Former Clemson tight end Davis Allen turned heads with a highlight-reel catch during this week’s Monday Night Football thriller between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills.
Allen, now in his fourth season with the Rams, made an incredible fingertip catch from quarterback Matthew Stafford in the second quarter of LA’s eventual 37-34, overtime loss.
The impressive 3-yard snag — where Stafford threw the ball way behind Allen, who still somehow managed to haul it in — came on third-and-1, keeping a lengthy drive alive inside the Bills’ 5-yard line.
Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN analyst Troy Aikman was highly impressed by Allen’s grab and the degree of difficulty on the reception.
“Davis Allen, he doesn’t get the ball thrown in his direction very often,” Aikman said from up in the ESPN broadcast booth. “That’s hard for anybody – but especially when you’re talking about a 250-pounder that’s 6-5. I mean, to be able to have that kind of body control, and that could very well be the difference between having to settle for three points and picking up a touchdown.”
Aikman was right, as Allen’s catch led to a 4-yard Davante Adams touchdown reception on the very next play that put the Rams ahead 7-6 with eight minutes left before halftime.
The reliable Allen finished the game with two receptions for 24 yards, reeling in each of the two balls thrown his way.
His other catch was a 21-yarder on second-and-7 in overtime, where he corralled another pass that was thrown a bit behind him, while sliding to the turf.
“That’s a good catch as well,” Aikman said during the broadcast.
Allen’s second catch was followed shortly by a 21-yard catch by Puka Nacua to help set up a field-goal attempt. The 48-yard field goal try was blocked by Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau, and the Bills went on to win.
Allen was drafted by Los Angeles in the fifth round (175th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 52 career regular season games (14 starts), he has recorded 46 receptions for 405 yards and four touchdowns, including six catches for 63 yards over five games this season (three starts).
The Georgia native appeared in all 20 games for the Rams last season, including the postseason. He started five of the 17 regular-season games and caught 24 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns, all career-highs.
Allen’s first score of 2025 proved to be the game-winning, 13-yard touchdown reception in the Rams’ 14-9 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 1. He found the end zone again in Week 2, and then again in Week 10. The Week 10 touchdown was a historic one, as his 4-yard touchdown grab marked Matthew Stafford’s 400th career touchdown pass (making Stafford just the ninth player all-time with at least 400 TD passes).
As a rookie in 2023, Allen scored his first NFL touchdown in the Rams’ Week 14 matchup at the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 10, 2023. He recorded the first postseason touchdown of his NFL career when he caught a 13-yard touchdown pass right before halftime of the Rams’ NFC Wild Card Playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 13, 2025.
Allen played at Clemson from 2019-22, when he recorded 88 receptions, 951 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns over 54 games. He was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2022, when he posted career highs in receptions (39), receiving yards (443), touchdowns (five) and offensive snaps (701) while starting all 14 games.
Allen and the Rams return to action this Sunday when they host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6.