Allen throws for 4 TDs, Bills beat 49ers 34-24 in Arizona
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The passes zipped through the air one by one, almost always finding their intended target right on the hands and in stride.
By the time Josh Allen was done, the quarterback had finished one of the best games of his young NFL career, and the Buffalo Bills once again looked like one of the league’s elite teams.
Allen threw for 375 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes as the Bills stayed in sole possession of first place in the AFC East with a thoroughly impressive 34-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
“That’s our quarterback. He’s a baller,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said. “I don’t know what answer you want me to say. It’s no surprise to us what he does every week. I’m happy he’s on our team.”
Buffalo (9-3) moved a step closer to winning its division for the first time since 1995 thanks to a nearly flawless performance from Allen. The 24-year-old completed 32 of 40 passes with no interceptions.
He threw touchdown passes to Cole Beasley, Dawson Knox, Isaiah McKenzie and Gabriel Davis as the
Bills built a 17-7 halftime lead and controlled the majority of the second half.
San Francisco (5-7) lost in its first game at its adopted home in Arizona. The 49ers will be based in Glendale for at least the next three weeks after Santa Clara County issued strict new coronavirus protocols that forced the team to find a temporary new home.
It was Allen’s fourth game of the season with at least 300 yards passing and three touchdowns, which set a franchise record. Jim Kelly did it three times in 1991 and Drew Bledsoe three times in 2002.
“I think Josh loves the hype and he loves to show people the truth,” Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “People always want to criticize, but Josh is one of those guys who’s built for the big moments.”
The Bills had a much more pleasant trip to the desert than three weeks ago, when they lost a 32-30 heartbreaker to the Arizona Cardinals. That was the game where DeAndre Hopkins made a stunning catch over three Buffalo defenders with 2 seconds left for the gamewinning score.
San Francisco has had several recent injuries at its slot cornerback position and struggled to cover Beasley, who had a career-high 130 yards receiving on nine catches.
“We knew exactly what they were running. We just came up short,” 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw said. “It was kind of a weird feeling.”
Niners quarterback Nick Mullens finished 26-of-39 passing for 316 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The 49ers weren’t bad on offense, but couldn’t keep pace with Allen and the Bills.
“We needed to play our best and I think we were very close to doing it,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We just had a few things that didn’t keep us out on the field. When you do that versus an offense and quarterback like that and you don’t get it back for a while, the game gets away from you.”