Jon Feliciano made a pact with Cole Beasley while the Bills practiced in preparation for Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers.
"I told him if I got in the end zone, I'd let him rock me to sleep," Beasley said.
Both men stayed true to their word during the second quarter of what turned into a career performance for Beasley, who hauled in nine receptions for a career-high 130 receiving yards in Buffalo's 34-24 win.
Beasley put the Bills on the board with his fourth touchdown of the season, tackled as he caught the ball just inside the goal line. By the time he stood up, Feliciano was waiting ardently to cradle him in the air.
"He did a good job," Beasley said. "I was really happy he came and found me when I got in there."
Mitch Morse stood nearby, as unaware of what was happening as the national audience that watched the celebration on ESPN.
"I was out of the loop," Morse said. "I didn't want to cramp anyone's style, so I just kind of left."
It was the Bills' first celebration of the night, and likely the most memorable. But it was far from the last.
Here are the top quotes on Beasley's role in the Bills' primetime victory.
"His presence is like a superhero"
Beasley's career day gives him 797 receiving yards this season, already surpassing his entire 2019 total (778) and nearing the career-high he set in 2016 (833).
He also became the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown receptions by a player 5-foot-8 or shorter, with 33. Dion Dawkins provided his own colorful summation of the receiver's presence on the Bills.
"His presence is like a superhero," Dawkins said. "He reminds me of The Flash. He's extremely quick – not a little kid but he's a go-getter. He has his fun, he says his little comments, and he goes hard at 150 miles per hour. He does it over and over again, and I see The Flash."
"I was a little disappointed in my play last week"
Beasley provided a highlight-reel play with his touchdown throw against the Chargers last week, but he was admittedly dissatisfied with his overall game. He had two receptions for 25 yards in that game, both of which represented his second-lowest marks of the season.
His motivation stemming from that game – combined with a nearly flawless performance from quarterback Josh Allen and a shorthanded 49ers defense playing without nickelbacks Emmanuel Mosely and K'Waun Williams – proved to be a winning recipe Monday.
"I was a little disappointed in my play last week," he said. "I was excited for another chance to play better for my teammates. Any time you've got a guy like that throwing to you, you never want to lose a route or let him down, because you know he's looking for you and he's going to get it there."
"I'm just glad I was able to make the plays"
Beasley had Buffalo's first reception on its first drive of the night, a three-yard catch that moved the chains on second-and-1. The very next play, he found a seam in San Francisco's zone and hauled in a 31-yard reception. It was one of three grabs of 20-plus yards he had in the first half.
"Any time I can get a few deep ones, a few big gains, that helps me a lot," Beasley said. "I do a lot of work underneath, so any time I can get over the top, behind the defense from time to time, that definitely helps with that. That's what happened today, and Josh did a good job of extending plays and finding me. I'm just glad I was able to make the plays for him."
