Alaina Gersenberg, ESPN
DETROIT — Before joining the Buffalo Bills this offseason, Mike Hollins saw what Josh Allen was capable of on the football field by watching games on TV and playing against the team.
There were some surprising things in his early days with the Bills. That dissipated quickly.
“[Initially it] Like, ‘Oh, he actually does that in real life,'” Hollins said. “…But he does it all the time. So, it’s not surprising. This is not luck, nor is it a fluke. That’s who he is. “
According to coach Sean McDermott, Allen is playing as good as ever and has numerous records to prove it. In Sunday’s 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions, Allen completed 23 of 34 passes (67.6 percent) for 362 yards and two passing touchdowns. He had 11 carries for 68 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
The Bills improve to 11-3 with the win and remain in contention for the No. 1 seed. Buffalo is also the first team in NFL history to snap its nine-game winning streak in a single season after defeating the Lions on Sunday and the Kansas City Chiefs last month.
With Sunday’s win, Allen reached the most consecutive seasons in NFL history with 35 passing and rushing touchdowns, surpassing Brett Favre’s streak of three MVP awards in four consecutive seasons.
“This is the best I’ve ever seen him play, and I’m not surprised,” McDermott said. “When he sets goals for himself, for a team, I mean, it’s hard for him to stop. So, guys have tried and they’re going to keep trying and that’s what we do in this league, I I mean, incredible performance week in and week out, what else can you say?
“…Every week we see an incredible player be incredibly consistent week in and week out and I’ll let you guys fill in the rest of the sentence.”
After the game, according to ESPN BET, Allen’s odds of winning the MVP increased to -900. He started the game at -400. Allen’s biggest blemish on the day came after the game when he “took a fall” and went to the X-ray room with head athletic trainer Nate Breske to have his shoulder checked out. But he said everything was being checked and it was more of a “precautionary measure” and “peace of mind.”
The Bills offense had just one punt on the day, and its only scoreless drives came on a punt, a missed 24-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Bass and at the end of the half and game.
The team got off to a hot start, scoring three consecutive touchdowns early in the game and then scored three more touchdowns in five plays or fewer in the second half. It was the team’s eighth consecutive game scoring 30 or more points, tying an NFL record (2000 Rams, 2007 Patriots, 2010 Patriots and 2013 Broncos).
The offensive line supporting Allen has gone four games without a sack and opened up holes in the running game against the Lions on Sunday, including James Cook’s 6- and 41-yard touchdown runs. . The rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns were the most the Lions have allowed this season.
“I mean, he’s incredible, right? … But I want to give credit to everybody on that side of the ball,” McDermott said. “It’s not just Josh’s problem; he can’t do it if the offensive line doesn’t do their job, and that sounds like a coach’s statement, but it’s accurate.”
Allen was successful on the Lions’ blitzes (39 percent against the pass); he was 9-of-13 for 124 yards, two touchdowns and one scramble. Allen also took advantage of his ability to throw outside the pocket, throwing for 171 yards, the most by a quarterback in a game since Week 14 of 2021 (Lacey Wilson).
The seventh-year quarterback’s most recent performances include a six-touchdown performance against the Rams last week. That game, combined with the win over Detroit, gave Allen the highest grade by a quarterback in two games since the 1970 merger (93.16). According to ESPN Research, he is the first quarterback in that era to score 40 points in two consecutive games.
“This guy is incredible,” tight end Dawson Knox said. “It’s hard to describe what he does every Sunday. I’ve talked about this before, but sometimes you become a fan. I mean, he threw a chest pass to Dalton for a touchdown. [Kincaid] Was called back, but he lifted the ball to his teammates and hit it with his feet. I shouted in my heart [for him] Slips, but he runs the guy over. It was so much fun to play with that guy. It’s truly an honor and I hope to play with him as long as possible. “
