Josh Allen recorded a season-high three rushing touchdowns — and three passing TDs, for good measure — in the Buffalo Bills’ 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11, giving him 75 for his career.
Only three times in NFL history, including the postseason, has a quarterback had three passing and three rushing touchdowns in a game. Allen has done it twice (last year in a Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams), and Otto Graham did it once in 1954.
Now in his eighth season, Allen is tied with Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in NFL history. One more, and the record is his alone.
However, Allen’s Week 12 opponent, the Houston Texans, is one of three teams to not allow a rushing score to an opposing quarterback this season (the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts are the others). Allen is -120 to score a touchdown
Thursday night.
So, will he break the record in Week 12? Or will we have to wait? We asked our betting analysts for their predictions.
Will he break the record against the Texans?
Matt Bowen: Yes. Allen’s rushing usage in the low red zone is up, as he has five goal-to-go carries over his past three games. Look for that to continue Thursday, with Allen being deployed on designed run concepts in scoring position versus the Texans.
Eric Karabell: Yes, he will score. Sure, the Texans play strong defense. Allen can’t be defended at the goal line.
Pamela Maldonado: Yes. When Houston locks down the pass near the goal line, Allen is usually a run-it-in-himself kind of guy.
Seth Walder: Yes. Allen is always a threat to score, but he might need to rely on his scrambling ability more than usual against the elite Texans pass rush that could get after him in a hurry. Plus, it’s already high-leverage season for the Bills — who still have a shot at the No. 1 seed if they can go on a run — so they need every lever available to get a win, including relying on Allen’s legs.
Buffalo’s remaining schedule after Thursday’s game: @PIT, CIN, @NE, @CLE, PHI, NYJ
