PITTSBURGH -- The Buffalo Bills set a variety of rushing records in their 26-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, a natural result of gaining 249 yards on the ground.
But one run represented even more.
Josh Allen set the NFL career record for regular-season touchdown runs by a quarterback with his 8-yard score in the fourth quarter. It was the 76th rushing touchdown of Allen's eight-year career, breaking the record held by Cam Newton (75).
"Third down, it looked like they played kind of, we call it 77, some brackets where they're doubling two guys on the outside and Ty Johnson just kind of made an adjustment midplay," Allen said of the record-breaking run. "I kind of followed him and got out to the right and again, just kind of got stood up. But the O-line coming to throw me in there was pretty cool."
It was Allen's 49th career game with a passing and a rushing touchdown, four more than the next-closest player (Newton, 45). Allen finished Sunday's game 15-of-23 passing for 123 yards, with one TD and one interception. He also rushed for 38 yards on eight carries.
The reigning MVP now has six straight seasons with at least 30 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, breaking a tie with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for the second-most such consecutive seasons (Drew Brees, nine).
Allen set the rushing touchdown record in 123 games; Newton established his mark in 145.
"Nah, I mean, that doesn't, [records are] not why I play the game," Allen said. "I'm just happy I helped this team get a victory tonight."
Overall, Allen's 76 rushing TDs are the second most of any player since he entered the league in 2018, behind Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (106). Of the 76 scores, 27 have come from the 1-yard line and 72 from the red zone.
The Bills took command of the second half Sunday due to the dominance of the run game despite being without both starting tackles. Running back James Cook had 144 yards on 32 carries, and backup Ray Davis had 62 yards on nine carries.
Behind the backup tackles, Cook still was able to gain 60 yards before contact, his second most in a game this season, per NextGen Stats.
"I texted [backups Ryan Van Demark and Alec Anderson] today when I woke up and just told them I trust in them and believe in them," Cook said. "And just, 'Let's go, and let's go get a win.' And they texted me, 'I love you, brother, and let's go.'"
During the game, the Bills called a run on 63.5% of their plays, their fourth-highest rate in a game since drafting Allen. The quarterback's four designed rushes were his most in a game this season. Allen also was not sacked a week after the Texans sacked him a career-high eight times.
The 249 rushing yards were the most by an opposing team at Pittsburgh since the Bills rushed for 310 yards on Sept. 28, 1975, at Three Rivers Stadium. O.J. Simpson had 227 rushing yards in that game.
"I like that it presents a different challenge for defenses," Allen told ESPN earlier this month about why he enjoys running. "They have to account for the quarterback run, which means you get an extra blocker in the run game and just makes them have to think about that in the back there. And even if we don't utilize it all that much, it's always the threat of being there that helps, I think, an offense out."