ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — A gangly, athletic and very unproven Josh Allen was but a mere NFL curiosity three weeks into his rookie season when the Bills quarterback thrust himself into the national conversation with an unforgettable leap.
Upon bursting out of the pocket, and with Anthony Barr in prime position to stuff him, Allen hurdled the Vikings linebacker on a 10-yard run for a first down at midfield. The Bills went on to beat Minnesota 27-6 in Allen’s second career NFL start and first win in which the quarterback provided a glimpse of his rugged and innovative playmaking abilities.
“Honestly, it surprised me, too,” Allen said, reflecting on the hurdle this week as the Bills travel to play Minnesota in a “Monday Night Football” showdown of 6-1 teams.
“I know I still run a little bit now. But that was, I think, a moment that was like, ‘You know what? I do belong here.’”
Some eight years, 102 wins (including playoffs), a 2024 NFL MVP season, and countless highlights later, the 30-year-old Allen is counted among the league’s elites, and the unquestioned leader of a Bills team once again entertaining Super Bowl aspirations.
Awards and records, however, weren't a sure thing in Allen's future when the Bills traded up five spots in the 2018 draft to select him at No. 7 out of Wyoming.
Though athletic, he was knocked for accuracy issues and small-school pedigree, especially after opening his career at California’s Reedley junior college.
Whatever knocks and doubts that hovered over Allen weren’t shared by at least one of his teammates.
Retired running back LeSean McCoy recalled how he began referring to Allen as “franchise” months after the quarterback’s arrival in Buffalo, and cited two memories to validate his belief.
The first happened in training camp, when Allen got in the face of a veteran defender for what he believed was a late hit. The other was an injured McCoy watching from the sideline at the sight of Allen hurdling Barr.
“I’ve hurdled guys before, but I don’t have the vertical Josh Allen has,” McCoy told The Associated Press by phone. “He wasn’t nervous, wasn’t scared, making plays, competing. He was running them guys over, running past them, throwing darts. And I was like, ‘Damn, this dude is different.’”
Left tackle Dion Dawkins had the same impression, by saying the play foreshadowed Allen's eventual stardom.
“You knew the kid was special. But you can never tell — like we’ve seen guys do special (stuff) all the time,” Dawkins said. “The fact that he’s consistently done special (stuff) over and over, it’s fire.”
General manager Brandon Beane recalled his nerves of watching Allen fly over Barr turn to excitement as the quarterback got up and rejoined the huddle.
“To see it at this level was pretty cool in how he's matching up against the elites,” Beane said. “You knew there was still a lot of work to be done, but it was refreshing. I'll never forget giving him a hug in the locker room.”
Allen’s rookie season was filled with inconsistencies, as he finished 5-6 while missing four games with a sprained throwing elbow — the only time he’s been sidelined.
What’s followed is a remarkable run of excellence in which Allen’s never lost more than two consecutive regular-season starts, set virtually every franchise record for passing and scoring, and led Buffalo to seven straight playoff berths — with the only blemish failing to make a Super Bowl appearance.
Barr discussed Allen’s hurdle in-depth upon launching his “Bent Out of Shape” podcast with former Vikings teammate Eric Kendricks this summer.
“He hurdled me like I was a child. He flew through the air Jordan-esque, and I didn’t even go low which is the crazy part,” Barr said.
“I will say I’m happy that it was Josh Allen that did it. If it was a ‘Joe Schmo,’ I couldn’t live with that,” the four-time Pro Bowler added with a laugh. “But it was a future NFL MVP. If that’s going to be replayed forever, I can live with that.”
Barr was the first but not only player Allen has hurdled in an outing. He's also done so against then-Chiefs defensive backs Justin Reid and L’Jarius Sneed, and New England’s Devin McCourty.
Allen chuckled in saying he’s since revisited the play with Barr.
“He came up to me and was like, ‘If you ever do that again, we’re going to have some problems.’ And luckily, I never did it again,” Allen said. “But he was a heck of a player. And he was in a good spot. He didn’t go low. It was just one of those things where I went higher.”
He's been soaring ever since.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
FILE - Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) tries to break a tackle by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr (55) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sept. 23, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)
FILE - Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hurdles Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) during an NFL football game, Oct. 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken, File)
Barcelona midfielder Fermín López delivered in a big match again, helping the Spanish league leader to come from behind in a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
In the Premier League, Manchester United gave another erratic performance which was capped by a stunning late comeback.
Spanish league matches were marked by tributes for Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel, who died after a second division game on Monday.
In Italy, Napoli’s lackluster form continued in a 1-1 draw at home with Lazio that consolidated the visiting team’s Serie A lead.
The 23-year-old Fermín stood out in a match between the best attack and the best defense in La Liga.
Atletico, which had conceded just eight goals heading into the game, dominated early and took the lead with Giuliano Simeone’s goal. Barcelona struggled to find a way past the packed Atletico’s defense until Fermín leveled with a precise, left-footed curler before the interval.
He completed the turnaround in the 66th minute after Lamine Yamal set him up inside the box behind the back of the defense.
The win kept Barcelona at the top, three points ahead of Real Madrid. Atletico is in third place, five points behind Barcelona.
Earlier, referee César Soto Grado stopped Real Betis’ La Liga match at Elche in the ninth minute for fans, players, team staff and officials to pay tribute to De Miguel, who died after an on-field collision during Tenerife’s match on Monday.
There were similar tributes in the ninth minute of all Spanish league games this weekend – De Miguel wore the No. 9 – while his death was also mourned in pre-game tributes.
Late goals from Rodrigo Riquelme and Marc Bartra gave Betis a 2-0 win to consolidate fourth place.
Lazio forward Davide Frattesi fired in his team's opener in the 28th minute after Tijjani Noslin on the left played him in against the lethargic-looking Napoli defense.
The home supporters made their ire known but watched as the team clawed itself level through Alfonso Pedraza’s own-goal after the break. The goal staved off a third straight defeat for Napoli. But coach Massimiliano Allegri will remain under pressure with just four wins and three draws from 11 Serie A games so far.
Lazio – which remained unbeaten alongside crosstown rival Roma two points behind – stayed top with a one-point lead over Inter Milan, which defeated Como 2-0. Pio Esposito put his team ahead and Marcus Thuram doubled the lead in the 19th minute. The loss put an end to Como's six-match winning streak across all competitions.
Juventus drew 2-2 with Fiorentina in the Derby d’Italia and Christian Pulisic scored in AC Milan's 2-1 win at Genoa. Nikola Krstović's goal was enough for Atalanta to beat Monza 1-0 away.
After staging a dramatic comeback to beat Roma 3-2 midweek, Manchester United rallied from two goals down to secure a 4-4 draw against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
United conceded two goals in less than four minutes at the start of the game, fought back to level before halftime, then conceded two more goals before Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu found the net in stoppage time to salvage a point. The Red Devils are in the relegation zone before the international break, with just one win from 10 games.
Elsewhere, Chelsea lost 1-0 at Sunderland to leave coach Xabi Alonso under increasing pressure, and Liverpool won 3-1 at Crystal Palace.
Patrik Schick sealed a 2-1 “little Rhine derby” win for Bayer Leverkusen in Cologne with a late strike before Cologne star Said El Mala made it exciting again in stoppage time.
The win will bring relief for Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez after two straight defeats at home. High-flying Freiburg beat struggling Union Berlin 2-0
Nathan Ngoy scored the winner for Lille to beat Rennes 2-1 away and keep some pressure on French league leader Paris Saint-Germain. Lille is two points behind the defending champion after 10 rounds.
Striker Keyliane Abdallah got the winner for Marseille in a 2-1 win at Lens as Marseille moved up to fourth place, five points behind PSG.
Monaco dropped points in added time, drawing 1-1 at Le Mans.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Barcelona's Fermín Lopez shoots by Atletico Madrid's David Hancko during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Barcelona's Fermín Lopez reacts after scoring second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Manchester United's head coach Michael Carrick applauds supporters after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Aston Villa in Manchester, England, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund, left, and Lazio's Oliver Provstgaard in action during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Lazio in Naples, Italy, Sunday Nov. 8, 2026. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
Lazio's Davide Frattesi, center, celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Lazio in Naples, Italy, Sunday Nov. 8, 2026. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
Lazio's Davide Frattesi, and Napoli's Mathias Olivera in action during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Lazio in Naples, Italy, Sunday Nov. 8, 2026. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Scott McTominay, second left, scores during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Lazio in Naples, Italy, Sunday Nov. 8, 2026. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)
