Bills vs Cardinals: The good and bad from Week 1

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills squeaked out a close game in Week 1, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 34-28 in their home opener and overcoming a 14-point deficit.

There was plenty of good and bad from Week 1 given that it was a high-scoring comeback effort from a new-look Bills squad.

The Good

Josh Allen 

Josh Allen and the Bills offense got off to a slow start against the Cardinals. Allen had a fumble on the first drive of the game which set the Bills back, but Allen and the offense got going in the second quarter and didn’t look back. 

Allen scored four TDs in the opening game, with two coming on the ground and two through the air. He had 271 total yards.

The Run Game

The Bills’ run game was a consistent factor against Arizona’s defense. James Cook had 19 carries for 71 yards on the day. Josh Allen was second in rushing with 39 yards. The offensive line had their share of penalties but they held up well and carved lanes for Cook pretty consistently.

Khalil Shakir 

Khalil Shakir doesn’t like to get tackled. Shakir showed his grit in today’s game finishing with 3 receptions for 42 receiving yards and a touchdown. His ability to run after the catch continues to shine.

Keon Coleman 

Keon Coleman had a solid debut in front of Bills Mafia. He finished the game with 4 receptions for 51 receiving yards (both led the Bills). He’s already showing good flashes in game one. Coleman made a heck of a grab on the sideline to put the Bills in the red zone in the fourth quarter of a close game:

Greg Rousseau 

Greg Rousseau was a bright spot defensively. Rousseau finished the game with 6 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 QB hits, and forced a fumble resulting in a turnover. A dominant performance from Rousseau who is aiming to have his coming out party this year.

The Bad

Slow Start 

The Bills got off to a slow start both offensively and defensively. Josh Allen and the Bills fumbled on their first offensive drive of the game and turned the ball over. Defensively the Bills didn’t have a response for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense for the entire first half. Luckily, both sides of the ball turned it around.

Kick Return Coverage

The Bills allowed Deejay Dallas and the Cardinals special team to return a kick for a 96-yard touchdown. This gave the Cardinals a ton of momentum and almost led to a late comeback for the road team.

Dalton Kincaid

Dalton Kincaid was left out of the game plan it seemed, so he wasn’t necessarily “bad”, but he finished the game with only 1 reception for 11 yards on 2 targets. Many around the team and the league have promising projections for the second-year tight end. Bills Mafia hopes Kincaid will be a more prominent presence in Week 2 and show the league what he’s about.