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.
The No. 7 overall pick in April's draft, Allen finished the first quarter 7-for-10 for 120 yards and a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Croom. He also ran for a 10-yard touchdown. Of his three first-quarter incompletions, two were catchable passes to top wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin -- including one that hit Benjamin in the chest near the goal line.
With a win, the Bills would become the first team since the 1995 Washington Redskins to overcome being a 17-point or larger underdog to win.