One of the most famous plays from Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s career just turned eight years old, and the player at the receiving end hasn’t forgotten about it.
Allen has entered his ninth NFL season as the top quarterback in the league, according to his peers, but he was once a raw rookie brimming with talent but rough around the edges. One of Allen’s most notable plays came in his second career start, an upset win over the Minnesota Vikings that saw him leap clear over a massive linebacker.
Anthony Barr Remembers Famous Josh Allen Play
In the game, Allen showed off some of the dual-threat passing and running that today has made him a top quarterback and MVP winner. The most famous play came in the first quarter, when he scrambled up the middle and leapt clear over linebacker Anthony Barr, who stands at 6-foot-5.
Barr apparently still remembers. When a Bills fan account reposted the clip on Thursday, Barr responded with a message of his own. The former Vikings linebacker shared a meme from the children’s show Arthur showing the titular character balling his fist in anger.
When another poster said it was great for Barr to have a sense of humor about the play, the former Pro Bowler responded with a laughing emoji and another short message: “[expletive] happens.”
Barr said in an interview with The Athletic that he had no idea how Allen went airborne and over the top of him.
“I thought he was going to try to run me over and was, like, ‘This is crazy!’ Then he jumped over me, and I was, like, ‘Well, that’s crazy, too,’” Barr said.
Barr also admitted then that there wasn’t much he could do to stop Allen.
“You get got sometimes,” Barr said.
Barr, the former No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, announced last year that he was hanging up the cleats and retiring.
“For the past 25 years, football has been at the center of my life,” Barr wrote. “I’ve dedicated myself fully to the game, and in return, it has given me more than I could’ve ever imagined — lifelong memories, unbreakable bonds, and a platform to grow, lead, and inspire.”
Josh Allen Off to Another Hot Start
Allen has gotten the Bills off to a hot start again this season thanks to the same dual-threat play that carved up the Vikings in 2018. He has accounted for nine total touchdowns through two weeks — five passing and four rushing — and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after the team’s Thursday night win over the Detroit Lions.
New Bills head coach Joe Brady said he believes Allen still has more room to improve.
“He just wants to do whatever he has to do to win the football game,” Brady said, via USA Today’s Bills Wire. “I think there’s more there and he knows it.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Gets Strong Message from Former Rival Player