Despite all the changes the Buffalo Bills made to their wide receiver and defense positions this offseason, one key element remained the same: quarterback Josh Allen.
When the Bills, who have won the AFC East for four years running, found themselves down by 14 points in their season opener against Arizona on Sunday, Allen stepped up and made a difference with his performance and athleticism.
Allen’s four-touchdown game was highlighted by a dramatic leap. After scrambling to his right from the Arizona 6-yard line, he jumped over Budda Baker and was pushed into the end zone by another Cardinals player.
This touchdown gave the Bills a 31-20 lead with 8 1/2 minutes remaining and capped a strong comeback where Buffalo outscored the Cardinals 28-3 after halftime.
Left tackle Dion Dawkins compared Allen’s leap to a jet flyover during the national anthem, saying, “What goes up, must come down. And I hope you come down in the end zone. And he did. You know, that big quarterback, it’s hard to stop that, especially when you’re flying.”
Allen mentioned that his jump was a last-minute decision, especially after powering through linebacker Xavier Thomas on a 7-yard touchdown run just before halftime.
“Second time, I knew it was Budda, and Budda’s a good player, and he’ll lay the boom on you,” Allen said. “So I decided to go up and over. But probably can’t make a living doing that, but here we are.”
Allen finished the game with his non-throwing hand heavily wrapped. Initially, he said he was okay, but he is waiting for further tests. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 232 yards and threw touchdown passes of 11 yards each to Mack Hollins and Khalil Shakir.
This game was an exciting contest between two teams that don’t usually play each other, on a windy day with temperatures in the low 60s and strong gusts from Lake Erie.
The highlight was the first kickoff return for a touchdown under the NFL’s new rules. DeeJay Dallas caught the kickoff at his own 4-yard line, weaved through several Bills, and then found a path up the left side, scoring with 8:31 left to narrow Buffalo’s lead to 31-28.
The Cardinals couldn’t keep up their early momentum, despite starting strong with two touchdowns and a field goal on their first three drives. They built a 17-3 lead with James Conner’s 3-yard touchdown run with 2:40 left in the second quarter.
This was the first time since 2006 that Arizona scored on all their opening three drives.
Buffalo managed 352 yards of offense and showed they could score over 30 points with their new receiver lineup after trading Stefon Diggs and losing Gabe Davis to free agency. Allen threw passes to nine different players, with rookie Keon Coleman leading with four catches for 51 yards.
Buffalo’s defense, though young and dealing with injuries, also made key contributions. Greg Rousseau had a career-high three sacks, including one that caused a fumble.
The defense secured the win when Damar Hamlin and Ja’Marcus Ingram broke up Kyler Murray’s pass attempt to Greg Dortch on fourth-and-7 from Buffalo’s 29-yard line with 26 seconds left.
“We’ve got to be better. We were up 17-3 and lost the game,” said second-year Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. “We have to keep scoring, especially when we have a lead.”
On the bright side, the Cardinals showed some promise, echoing their performance from the end of last season when they finished 3-5 with Murray back after missing 11 months due to a torn ACL.
Murray completed 21 of 31 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown and also led the Cardinals in rushing with 57 yards on five carries.
Rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who was the fourth pick in the draft, had a quiet debut, catching only one pass for 4 yards out of three attempts.
The game shifted in the third quarter when the score was tied at 17. Rousseau made a crucial play by sacking Murray for the third time, causing him to fumble. Dorian Williams recovered the ball at Arizona’s 21-yard line.
Buffalo scored shortly after when Allen passed to Shakir on the left. Shakir managed to get the ball over the goal line despite being tackled by defensive lineman Justin Jones.
Bills coach Sean McDermott praised the team’s new players and backups for their contributions. Ingram, who was not initially planned to play, stepped in when defensive end Duwaune Smoot was sidelined with a toe injury. Ingram also played a significant role after cornerback Taron Johnson was injured in the first quarter and did not return.
“It’s a great example of being ready when your number’s called,” McDermott said. “We got down early in the game and they were fighting back from there. I think that itself is a great sign for our football team.”
