MINNEAPOLIS -- Josh Allen captured the hearts of Buffalo Bills fans, then he made hearts stop Sunday.
Near the end of a shocking first quarter in which the 17-point underdog Bills opened a 17-0 lead over the Minnesota Vikings, the rookie quarterback hurdled Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr to gain the final yard he needed for a first down on a third-and-9 scramble.
Allen emerged from the leaping finish to his 10-yard run unscathed. Two plays later, he scrambled out of the pocket and found an open Chris Ivory crossing the field for a 55-yard catch-and-run.
“I was trusting my feet, trusting my gut,” Allen said. “There was a guy who was maybe three yards in front of the sticks. I knew we needed a first down there and we went on to score on that drive. It was a big play, but it was just another first down.”
Allen said Sean McDermott loved the effort, as did others on the sideline.
“You see that hurdle? That’s Josh, man. He’s dope,” safety Micah Hyde said. “I jumped off the bench. I think I was on the field trying to dap him up. That was a huge play. Don’t do it again, though.”
Allen would finish 15-of-22 for 196 yards and a touchdown, and he also added two rushing touchdowns.
