Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen shook off a mistake-filled performance to beat the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, but lost a unique place in NFL history in the process.
Allen had two interceptions and lost a fumble in the 24-16 win, leaning on the defense to stop Justin Herbert and an ailing Chargers offense. The win moved the Bills to 3-0 with a chance to take an early grip of the AFC East next week.
Josh Allen Loses Historic Receiving Line
The win saw Allen with a unique stat line, completing 16-of-26 passes for 204 yards and two interceptions, with another eight rushes for 22 yards and two scores. Allen also registered a pass reception when he snagged a batted ball in the first quarter and dove forward to gain one yard.
The reception was costly for Allen’s career average, however. Prior to Sunday’s game, Allen was the only player in NFL history to register more receiving touchdowns than receptions, thanks to a bizarre play in the 2024 season.
Allen caught a touchdown on a trick play in the 2020 season against the Arizona Cardinals, a game the Bills would ultimately lose on a Hail Mary pass from quarterback Kyler Murray. Allen was also credited with a receiving touchdown when veteran receiver Amari Cooper pitched him the ball in a 2024 game against the San Francisco 49ers, which Allen took for a touchdown.
The official stat line before Sunday was one career reception with two touchdowns. The stat now reads two receptions for two touchdowns.
Josh Allen Not Happy With Sunday’s Performance
Though the Bills managed to come out with a win, Sunday’s performance was one of their sloppiest during Allen’s tenure as quarterback. The team committed five total turnovers, with fumbles from running back James Cook and tight end Dalton Kincaid in addition to Allen’s three.
“Overall, again, we won, but a lot of smoke detectors going off right now,” Allen told reporters after the game, via ESPN. “We got to clean a lot of stuff up.”
Bills head coach Joe Brady took responsibility for the mistake-filled game, saying he didn’t have the team prepared.
“The house was on fire today,” Brady said. “That’s unacceptable.”
Veteran Bills lineman Connor McGovern couldn’t quite agree, saying it was Brady’s preparation that allowed them to overcome the miscues.
“I think it all comes back to Joe Brady,” McGovern told ESPN. “That’s what he preaches: We don’t break. No matter whether it was the first [turnover] or the fifth or all the different penalties we got, you look at the sideline and we’re all ready to go, saying, ‘Hey, just put the ball back down.’ Until the final whistle blows, we’re going to keep playing.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Just Lost a Unique Spot in NFL History Books