2024-2025 NFL – RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS Leaderboards
Josh Allen Has Forever Changed Buffalo, On and Off the Field
The Bills’ quarterback is Sports Illustrated’s NFL Player of the Year, not just for his MVP-worthy output, but for his tangible contributions to the Buffalo community.
Conor Orr | 21 Hours Ago
Allen has had a noteworthy 2024, leading the Bills to a 10–3 start.
Allen has had a noteworthy 2024, leading the Bills to a 10–3 start. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
In this story:
Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings
As 2024 comes to a close, SI is recognizing the top performer in each sport—athletes who have excelled on the field through record-breaking or championship performances, or those who have distinguished themselves through significant off-field achievements as well.
In August 2023, Jake Dionne was on a gap year from college as he recovered from his second round of treatment for leukemia. The initial round of chemotherapy had him in the hospital for a month, with the only respite being the short hallway he could walk outside of his tiny room and the nights spent playing Fortnite after he managed to get a PlayStation smuggled in. Because he wasn’t yet in remission, he had to get injections for CAR T-cell therapy.
He had plans to go out and see his friends before his mom, Danielle, told him he needed to return to the hospital to meet with the doctors and discuss his progress. After so many months of feeling tired, beaten down and nauseous, the thought of dragging himself back there sparked a firm protest.
“I was like, why are we doing this? I was so aggravated, I just wanted to hang out with my friends,” Dionne says.
His mood shifted when he walked into the doctor’s office and standing there was Josh Allen, the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, one of Dionne’s heroes. Allen had come by to see Dionne after receiving word through the hospital that Dionne wanted to meet him.
“And he was just, like, one of the best human beings I’ve ever met,” Dionne says. “It was surreal.”
After Dionne’s high school baseball career ended, the former middle infielder took up golf for a competitive spark and whittled his way down to an eight handicap. This summer, less than a year after he met Allen at the hospital, he was paired with Allen and some of the quarterback’s close friends and family for a 117-hole marathon golf charity event benefiting the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. After eight holes together, Allen had to be taken off the course to speak and receive an award and Dionne had assumed his brush with Allen had ended. Then, Allen and his brother saw him as they went to head back onto the course and called for Dionne to grab his clubs. They played another 20 holes together, with one of Allen’s friends offering to donate an additional $1,000 for every birdie the group hit. Dionne—now in his freshman year at Ole Miss and a member of the school’s club golf team—birdied the next two holes.
“Playing golf with Josh was the most insane day of my life,” Dionne says.
Allen has formed a special relationship with the Buffalo community through his work with the Children’s Hospital. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
Allen ends 2024 on a crash course to what could be his first league MVP award. At the time of publishing, Allen is first in Expected Points Added (EPA) per play, and second in a composite of Expected Points Added per play and Completion Percentage Over Expectation (EPA+CPOE), a metric that measures quarterback skill beyond typical box score statistics. After the Bills shed some of their most tenured players like wide receiver Stefon Diggs and safety Jordan Poyer this offseason, the team was expected to regress. Instead, the team is off to a 10–3 start, with a firm stranglehold on the AFC East.
Allen’s fourth-and-2 game-winning touchdown run against the rival Kansas City Chiefs from 26 yards out is on a short list of the year’s best and most critical plays.
But what pushed Allen over the edge for NFL Player of the Year is his relationship with the community of Buffalo and, in particular, the Children’s Hospital where Allen is a regular visitor, fundraiser and cheerleader. He is in the hospital at least a few times per season.
“Josh is one of a kind,” says Andy Lashua, the COO of the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation. “He’s so engaging and super authentic every time. Especially with kids. He gets it. He has this super unique ability to make people feel great.
“Plus, the money he has raised has changed our hospital.”
Buffalo, Lashua says, is in a precarious position when it comes to its hospital operations. The city has the second highest child poverty rate in America and the highest Medicaid rate of any hospital network in New York State. When asked to estimate Allen’s value to the hospital system, Lashua said the dollar figure is in the millions.
“The moms, the kids and the babies at our hospital are so fortunate that he’s here in Buffalo, and, as a Bills fan, we’re fortunate he’s our QB,” Lashua says. “I thank [Buffalo Bills general manager] Brandon Beane every time I see him.”
As this iteration of the Bills has given the city its most competitive and consistent team since the team of the early 1990s—which reached four consecutive Super Bowls—the Bills’ tentpole players have found themselves further woven into the community. The city reeled from deadly blizzards and a mass shooting over the past three years, with Bills players bookending the recovery effort with acts of charity and service.
Allen balances his community efforts with the outsized expectations that one places on a modern quarterback. He is the commercial and physical face of the franchise, an emotional tentpole for a team that has dealt with gutting losses and the near-death of a teammate, Damar Hamlin, on the field. And, for patients at the hospital, he’s a lifeline pulling them through a grueling experience. As the Bills continue to pummel opponents this year en route to one of their best regular seasons in franchise history, the hope of those he comes across every day is that we learn more about what Allen does away from the field.
Published 21 Hours Ago
Conor Orr
CONOR ORR
Conor Orr is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, where he covers the NFL and cohosts the MMQB Podcast. Orr has been covering the NFL for more than a decade and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His work has been published in The Best American Sports Writing book series and he previously worked for The Newark Star-Ledger and NFL Media. Orr is an avid runner and youth sports coach who lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children and a loving terrier named Ernie.
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Tom Brady Offers Critical Assessment of Josh Allen After Bills QB Takes Huge Hit
The Buffalo signal caller is known for making near-impossible plays along the sideline.
By Mike Kadlick | Dec 8, 2024
Josh Allen took a big hit along the sideline against the Rams.
Josh Allen took a big hit along the sideline against the Rams. / Screenshot via @Rate_the_Refs on X.
As Bills quarterback Josh Allen ran toward the sideline against the Rams on Sunday, he was hit by linebacker Byron Young as he went out of bounds. Not surprisingly, roughing the passer was called.
While it’s the referee’s job to protect the quarterback in these types of situations, Allen is also known for making acrobatic plays as he nears the sideline. This can make it difficult for defenders to judge when to stop playing him.
Tom Brady seemed to understand that reality during his call of Bills-Rams, and sounded like he didn’t think a flag should have been thrown:
“The problem I have with it is,” he explained, “[Allen’s] done such a good job at completing passes down the field in those situations, so if you’re a Ram defender and he gets near the sideline, you gotta play football.”
Brady also seemed to criticize the former All-Pro QB for leaving himself vulnerable to those types of hits:
“Josh has gotta do a good job at getting that ball out of his hand if he doesn’t wanna take those hits,” Brady said. “And I know they get the call, but it’s just not the type of decision you’re making if you’re trying to be a quarterback that plays all these weeks. You know he’s as tough as they come, but my view is: Get that ball out of your hands.”
While Allen has had roughing the passer called on him 36 times in his NFL career, he hasn’t missed a game due to injury since his rookie season back in 2018.
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Published Dec 8, 2024
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NFL MVP Odds: Josh Allen Extends Lead Over Saquon Barkley After Week 14
Josh Allen is the -450 favorite to be named NFL MVP.
By Iain MacMillan | Dec 9, 2024
Josh Allen is the -450 favorite to be named NFL MVP.
Josh Allen is the -450 favorite to be named NFL MVP. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
There are still four weeks left in the NFL season but the MVP race may be over.
After becoming the odds-on favorite to win his first career MVP last week, Josh Allen took another significant leap forward in the race to win the award in Week 14. Despite losing to the Rams, Josh Allen recorded six total touchdowns, three passing and three rushing, to further bolster his MVP resume.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds.
NFL MVP Odds
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Josh Allen -450
Saquon Barkley +550
Lamar Jackson +1400
Jared Goff +1700
Patrick Mahomes +3300
Sam Darnold +4000
Allen is now listed as the -450 favorite to win the award. If you translate those odds to implied probability, he has an 81.82% of winning it.
The next closest player on the odds list is Saquon Barkley, who’s doing his best to become the first running back to win the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012. His best path of surpassing Allen is by breaking Eric Dickerson’s record for most rushing yards in a season of 2,105. He’s have to record 482 yards in the Eagles’ final four games to match that number.
Three of Philadelphia’s four final games rank in the bottom six in opponent yards per carry. The only good run defense they face is the Steelers in Week 15. Then, they face the Commanders (27th in opponent yards per carry), Cowboys (29th in OYPC), and the Giants (30th in OPYC).
With that being said, Allen has chances to pad his stats in the final four weeks as well. If he puts up a solid performance against the Lions in Week 15, he should be able to feast against the Patriots (twice) and the Jets in the final three weeks.
This is the Bills’ quarterback’s award to lose.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
You can check out all of Iain’s bets here!
Published Dec 9, 2024
Iain MacMillan
IAIN MACMILLAN
Josh Allen Made Football (and Fantasy Football) History During Six-TD Game vs. Rams
By Ryan Phillips | Dec 8, 2024
Allen had three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns against the Rams in Week 14.
Allen had three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns against the Rams in Week 14. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Josh Allen had quite a showing on Sunday.
Despite Allen’s Buffalo Bills losing to the Los Angeles Rams 44-42, he made all kinds of history.
The 28-year-old star quarterback completed 22 of 37 passes for 342 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 82 yards and three more touchdowns on 10 carriers. In doing so, he became the first player in NFL history to record three passing and three rushing touchdowns in the same game.
Josh Allen is the first player ever to record three passing TDs and three rushing TDs in the same game.
Is he winning MVP? 🏆
🎥 @NFL pic.twitter.com/fMUct19bSM
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 9, 2024
As you can imagine, Allen also put up some monster fantasy football numbers on his big day. The All-Pro’s 51.88 points on ESPN’s standard scoring is the new single-game record for a quarterback.
Josh Allen’s 51.88 fantasy points using ESPN’s standard scoring is the most by a quarterback in a single game in history.
— Tristan H. Cockcroft (@SultanofStat) December 9, 2024
I’m sure Allen would trade all of those numbers in exchange for a win, but those are still remarkable accomplishments.
The 10-3 Bills have already clinched the AFC East, but with the loss they risk falling two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs for the top seed in the conference.
Allen is one of the leading contenders for NFL MVP this year, and he further solidified that status on Sunday.
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Fabs Five Fantasy Storylines: Josh Allen, Sam Darnold Lead Fantasy Football Scorers in Week 14
By Michael Fabiano | Dec 8, 2024
Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The biggest fantasy stories of the weekend started with Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker II being sidelined, leaving many managers with holes in their backfields. With six teams on a bye, that made life even more miserable for many.
Sunday’s action did have its share of big stat lines, however, even without those two young runners in lineups. But it also had its share of stinkers … including a pair of stud backs who failed to meet expectations.
I’ll try to keep things (mostly) positive in this article, as countless fantasy managers are on the verge of making the playoffs with the help of some surprising (and unsurprising) names. One of the latter was Puka Nacua, who finished with 12 catches, 162 yards, a touchdown, and 41.8 points …and he wasn’t even the highest-scoring fantasy player in that game!
Others, like Tua Tagovailoa, Kyren Williams, Tyreek Hill (finally), and George Kittle, all put up strong totals. That wasn’t the case without everyone we started … more on that below.
With that said, here’s my Fabs’ Five Storylines from Week 14 that stood out the most. For all of the latest news and fantasy advice, be sure to check out Fantasy Dirt five days a week!
Week 14 Fantasy Football Storylines
Josh Allen Shines Bright in Hollywood
Allen was an absolute fantasy monster in Los Angeles, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another 82 yards and three touchdowns, in a loss to the Rams. All told he finished with 51.9 fantasy points. That’s the most points he’s ever scored in a single game, besting the 40.5 points he scored against the Dolphins in Week 17, 2018. It’s also the most points any quarterback has ever scored based on a scoring system that rewards four points for touchdown passes.
Allen’s touchdown passes went to Khalil Shakir (who almost scored a second time), Mack Hollins, and Ty Johnson. Shakir finished with eight targets, five catches, and 106 yards.
All three of Allen’s rushing touchdowns were from one yard out. Speaking of his rushing totals, Allen scored 26.2 points on his rushes alone! That puts him third among running backs going into the Sunday night game, behind Zach Charbonnet and Isaac Guerendo.
Sam Darnold, Vikings Offense Explodes
Here’s something you’d maybe never thought you’d hear … Sam Darnold just led a lot of fantasy managers to the postseason.
The journeyman quarterback has looked great in the Vikings offense, and he saved his best game for a very important fantasy week … the week before the postseason. Darnold threw for 347 yards, five touchdowns and scored a stellar 34.6 fantasy points in a win over the Falcons. It was the best fantasy game of his career.
Darnold’s success trickled down to Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, who accounted for 265 receiving yards and all five of Darnold’s touchdowns. Addison finished with 39.3 points, while J.J. posted 32.2 points.
It was particularly good to see Jefferson have a huge game, as his totals were not all that great in three of his previous four games. As for Addison, he has now put up 30-plus points in two of his last three games, and he’s seen at least eight targets in three of his last four games. Darnold, Jefferson and Addison will face the Bears next Monday.
The Fantasy Gods Can Be Very, Very Cruel
As if having a bye-mageddon one week before the fantasy playoffs weren’t bad enough, we also saw injuries and bad performances from many of our fantasy heroes. George Pickens was a late scratch against the Browns, while Bucky Irving barely played after a back injury flared up. He finished with five touches and 2.8 points, which hurt countless managers.
Then, there were the stinkers …. and a lot of them.
Alvin Kamara averaged 2.6 yards per rush and scored just 12.9 points against a vulnerable Giants defense. Saquon Barkley did rush for 124 yards against the Panthers, but he didn’t score a touchdown and finished with a disappointing 14.4 points. Zach Charbonnet had more points than Kamara and Barkley combined … in the first half of his contest!
The wide receiver stink bombs started on Thursday night with Jayden Reed’s zero points in Detroit, and they continued on Sunday with stars like A.J. Brown, Mike Evans, DJ Moore, DK Metcalf, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Drake London all finishing with 12 or fewer points.
Brock Bowers, the best tight end in fantasy football, was held to just 8.2 points despite a great matchup in Tampa Bay. What made that even harder to swallow was that his teammate, tight end Michael Mayer, had seven catches for 68 yards and 13.8 fantasy points.
No one said it was easy, folks!
Zach Charbonnet Goes Nuclear In Arizona
The loss of Kenneth Walker II for the week created an opportunity for Charbonnet to shine, and wow, did he ever take advantage.
Charbonnet rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns on his 22 carries and added seven catches for 59 yards as a receiver. In all, the U.CL.A. product led all running backs in fantasy points (38.3) going into the Sunday night game. It was also Charbonnet’s best-ever fantasy performance, besting the 25.7 points he scored against the Dolphins in Week 3.
If Walker is forced to miss another game, Charbs will be a must start.
Isaac Guerendo Finds Gold, Then Gets Hurt
Guerendo was one of my favorite players of the week, and he more than delivered with 17 touches, 128 total yards, two touchdowns and 26.8 points in a win over the Bears. He was dominant on the ground, averaging 5.2 yards per rush, and he continued the trend of Kyle Shanahan running backs who come right in and produce when given the opportunity.
Unfortunately, he was part of another trend too … like both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason before him, Guerendo hurt his foot late in the game and didn’t return.
With a short turnaround coming on Thursday night against the Rams, Guerendo could be in danger of missing Week 15. As a result, Patrick Taylor Jr. will be a hot n
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