Photo: Josh Allen, who said, “These guys don’t worry about stats or touchdowns… they love each other and love being a part of this,” hugs offensive lineman Dion Dawkins after a touchdown gave the Bills a 34-3 lead just before halftime. Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Bills.
By CHUCK POLLOCK, senior sports writer at Wellsville Sun and Olean Star
And then there were five.
That’s the number of 32 NFL teams that have gone through the first three games of the season undefeated. The latest team to join that group was the Bills, who did so on Monday night in front of a sold-out Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo’s 47-10 victory over Jacksonville (0-3) was as one-sided as the score. It was all over at halftime – the Bills led 34-3 – as they had five possessions before the break and scored a touchdown on each of them.
After a 6-yard TD sweep by running back James Cook, quarterback Josh Allen finished four consecutive drives with touchdown passes: 6 yards to tight end Dalton Kincaid, 16 yards to running back Ty Johnson and 24 and 27 yards to wide receivers Keon Coleman and Kahlil Shakir.
Allen was far from perfect and played arguably his best half in seven seasons as Bill.
He finished the game completing 23 of 30 passes for 263 yards, four touchdowns, passing to 10 different receivers, no interceptions or sacks, and a passer rating of 142.1 (158.3 is perfect). Allen was also the team’s leading runner with six runs for 47 yards.
AFTER After the game, an exuberant Allen said, “We got two freshmen (Coleman and running back Ray Davis) their first touchdowns… I’m happy to do that. The guys had space, we ran the ball really, really well, our offense really stepped up and our defense played a hell of a game.”
“The best part is these guys don’t worry about stats or touchdowns… they love each other and love being a part of it.”
Last night Performance requires a look at the league table.
Buffalo is now undefeated in the AFC alongside Kansas City and Pittsburgh, along with the two NFC survivors Minnesota and Seattle.
The Steelers are clearly the biggest surprise given their struggles at the quarterback position with the No. 2 Seahawks, but Buffalo is close behind. The Bills have lost linebacker Matt Milano likely for the year and linebacker Terrel Bernard and elite nickelback Taron Johnson for an indefinite period of time.
There were big questions about the receiver team at the start of the season, as Shakir was the only one to catch a pass from Allen. The defense had lost one of the NFL’s best safety duos in Jordan Poyer (Dolphins) and Micah Hyde (probably retired), and that was before Bernard and Johnson were injured.
Instead, Buffalo dominated one of the league’s strongest offenses and beat Miami 31-10 on the road. The Jags then suffered an embarrassment last night.
After a sloppy win over Arizona in the season opener at Orchard Park, in which Allen accounted for all four touchdowns (two passing, two running) in a thrilling 36-28 game, the Bills have beaten two teams considered AFC Super Bowl contenders by an average score of 39-10.
Last night’s loss might have knocked the Jaguars out of the playoff race — teams that are 0-3 have trouble recovering — and the same goes for Cincinnati, with the same record. Both were considered Super Bowl contenders.
Baltimore, another team with such ambitions, is 1-2, as is Miami, which has the same record and is relying on its backup quarterback indefinitely while Tua Tagovailoa recovers from another concussion.
The Bills now face a brutal challenge of three road games: at Baltimore (next Sunday night), Houston (2-1) next Sunday afternoon and the Jets (2-1) the Monday after next. But even if they lose all three, that would be only one game worse than the most optimistic projection from the first six games. In any case, Buffalo’s bid to win its fifth consecutive AFC East title already seems to have been reduced to a two-way matchup with the Jets.
NOTES FROM the Bills’ 47-10 victory in front of 70,316 spectators on Monday evening at Highmark Stadium:
— All four quarterbacks in the game were first-round draft picks: Allen and Mitch Trubisky (Chicago) for Buffalo and Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones (Patriots) for the Jags.
— Buffalo’s first possession came when safety Damar Hamlin intercepted a pass from Lawrence, the first of his four-year career. The second was a recovered fumble by defensive end Casey Toohill, who covered a Jones loss but missed a chance for a possession.
Of his first pro pick, Hamlin said: “(My teammates) were a special part of my comeback (after a near-fatal heart anomaly on the field in Cincinnati in January 2023). They gave me love, they gave me everything I needed on the journey. They were even happier than I was and that just shows the community and the love we have here in Buffalo… it’s truly a special place and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
“There are no words (for my feelings)… I’m processing it as I go through it, but I’m so grateful to the people who have supported me.”
— The Bills’ first sack against Lawrence was by cornerback and UB alumnus Ja’Marcus Ingram, the first of his career. Edge rusher AJ Epenesa recorded the second, his first of the season, while rookie edge Javon Solomon recorded his first as a pro. Another sack went to veteran edge Von Miller. He has had one in every game this season and has recorded 126.5 sacks in his career, more than any other active NFL player. No. 5 was Toohill, his first for Buffalo and eighth as a pro.
– Shakir was targeted six times and caught just as many times in addition to the touchdown pass (twice this season and five times in his career), seemingly confirming his role as Allen’s preferred receiver.
— Bills’ kicker Tyler Bass continued to struggle as his first extra point attempt was blocked, continuing problems that began in training camp. He did, however, make both field goal attempts and the other five extra points.
– Linebacker Dorian Williams, who replaced Milano, who is likely out for the rest of the season, recorded the most tackles (11) and solos (8) of the game.
– Buffalo punter Sam Martin only managed his only attempt towards the end of the second half.
— Not active for the Bills were Taron Johnson (forearm), linebackers Bernard (chest) and Edefuan Ulofoshio, safety Mike Edwards and tackle Ryan Van Demark.
(Chuck Pollock, a senior sports columnist for the Wellsville Sun and Olean Star, can be reached at [email protected].)
Read more from Chuck:
• Josh Allen on the excitement of Monday Night Football
• Why Bona was worth more to Woj than EPSN’s millions
• The win against the Buffalo Bills was possibly McDermott’s best performance as a head coach
• Chuck Pollock gives fans and media a historic look at the Bills training camp
• Tony Hunter’s death brings back memories of Jim Kelly in the draft
• Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona-NIT chaos
• Pollock on the death of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman
• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays
• Houghton’s Phil Stockin brings Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?
• The right attitude for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department
• The inside story of why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years, and an update from Gary Nease
• Bill Walton was a must-see for any basketball fan when he played for the Braves in Buffalo.
• Memories of the Indy 500 and a look at NASCAR races on the same day
• Outlook on further restructuring for Coach Schmidt and St. Bonaventure Basketball
• OJ Simpson left a mixed legacy… in the wrong order
• When will we hear from Schmidt?
• Barb Questa comes to St. Bonaventure’s aid again in the AD situation
• Bonas Manhertz’s self-inflicted NIT embarrassment ended his term in office
• Saint Bonaventure used every excuse to skip the NIT, except the solar eclipse
• A look at the current situation of the Bona players and how it compares to the past
• The Buffalo Bills had darker days with offseason cuts
• Caitlin Clark brings back memories of St. Bonaventure’s basketball players
• St. Bonaventure ready for strong finish in Atlantic 10
• Article about the Bonnies at the end of the season
• Pollock on Joe Brady and the Buffalo Bills’ victory over Miami
• The Bills’ win in Miami felt like a home game
• Why are the Dolphins the favorites against the Bills?
• The Buffalo Bills won, but the special teams remain a problem
• The Buffalo Bills win, a breakdown of performances, quotes and interesting statistics
• Make the assessment: Chuck Pollock evaluates the Buffalo Bills position by position
• The Bills will have a new face with six captains starting in the squad
• Bills took some risks with the squad cuts
• The preseason did not go as McDermott had planned
• Suddenly major injury problems for the Bills
• It was a victory over the Steelers, but a defeat in other areas
• McDermott on the Bears game: We don’t play like that
• Bills introduce new “dynamic kickoff”
• Beane says this is a new NFL team
• Beane responds to Josh Allen’s criticism
