Cardinals, Bills Week 1 Picks

The Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills battle to open the season - who comes out on top?

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) reacts after a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half for the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Welcome to Week 1 of the NFL season, where the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills will clash to see who can snag an opening week victory in Orchard Park.

Our staff picks:

Donnie Druin - It’s Week 1. Anything can happen, and with the Cardinals not playing any of their starters in preseason, we don’t have a clue how they’ll look once they hit the field. To me, this game could very well turn into a track meet. Which defense can make the extra stop to win the game? For me, that’s Buffalo. BUF 31, AZ 24

Jack London - This is truly a tough one. My heart says Arizona gets the upset here - the Bills have reshuffled their roster tremendously, it's not going to be cold and snowy, and the Cardinals didn't show much in the preseason so they have some element of surprise. However, my head is saying Buffalo for one main reason - Josh Allen. I think it's a pretty high scoring game though - and remember this: the Jets beat Buffalo in week 1 last season with Zach Wilson. BUF 33, ARI 28

Kyler Burd - I think that most of the sports media world is evaluating this game based on the Bills squads of the past several years. Spoiler: this is not the same team and, particularly, not the same defense. Sean McDermott is a very talented coach and will get the best out of his players but on a pure matchup basis, the Cardinals offense looks to have a good opening to the season. It is hard to judge how a rookie Marvin Harrison, Jr. will look in his first NFL game, but Christian Benford on Michael Wilson and Tavon Johnson on Greg Dortch are both very favorable matchups for the Cards. Add in Trey McBride in the middle of a field missing Matt Milano and Kyler Murray has the weapons to take a much depleted Bills defense by surprise. The real question of this game lies in how the Cardinals defense will manage Josh Allen, who is undeniably an x-factor at the quarterback position and has often put his team on his back to force a win. Here, I am going to side with the Cardinals behind a surprisingly (to the national media) potent offense, but not by much. ARI 31 BUF 27

Kevin Hicks - The general consensus is that the Bills are going to win this game by 7, possibly 10 points. They might be right. While the defense has been somewhat gutted and the offense is significantly reshaped, the Bills typically play some of their best football over the first month of the season. The Josh Allen/Sean McDermott duo has proven to be a difficult one to crack as well - and the Cards’ purported lack of pass rush could cost them dearly. At the end of the day, this feels like a game in which Kyler Murray will be able to attack Buffalo over the top once he eases into the game - Michael Wilson averaged 9.7 yards per target last season as a rookie, so look out for him. Murray’s heroics late in the game give Arizona the edge here despite ceding over 400 yards to Allen.
ARI 34, BUF 31

Richie Bradshaw - It’s a new dawn for the Cardinals, who aim to improve from a dread season a year ago. The offense is certainly primed to take a big step forward with Marvin Harrison Jr and the return of James Conner and Trey McBride. The defense, however, doesn’t look ready for anyone. The Bills secondary is brand new, so the Kyler Murray to MHJ connection could be huge. The difference in this game is Josh Allen at QB for Buffalo against what might be the worst defense in the NFL. Unfortunately, I don’t the Cards are ready to keep up with a Super Bowl contender, but it should be fun on offense. BUF 34, AZ 21

Alex D’Agostino - This is not the same Bills team that has dominated the AFC for the past several years. I’m not even sure it’s the same team that stumbled their way to the AFC Divisional round in 2023. Josh Allen is turnover prone, and has fewer weapons, but with Arizona’s weak passrush, he’ll be able to utilize his biggest weapon - his legs. Don’t get me wrong, this team is vulnerable, and a Cardinals upset is most certainly on the table, especially with a bolstered offense set for a major season. Unfortunately, I don’t think Arizona’s defense has quite enough to allow their offense to maintain a lead, and with a brutal away crowd in Orchard Park, the Cardinals could be forced off balance in week one. Expect a close contest - until it’s not. Arizona could very well hold onto a lead or stay close to Buffalo throughout the meat of the game, but a fourth-quarter surge as the Cardinals’ thin defensive unit becomes more and more fatigued might show us a final score that doesn’t tell the true story of the matchup. BUF 36, AZ 23