1. Premier dual threats

In a quarterback-driven league, the spotlight almost always shines on the signal callers, and the season opener for the Bills is no different with Josh Allen and Kyler Murray squaring off on Sunday. Allen ranked fourth in passing yards last season (4,306), his fourth consecutive 4,000-yard season with at least 25 touchdown passes all while ranking second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 15 (tied with Jalen Hurts).

Murray, who made just eight starts last season due to his recovery from an ACL tear, lifted Arizona's offense from 26^th to ninth in the league after he re-entered the lineup. The Cardinals averaged 16.9 points per game without Murray last season, and 22.4 points per game with him.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Allen and Murray rank second and third in rushing yards by a quarterback (Allen - 2,980, Murray – 2,448). They also rank first and third in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback over that span (Allen – 45, Murray – 26).

"He's explosive," said Terrel Bernard of Murray. "They do a really good job running the ball with a physical run game and when they want to throw the ball he can take shots deep. He knows coverages and reads coverages well and his scrambling ability, everybody knows how well he can run with the ball. So, we're going to have to be very disciplined in our rush lanes and try to keep him in the pocket. And if he does get out, we need to have all 11 guys getting to the ball."

Both quarterbacks also have new premier targets in the passing game as both clubs drafted receivers with their first picks in the 2024 NFL draft in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Keon Coleman.

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2. Third down dichotomy

Yes, last season is last season, but it's hard to ignore what was a reliable part of Buffalo's offensive execution and what was a problem area for Arizona's defense in 2023.

For the second straight season in 2023, Buffalo was the number one third-down conversion rate team in the league, moving the sticks at a clip of 49.8 percent. Extending drives on the so-called money down became almost expected.

For Arizona's defense under then first year coach Jonathan Gannon, it was often a chore to get off the field and force a punt from the opposing offenses they faced. The Cardinals finished 2023, last in the league in third down defense, allowing a conversion rate of 47.3 percent. Even on 3^rd-and-10 plays last season, the Cards allowed opponents to extend their drives an eye-popping 43 percent.

One particularly troubling area came on third down scrambles by opposing quarterbacks. There were only 12 such plays faced by the Cardinals defense last season, so it is a small sample size. But on 12 third down scrambles by opposing quarterbacks, Arizona's defense gave up nine conversions for an opponent success rate of 75 percent.

What's more remarkable is on six of those conversions the down and distance was 3^rd-and-10 or more.

That's why Arizona did what they could to shore up their defensive front, spending most of their free agent money on a pair of defensive tackles in Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols.

Knowing Josh Allen can extend plays and scramble with the best of them in the league, this third-down problem for Arizona's defense last year could extend into Week 1 this season.

"I think he got sacked the least number of times last year," said Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon of Allen. "That's partly because of his O-line. They played with each other I think the whole year, continuity there. They're good, they're well coached and then, when you do get in the backfield a little bit, he's got the ability to extend plays, make you miss, run away from you, run through you. We just have to be on it. That's knowing your opponent. That's going to be a big-time challenge for us, so we have to do it well if we're going to win the game."

3. Pass rush problems

Part of the reason that could prove true is what Arizona lost in terms of their pass rush. Top pass rusher B.J. Ojulari, a second-round pick in 2023, suffered a season-ending ACL injury last month in training camp. The Cardinals also added a power rusher to their stable of defensive linemen drafting Missouri's Darius Robinson with the 27^th overall pick.

But Robinson suffered a calf injury and was subsequently placed on injured reserve meaning he will miss the first month of the season. Without two players deemed to be their most talented pass rushers, the burden now falls on fourth year outside linebacker Zaven Collins.

"For the Cardinals it's tough because of these two injuries at pass rusher," said ESPN national NFL analyst, Ben Solak, in an appearance on ‘One Bills Live’ this week. "Zaven Collins now has an opportunity in his second year as an edge player. Previously, he was an inside linebacker. So, he has to step forward and generate some pass rush. They have Dennis Gardeck, who is your 3^rd-and-7 speed guy, wide-nine off the edge player. But he's not an every down player, so they have to hope that Zaven to take that step forward and provide production."

Arizona ranked 25^th in sacks per pass attempt last season and finished 30^th in sacks with 33. But Solak has seen singular Cardinals defenders fill the void in years past.

"Arizona has seen this work before," said Solak. "Haason Reddick had that spike with his first 10-sack season in his last year with the Cardinals. But Zaven has to step forward and provide that pass rush that's missing with Ojulari and Robinson not in the lineup."

4. Diversity will make Bills offense hard to figure

In the previous four seasons, opposing defenses knew Stefon Diggs was Buffalo's go-to guy in the passing game. Third-and-five? The ball is probably going to Diggs. Got-to-have-it play at the end of the game? Make sure Diggs is covered.

With Diggs now in Houston, and fellow top four wideout Gabe Davis now in Jacksonville, Buffalo's receiving corps has been revamped with no true top target, though many believe TE Dalton Kincaid could grow into that.

"I think the football can go anywhere at any time," said Khalil Shakir. "We've got so many different dynamic guys on the field who can make a play. I think that definitely makes us unpredictable."

Keon Coleman reiterated the mantra of Buffalo's skill position players this week of ‘Everybody Eats.’ Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has stressed that he's counting on every playmaker in this offense to make an impact. He's also telling his QB Josh Allen to just play the play and deliver the ball to the open man.

Veteran receiver, Curtis Samuel believes the diversity of Buffalo's passing game, not only with their receivers and tight ends, but their backs as well will lead to matchup problems.

"It's tough for defenses," said Samuel. "I feel like teams don't know what we're going to do, and that's a great thing. We've got so many weapons, so many different guys who could do a lot of different things. I feel like that makes it scary."

5. Tight end: The Next Generation

Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, and George Kittle have been the stalwart tight ends of the league for the better part of the last decade. But there is a new generation of pass catching tight ends coming up who look to be the new face of the league at the position.

Two of them are playing Sunday in Orchard Park. Arizona's Trey McBride led the Cardinals in receptions (81) and receiving yards (825) in his second NFL season in 2023. Meanwhile Dalton Kincaid in his rookie season for the Bills, finished with 73 receptions surpassing Pete Metzelaars (68 in 1993) for most receptions in a season by a Bills tight end.

One of four tight ends in NFL history to secure 70+ catches in their first season (Sam LaPorta, Jeremy Shockey and Keith Jackson), Kincaid also became the only first-year tight end in NFL history to have five or more catches in seven consecutive games, which happened from Week 7 to 14.

Bills offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, has really liked the way Kincaid and Allen have jelled in the passing game through the course of the offseason.

"He's a guy who has continued to grow and get more comfortable," said Brady of Kincaid.
"He's in his second year and he has to continue to develop, but you can see how confident he got as the season wore on last year. He and Josh (Allen) have worked a lot together this offseason to make sure they're on the same page with each other. I've loved his approach this offseason and I'm excited to see what he can do."

Kincaid and McBride could very well be the top targets in each of the two passing games for the Bills and Cardinals Sunday.