Emmanuel Sanders scored his first two touchdowns of the season in the Bills' 43-21 rout of Washington on Sunday. His pair of celebrations in the end zone could not have been more different.
Fired up after catching his first touchdown from Josh Allen to put the Bills on the board in the first quarter, Sanders launched the football into the stands, which will earn him a $7,210 fine from the league under the sportsmanship rules of its collective bargaining agreement.
When Sanders snagged a 5-yard dart from Allen in the corner of the end zone late in the third quarter to push Buffalo's lead to 19, the wide receiver may have atoned from his earlier choice, handing the football to a young Bills fan after an initial bow. After the game, it wasn't just the impressive stat line that was cherished by the veteran wideout.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (1) celebrates the Bills victory over the Washington Football Team.
"Aw, man. It felt good. It felt really good," Sanders said about the two touchdown receptions. "I think the best part was handing that ball to that kid and seeing the reaction. I think that’s what it’s about."
[More: Sanders' breakout game leads Jay Skurski's observations from Buffalo's win]
The reaction from the young fan, Dylan DiMaggio, involved saying, "Oh my God," multiple times, as can be seen on the broadcast.
En route to DiMaggio, Sanders passed the father of Patrick Duffy, a morning show sports radio host from Rochester. Duffy's father was seated immediately to DiMaggio's right, and can be seen in the replay reaching for the ball before smoothly removing his hands as Sanders' intended recipient became clearer.
Yes that was my dad on TV in the white Josh Allen jersey after the Sanders TD.You can CLEARLY see in the replay that he tries to take the ball… then when it’s handed to the kid, attempts to play it off like he didn’t.#BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/siRNMg7Yuo
— Duffy on WCMF (@DuffyOnWCMF) September 26, 2021
Sanders, who joined the Bills as a free agent from New Orleans, finished Sunday's win with five receptions for 94 yards and the two touchdowns.
