The 2024 National Football League (NFL) season kicked off over the weekend, with all 32 franchises in action. For many football fans, the start of a new regular season is a time for excitement. Still, Buffalo Bills supporters headed to the Highmark Stadium on September 8 with an air of uncertainty surrounding their beloved team.
The Bills roster is much different from previous seasons, having traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, lost Gabe Davis to free agency, and released several veterans, including center Mitch Morse, cornerback Tre’Davious White, and safety Jordan Poyer. Throw into the mix a slew of injured players unavailable for selection, and you can see why the Bills were not one of the more popular teams for their opening clash.
Sean McDermott Hands Out Six Debuts
Bills head coach Sean McDermott handed debuts to six newcomers in his new-look team. Rookies Keon Coleman (WR), Ray Davis (RB), and Brandon Codrington (CB) made their debuts alongside veterans Austin Johnson (DT), Curtis Samuel (WR), and Mack Hollins (WR).
The Bills did not get off to the best of starts, with the Cardinals scoring from their first drive. A 15-play drive spanning over seven minutes ended with Kyler Murray passing short to Michael Wilson for a five-yard touchdown. Matt Prater converted the extra point to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.
The Cardinals extended their lead with a 29-yard field goal before Prater pulled three points back with a 37-yard field goal. Murray then guided the Cardinals on a 15-play drive over 71 yards, ending with James Connor scoring a three-yard rushing touchdown and the extra point being good.
Josh Allen Grab the Bills by the Scruff of the Neck
Sometimes, when the chips are down, you need your star players to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drag the team back into contention. Josh Allen did precisely that with the Bills trailing 17-3 and the end of the second quarter in sight.
A penalty-laden 65-yard drive that started on the Bills 30-yard line ended with Allen scoring a seven-yard rushing touchdown. A good extra point later, the Bills were back in contention, although losing 10-17 at the halftime interval.
That Allen touchdown was the start of 21 unanswered points for the Bills. Allen found Mack Hollins early in the third quarter for an 11-yard touchdown, his first touchdown in Bills colors, before Khalil Shakir got off the mark with an 11-yard touchdown. The Bills had gone from trailing 10-17 to leading 24-17 going into the fourth quarter.
Allen Scores His Second Touchdown
A 31-yard field goal brought the Cardinals within four points of the Bills, only for Allen to scramble six yards to score his second touchdown of the game, which put some daylight between the teams. The Cardinals’ DeeJay Dallas returned the resulting kickoff for an incredible 96-yard touchdown, and the Cardinals successfully pulled off a two-point conversion to leave the score 31-28 in the Bills’ favor.
With the clock ticking down, Bass fired over a 39-yard field goal for the Bills, but the drama was not yet over. As he had successfully done back in 2020, Murray attempted a last-ditch Hail Mary pass, but the brave attempt was thwarted by Bills cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram, meaning the Bills got off to a 34-28 winning start.
Bills Live Up to the Everybody Eats Mantra
The Bills’ mantra is “Everybody Eats,” which indeed showed in this opening fixture against the Cardinals. Nine different receivers caught passes, and although nobody caught for more than 51 yards, Allen completed 18 of his 23 pass attempts. Rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman finished with 51 yards from four receptions, while newcomers Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins also made their presence felt.
It was a similar story with the Bills’ rushing game. Four players carried the ball for yards, and Allen scored two rushing touchdowns.
Allen was, without doubt, the shining Bills’ shining light. The former Wyoming star enjoyed a 78.3 pass completion rate, 10.1 passing yards per attempt, two passing touchdowns, a 137.7 passer rating, 39 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. When a team has a player of Allen’s ability pulling strings, you can never write off their chances of winning a football game.
Who Is Next For the Buffalo Bills?
The NFL regular season fixtures come thick and fast, and McDermott’s Bills only have a little time to rest and recuperate after beating the Cardinals. The Bills travel to the Hard Rock Stadium for a Thursday Night Football clash with the Miami Dolphins, who also won their opening game.
The Dolphins defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-17 at their Hard Rock Stadium home. Like the Bills, the Dolphins got off to a shaky start and went into halftime trailing 7-17 before rallying in the second half with 13 unanswered points (20 if you count the second-quarter touchdown) to run out 20-17 winners.
McDermott’s Bills did the double over the Dolphins during last year’s regular season. They ran out convincing 48-20 winners at home during Week 4 before winning 21-14 in Miami on the final game of the regular season.
Everything points to this clash being a high-scoring contest, with both teams’ offensive capabilities being their ace card. Additionally, both the Bills and Dolphins look to have regressed defensively. The Dolphins are narrow favorites to come away with the spoils despite Allen being 10-2 in games against them. However, Allen banged up his throwing hand against the Cardinals, so the Bills need their star man in the pocket if they want to start the 2024 campaign 2-0.
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