Josh Allen touchdown run: Where Bills star’s 52-yard rushing TD ranks among longest by QB in NFL playoff history

Josh Allen is known for his ability to beat teams with both his rocket arm and his deceptive speed. The Steelers learned the hard way, getting torched by the dual-threat quarterback in the first half of the AFC wild card game.

The Bills wasted no time jumping out to a 14-0 lead over Pittsburgh as Allen diced its defense for a nine-yard passing touchdown to Dawson Knox and a 29-yard passing touchdown to Dalton Kincaid. He was 6-for-8 with 85 passing yards and two touchdowns before you could even blink, and the star QB still had more to show.

Two drives later, Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph made a costly mistake as Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam came up with an interception in the end zone. Allen almost immediately made Pittsburgh pay, ripping off a 52-yard touchdown run to give Buffalo a 21-0 lead and send a snow-covered Highmark Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

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Where does Allen’s run rank among the longest rushing touchdowns by a QB in NFL Playoffs history? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.

Josh Allen’s 52-yard rushing touchdown

Once Allen gets going downhill, he’s like a bowling ball. Listed at 6-5, 237 lbs., he’s much bigger than most targets defensive players have to tackle in the open field. Add to it that he runs a respectable 4.76 40-yard dash and it’s easy to see why he’s already top-10 in NFL history for rushing yards by a quarterback.

In the second quarter of the Bills AFC wild card game against the Steelers, he showed just how dangerous he can be with his feet once he starts improvising.

Allen dropped back to pass but the pocket started collapsing around him. He stepped up and took off running, going almost 20 yards without being touched by a Pittsburgh tackler. Allen is no stranger to fighting for extra yards, so it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that he didn’t try to slide and protect his body.

Allen had a little hesitation in the open field that may have deceived his opponents just enough to break his run 52 yards to the house. After shedding one tackle, Allen was gone for six.

JOSH ALLEN TAKES IT HIMSELF 😱

52-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN

🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/HdLEWNwWcJ

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 15, 2024

According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Allen reached a top speed of 19.33 mph — his fastest speed as a ball carrier this season. He gained 42 more yards on the play than expected (RYOE) and gained the most yards on a QB scramble among all passers this season.

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Longest rushing touchdowns by QB in NFL playoff history

Allen’s 52-yard rushing touchdown was good for the second-longest in NFL playoff history by a quarterback.

Only dual-threat QB Colin Kaepernick has had a longer touchdown run in the playoffs, ripping off a 56-yard TD against the Packers in the 2013 NFC Divisional Round.

Those passers are the only two in NFL playoff history with a rushing touchdown longer than 50 yards. Ravens star Lamar Jackson is the next-closest with a 48-yard rushing TD in the 2021 AFC Wild Card round against the Titans.

You can find the five longest rushing TDs by quarterbacks in NFL Playoffs history below.

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