Josh Allen has only played in eight games so far during his brief NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, but what he is doing with his scrambling ability is unprecedented in franchise history.
In only eight career games (seven starts), Allen has rushed 57 times for 389 yards (an average of 6.8 yards per rush) with a team-high four rushing touchdowns.
The University of Wyoming graduate has easily eclipsed Dennis Shaw’s old franchise record for rushing yards by a rookie quarterback (210, set in 1970). With a few more great rushing performances, Allen could threaten Tyrod Taylor’s franchise record for rushing yards in a season (580, in 2016).
Allen’s best running has come in the last two games, when he rushed for a franchise-record (for a quarterback) 99 yards on 13 carries (7.62 yards/rush) in a 24-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12.
The franchise record lasted exactly one week, as Allen ran nine times for 135 yards (an absurd average of 15 yards per rush) in a 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Allen became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to log back-to-back games with 95 or more rushing yards, and he is already in 10th place in franchise history for career rushing yards by a QB.
His effort on the ground marked the most rushing yards by a signal-caller since Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers rushed for 151 yards on Dec. 20, 2014.
Allen is averaging 48.6 rushing yards per game during his rookie campaign, which ranks second all-time in NFL history among rookie quarterbacks. Only Robert Griffin III (54.3 yards/game) averaged more during his rookie season.
Despite missing four games due to an elbow sprain, Allen’s efforts as a rushing rookie quarterback place him 10th all-time (and eighth since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970) for rushing yards in a season.
Allen also etched his name into the league record books on Sunday vs. the Dolphins. Allen, who completed 18 of 33 passes for 231 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, became the fourth player in league history to rush for at least 125 yards and toss at least two TD passes in a game.
Allen joins Michael Vick, Walter Payton, and Tobin Rote as players to accomplish the feat.
Allen can pad his rushing stats on Sunday, when the Bills (4-8) welcome the New York Jets (3-9) to New Era Field for a 1 p.m. Eastern clash.