Snow was coming down in Buffalo. It was Week 13 of the 2024 season, and the San Francisco 49ers were in town for a primetime showdown. Honestly, nobody expected the box score to break the internet that night. But when you have a 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback who plays football like he’s in a backyard scrimmage, things get weird.
The josh allen pass to himself wasn't just a lucky bounce. It was a statistical anomaly that secured his spot as the MVP frontrunner.
The Play That Broke the Box Score
It happened in the third quarter. The Bills were already rolling, but Josh Allen decided to turn a standard play into a playground highlight. He took the snap, dropped back, and zipped a slant to veteran wideout Amari Cooper.
Cooper caught the ball, but a 49ers defender immediately wrapped him up. Most receivers would just take the gain and head to the huddle. Not Amari. As he was being dragged toward the turf, he saw Allen trailing the play. In a moment of pure instinct, Cooper flipped a lateral back to his quarterback.
Allen snatched the ball out of the air. He didn't hesitate. He put his head down, accelerated from about 9 mph to over 16 mph in under two seconds, and dove for the pylon.
Touchdown.
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But wait. How do you score that? The officials ruled it a touchdown pass and a receiving touchdown for the same person. Because the ball was technically a forward pass to Cooper first, Allen was credited with the passing yards and the passing TD. Because he caught the lateral and ran it in, he was also credited with a receiving touchdown.
It was absolute chaos for fantasy football managers. One play, two touchdowns, 12.7 points.
Josh Allen Pass to Himself: A Historical Perspective
Believe it or not, this isn't the first time an NFL quarterback has pulled this off. It is just incredibly rare. The josh allen pass to himself made him only the fourth player in the history of the league to record a receiving TD on a pass he originally threw.
- Brad Johnson (1997): The Vikings QB had a pass batted back to him by a defender. He caught it and ran it in.
- Marcus Mariota (2017 Playoffs): In a wild comeback against the Chiefs, Mariota’s pass was deflected by Darrelle Revis. Mariota caught it mid-air and dove for the score.
- Lamar Jackson (2023): He had a similar "batted ball" catch, though the touchdown details vary by era and official scoring rules regarding laterals versus deflections.
What made Allen’s version different was the intent. This wasn't a fluke deflection off a defensive lineman’s helmet. It was a planned—or at least improvised—lateral from a teammate. It felt less like a lucky break and more like a high-speed game of rugby played in a blizzard.
The Triple Crown "Hat Trick"
That night against the 49ers, Allen didn't just pass to himself. He ended the game with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and that famous receiving touchdown.
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This is known as the NFL "Hat Trick." Before Allen did it in December 2024, only a handful of players had achieved it in the Super Bowl era. We're talking names like Christian McCaffrey and LaDainian Tomlinson. For a quarterback to do it? It’s basically unheard of.
He finished that game with 4 total touchdowns. The Bills won 35-10. More importantly, that single play where Josh Allen passed to himself became the defining image of his 2024 MVP campaign. It showed off his speed, his "never quit on a play" mentality, and his weirdly high football IQ.
Why This Play Still Matters
If you watch the replay, you’ll notice the 49ers defense just stands there for a second. They thought the play was over when Cooper got hit. That’s the danger of playing the Bills. You aren't just playing a scheme; you’re playing a guy who is willing to be the lead blocker and the primary receiver on the same snap.
Statistically, the josh allen pass to himself is a nightmare for historians. Usually, a forward pass ends the "passing" portion of the play. But since Cooper's lateral happened after the catch, the whole sequence remained one continuous offensive gain.
If you're looking for actionable takeaways from this moment of NFL history, consider these:
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- Scoring Nuance: In most leagues, a QB catching his own pass (or a lateral from his own pass) counts for both passing and receiving stats. Check your league's "stat correction" history if you ever see a score jump by 12 points in one go.
- Defensive Lessons: Defensive coordinators now use this tape to teach "playing through the whistle." You can't assume a QB is out of the play just because he let go of the ball.
- The MVP Formula: To win MVP in the modern NFL, you need a "signature moment." This was Allen's. It was the perfect blend of athleticism and absurdity.
The Buffalo Bills eventually secured their fifth consecutive AFC East title shortly after this game. While they had plenty of traditional highlights, nothing quite captured the spirit of the team like their franchise QB diving into the snow with his own pass in his hands.
Keep an eye on the official NFL record books. While Allen is the latest to do it, the league's move toward more "positionless" football means we might see more of these wacky laterals in the future. Just don't expect them to look as cool as it did in a Buffalo snowstorm.
Final Insights for Bills Fans
If you're following Josh Allen's career, you should track his "total touchdowns" rather than just passing yards. As of the end of the 2024 season, he surpassed Jim Kelly’s franchise record for total scores. He isn't just a quarterback; he's the entire offense.
To stay ahead of the next big play, watch how the Bills utilize Amari Cooper and Khalil Shakir in "scramble drill" situations. They have a chemistry with Allen that allows for the kind of improvisation seen in the self-pass touchdown. Check the NFL Next Gen Stats portal for updated speed tracking on Allen’s future rushing attempts to see if he’s maintaining that elite 16+ mph burst.