John Murphy: Sensational Allen enough to overcome Bills’ slow start, uneven finish against Cardinals

The Bills got off to a slow start. The 2024 season creaked into motion Sunday with Josh Allen leading the way offensively and Greg Rousseau dominating defensively to register a 34-28 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

It was a game that demonstrated Buffalo’s high-powered scoring ability but showcased the team’s many warts, some of which are attributed to early season jitters.

The biggest problem may be the injury to starting nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, who left in the first quarter with an arm injury. But Allen and Rousseau, and others, made enough plays to lock down the first game of the season.

Allen was sensational right from the start. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, including a six-yard dive in the fourth quarter. He completed passes to nine different receivers — no one got more than four, in what may be a positive sign for the future. He suffered his first incompletion five minutes into the third quarter and hit Keon Coleman with a beautiful 28-yard pass in the fourth quarter.

He was once again the people’s choice as “MVP.”

Allen suffered an injury to his left hand when he landed hard in the fourth quarter scoring run. He had the hand heavily wrapped the rest of the game and had a preliminary x-ray after.

Rousseau, the Bills first round pick in 2021, had his best day with the team. He had three sacks and six tackles with several coming in the first quarter when the Bills couldn’t get their defense off the field. The Cardinals dominated early with 12-and-a-half minutes of possession time in the first quarter.

The Bills rushed the passer with Rousseau at one defensive end and veteran Von Miller at the other. Miller produced his first sack in two years, working in tandem with Rousseau.

“We speak the language,” Miller said of Rousseau. “We had to get adjusted.”

No one looked more in need of an adjustment than referee Tra Blake and his staff. He called nine penalties (four false starts); the worst being the first quarter unnecessary roughness call against Ja’Marcus Ingram of the Bills. It led to first and goal at the nine-yard line and the game’s first score. Ingram never really touched Kyler Murray, a fact made clear by the replay, but the penalty was enforced. It was one of many questionable calls and long discussions made by the officiating crew.

Ingram ended up making the game saving play, knocking down an Arizona pass at the two-yard line on fourth down, pressed into service as the dime cornerback when Johnson was ruled out.

The Bills made enough mistakes of their own particularly in the first half, when they gave up two 70-yard scoring drives to the Cards. They still have problems tackling in the secondary, problems that will only get worse if Taron Johnson is out for a while.

The kicking game was still questionable, evidenced by Arizona’s 96-yard kickoff return — their only touchdown of the second half. The Bills must lock down their leaky special teams.

And the game proved Sean McDermott’s “double dip” theory works. The Bills scored touchdowns on their final possession of the first half and their first of the second half to erase a 14-point deficit.

It was Josh Allen’s heroics and an inspired effort in the second half were enough to handle the Cardinals. The rest of the league might not be as easy.

John Murphy, the longtime Voice of the Bills, is writing columns for WIVB.com this season. Find more of his work here .