Game Recap

Bills 34, Cardinals 28 | Final score, stats to know + game highlights

Sep 08, 2024 at 06:06 PM

Dorian Alerte

Contributing Correspondent

Location: Highmark Stadium

Attendance: 70,542

Final score: Bills 34, Cardinals 28

Records: Bills (1-0), Cardinals (0-1)

Next opponent: Bills at Dolphins on Thursday, September 12 at 8:15 pm ET

Bills Mafia was welcomed back to Highmark Stadium as the Bills (1-0) defeated the Cardinals (0-1) 34-28 in their home opener.

Quarterback Josh Allen led the way, throwing for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding 41 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. RB James Cook added in yards 71 rushing and 32 yards receiving. LB Terrel Bernard led all defenders with 11 tackles and EDGE Greg Rousseau added in 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble.

1. Bills Debuts

Veterans DT Austin Johnson, WR Curtis Samuel and WR Mack Hollins, and rookies WR Keon Coleman, RB Ray Davis and CB Brandon Codrington all made their debuts for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.

Codrington started of his debut with a bang, scooping up the Bills first kickoff and taking it up the sideline for 53-yards, giving the Bills great field position at the Cardinals 45-yardline to start their first drive of the game.

Hollins also made the first catch of the game for the Bills, taking a pass for 14 yards to bring the Bills into the red zone early. He also caught the first passing touchdown of the season for the offense. He ended his day with two catches, for 25 yards and a touchdown.

Coleman made several key catches for the offense and drew a pass interference penalty on the first scoring drive of the game that ended in a field goal. His biggest play came when Allen found him on a deep pass for 28-yards. He ended his debut with four catches and 51 yards receiving.

Davis made his presence felt on the opening drive of the second half, catching a pass from Allen and taking it for 14-yards, before he exploded up the right side for 13nyards, setting up a touchdown to Hollins. He totaled rushes three for 13 yards and caught passes for yards.

Samuel ended the day with two catches for fifteen yards. Johnson ended the game with one tackle.

2. Fast start

After Codrington set the Bills up with great field position on the Bills' opening drive of the game, Allen fumbled, and the Cardinals brought the ball down for a K Matt Prater field goal.

Allen made up for the early fumble, bringing the Bills on their two possessions into the red zone and scoring both times.

On their first scoring drive, Cook got going early, receiving six carries, including a 15-yard scamper. Allen found TE Dawson Knox for 23-yards for his only completion of the drive. In the red zone, Allen ran for a rushing touchdown, but it was called back following a face mask penalty and the Bills settled for a K Tyler Bass field goal.

After Arizona cashed in on their ensuing drive, with only 2:44 left in the half, Allen led the offense on a two minute-drill. Even with the several false start penalties, Allen found the end zone on a rushing touchdown from seven yards out. In the process, WR Khalil Shakir bounced off a defender and took a pass from Allen 19-yards and Coleman also caught his first career catch for 12-yards.

After receiving the second half kickoff, that was short of the landing zone and placed the ball at the 40-yardline, the offense got right back to work. Allen found his running backs this time, completing a 25-yard pass to Cook and Davis for another 14-yards. Allen ended the drive throwing a dart to Hollins, tying the game at 17-all.

3. Finding their rhythm

The second half was a strong showing for the entire Bills team as they scored points on four of their six second-half drives.

Allen continued to dissect the Cardinals' defense as they scored 14-points unanswered since the end of the first half.

Edge rusher Greg Rousseau brought his strong preseason into the regular season, forcing a key strip sack of Murray that was recovered by LB Dorian Williams and set up a passing touchdown from Allen to WR Khalil Shakir.

The defense joined the party, stopping the Cardinals' offense in the red zone, when they looked to be in scoring position. They were able to force a field goal, and the Bills led 24-20.

On fourth down Allen broke away from a would-be sack and kept the drive alive, scrambling for four yards, keeping the drive alive and the fourth quarter clock moving. Allen then wowed the Bills home crowd, hurdling S Budda Baker for his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon.

On the Cardinals second-to-last attempt at trying to tie the game, on second down DT DaQuan Jones batted a pass at the line and on fourth down EDGE Von Miller got the sack to force a punt.

The Cardinals' hopes were put to bed when Murray threw a pass to WR Greg Dortch on fourth down that was broken up by DB Ja'Marcus Ingram, forcing a turnover on downs. Allen then took the knee to end the game, giving the Bills their first victory.

4. Spreading the wealth

The Bills mantra of "Everybody Eats" took form as nine different receivers caught passes from Allen and four different players ran the football.

Cook, Allen, Davis, and RB Ty Johnson ran for a total of yards, and Allen had the two touchdowns of the group.

No receiver caught for more than 51-yards, but Allen completed 18 of his 23 pass attempts.