Bills overcome ugly start in whirlwind 34-28 Week 1 win over Cardinals

It wasn't easy, it wasn't perfect, but a win is a win for this new era of the Buffalo Bills

David Faux | Sep 8, 2024

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Buffalo Bills did what they do best to kick off their 2024 season: raise their fans' heart rates. A 34-28 win over a scrappy Arizona Cardinals squad that many consider a potential surprise team in 2024, however, is not to be overlooked or disregarded. It was back and forth and up and down, but the Bills were ultimately the better team coming into the game, and ultimately the better team coming out as they got to 1-0.

There were plenty of things to take away from this game, and that's exactly what we're here to do now, going into the most inspiring performances, inquiring about when a particular player may be getting an extension, looking at a unit that requires a better overall performance, and the most irksome performance of the contest.

Inspire - Offense:

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While the Bills didn’t have a lot to show for their efforts in the first half, their offensive game plan was working. They stalled out near the red zone with a Josh Allen fumble and had to deal with Arizona dominating the time of possession, but the plan was clearly working when they had the ball. The second half showed they had the plan correct, but needed some better execution to finish off the drives. The run game was consistently getting yards, and James Cook was strong all game as he finished with over 100 total yards. The receiving corps had much made about it this offseason and whether or not they could make the “everyone eats” offense work, but through this first game, the group made the plan work almost to perfection.

Rookie Keon Coleman had four catches as he led the team in targets, and others like Dawson Knox, Khalil Shakir, and Curtis Samuel made it work outside of that. Allen played very well outside of the early fumble and found the balance of playing in rhythm while maintaining his playmaking ability outside of the structure of the offense. After Allen's second rushing touchdown of the game, strong, loud, exuberant chants of "MVP" rained down on the Bills' starting quarterback, and he finished with 232 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Arizona’s defense gave them a strong shot, but ultimately, the Bills overcame the Cardinals’ best on defense and found a way to make it all work.

Inquire - Greg Rousseau:

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That is to say, when do you pay the man? After his fellow 2021 draft selection Spencer Brown received a four-year extension the other day, it seemed that Greg Rousseau would be not far behind him. In hindsight, the Bills are probably thinking they should have paid Rousseau first. After a six-tackle, three-sack dominant performance Sunday, Rousseau has made a statement in the opening week of the season, and the longer you wait as an organization, the more that price rises. It may be that the Bills are willing to wait it out and see if Rousseau can continue his hot start and maintain his momentum throughout the entire season, but this is an incredibly strong start to have when you’re wanting some more money.

Require - Defense:

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Despite a very laborious first half, the Bills’ defense played quite well in the second half, holding Arizona’s offense to three points offensively, with their only other touchdown coming from a DeeJay Dallas kick return. That first half was difficult for the defense, as they couldn’t get pressure and couldn’t get into the Cardinals’ backfield to make plays on the ground. While the Cardinals’ offense was certainly the main concern coming into the game, the way in which they were able to control the game in the first half was disconcerting. With Buffalo's next game coming against the Miami Dolphins, the Bills need to figure out what the problems were and make the adjustments quickly against a very fast, explosive offense.

Irk - Special Teams:

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After a 2023 season where the Bills’ special teams unit was largely lackluster, the Bills decided to retain special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley. After one week, that decision seems more dubious than it did during the offseason. It started off well enough as the newest Bills returner, Brandon Codrington, had a long return into Cardinals territory, but later gave up the first touchdown on the new dynamic kick return rules. It wasn’t an altogether horrible performance, but it was always a bit of an odd decision to bring back the coordinator of a unit that underperformed and also saw the regression of a great kicker in Tyler Bass (who did make all his attempts Sunday). There’s certainly plenty of time to make it work, but it was an issue last year, and it looks like it will continue to be an issue this year.

What's next?

The Bills will have a quick turnaround as they head to Miami to take on the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. It's a matchup between two 1-0 teams as Miami had a comeback win of its own against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday. It's a tough matchup with a familiar opponent, and the Bills are certainly going to be amped up to prove they still run the AFC East.

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