The Buffalo Bills got their first divisional win on Thursday night with a dominant victory over the New England Patriots, 24-10, which put them at 9-3 and atop the AFC East.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was 22-of-33 with 223 yards and two touchdowns. One of those TDs was an incredible leaping 8-yard pass to wide receiver Gabe Davis. It looked like Allen was headed out of bounds, but he somehow got the ball off in time and accurately for the score.
Take a look at the play:
The touchdown gave the Bills a 17-7 lead with 5:27 left in the second quarter.
After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott addressed that play, saying he wasn't even watching it. He complemented Allen's decision making and his ability to extend place.
"I wasn't looking, I closed my eyes when he threw it," McDermott said, smiling, via NFL.com. "That's a part of who he is. So, you know … bottom line is you can't put the ball in trouble in danger and I thought it was a well-calculated throw and he was open, and he got it to him. You never take away Josh's instincts and his gut feeling. He's got a great feel for things, but at the end of the day, he knows we got to continue to be smart with the football."
Allen also discussed the touchdown after the game, saying he put his trust in his wide receiver.
"No, no. I trust him," Allen said of Davis, via NBC Sports. "He made a play, and just giving him a chance to do it, so I appreciate him continuing to work on that play. I know I've got to be better down there, and there's a few plays that I wish I had back today, but a win is a win, we'll take them how we can get them."
The Patriots defense has been exceptional this season, but they were not able to contain Allen on numerous drives, including this one. When a quarterback can make wild throws like Allen does, even experienced and solid defenses will have a hard time finding a way to shut them down.
The Patriots came out strong with a Marcus Jones touchdown in the first quarter to go up 7-3, but that was the beginning and the end of their game highlights. New England's offense struggled, as it has all year, and after that early strike, Buffalo had control and the lead for most of the game.
"I thought we played really well tonight," Allen said. "Honestly, it's only 24 points, but our defense played fantastic ball. We didn't feel like we had to press and make any mistakes. There are a few plays we would like to have back, but again these are good wins in the division, away, it's hard to win in this league. We'll learn from this one and move on."
The win not only helped the Bills in the standings, but earned Allen an elite spot in history, becoming just the third quarterback with five or more wins (including playoffs) against Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The only other two quarterbacks in that category are Peyton Manning and Ryan Tannehill.
The Bills and Patriots will meet again in Week 17 on Jan. 8 at Bills Stadium and by then, Buffalo will have likely earned a playoff spot.