three games. Expect this trend to continue during Thursday’s game, with Allen being deployed on intentionally designed running plays when the Bills are in a scoring position against the Texans.
Eric Karabell: Indeed, he will successfully score. While it’s true that the Texans have a formidable defense, Allen’s capabilities near the goal line are simply unstoppable.
Pamela Maldonado: Positively. In situations where Houston effectively shuts down passing plays near the end zone, Allen typically takes matters into his own hands and rushes for the score himself.
Seth Walder: Undeniably. Allen consistently poses a scoring threat, but he might need to depend more on his scrambling skills than usual in this particular matchup against the Texans’ exceptional pass rush, which could put him under significant pressure. Furthermore, the Bills are entering a crucial phase of the season where every game carries high stakes – they still have a chance at securing the top seed if they can string together a series of wins – so they must utilize every possible advantage to ensure victory, which includes relying on Allen’s legs.
Buffalo’s remaining schedule after Thursday’s game: @PIT, CIN, @NE, @CLE, PHI, NYJ
