<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1MVpgs_0vRDVGBR00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1MVpgs_0vRDVGBR00" width="1280" height="853" ><figcaption>Buffalo Bills vs. Arizona Cardinals: NFL 2024 Week 1</figcaption></figure>After a slow start, the <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/">Buffalo Bills</a> came to life.Buffalo’s offense scored 34 points at Highmark Stadium in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2024/09/josh-allen-overrated-national-media-members-call-out-dopes-who-criticized-bills-qb.html">Josh Allen</a> lost a fumble on the opening drive, but led the Bills on scoring drives on five of their next six drives. Allen rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two scores in the win while connecting with nine different pass catchers. In the first half, Buffalo’s defense had no answers for Arizona’s offense. The team’s <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2024/09/greg-rousseau-looks-elite-as-bills-turn-tide-in-34-28-win-over-cardinals-encouragedworried.html">second-half adjustments</a>, however, worked wonders with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals mustering just 80 yards of offense in the 34-28 victory.There are plenty of things for Buffalo to clean up ahead of their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Miami Dolphins, but the Bills should be credited with finding a way to win.Following their Week 1 victory, various media outlets shared updated NFL power rankings. Here is a look at where the outlets have the Bills heading into Week 2, as well as their analysis. <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=126006X1587360&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fnfl%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F41193988%2Fnfl-power-rankings-week-2-poll-2024-best-newcomer-performance-coaches-players">ESPN</a>: No. 8 (Down 1)Best newcomer performance: DC Bobby BabichThis wasn’t a pretty defensive effort, but adjustments by Babich in his first game as an NFL playcaller are worth acknowledging, especially after nickel corner Taron Johnson left the game following a forearm injury on the first drive. The Cardinals did not score another offensive touchdown after halftime and the Bills limited QB Kyler Murray to 31 passing yards in the second half. “I felt Bobby and the defensive staff did a great job at halftime addressing [third-down issues] and then making some adjustments,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I think we came out better in the second half and played a little bit more our style defense.”<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/power-rankings-super-bowl-contenders-looking-strong">Sports Illustrated</a>: No. 4 (No previous ranking)The Bills got five quarterback hits and four sacks, three of them from Greg Rousseau. We can talk all we want about Josh Allen running and how much it scares us (and it does!). But, if Buffalo’s defense can play free and get after the quarterback like they’ve been trying to since the “13 Seconds” loss to Kansas City, we might have something here. It’s always encouraging to see a team that strips itself of familiar players find a new identity underneath, and there was definitely a freshness to this Bills victory.<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/nate-davis/2024/09/10/nfl-power-rankings-49ers-cowboys-packers/75153762007/">USA Today</a>: No. 8 (Up 5)A little uneven defensively … as you’d expect. A little uneven in the passing game … as you’d expect. QB Josh Allen can still take over a game … as you’d expect.<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/pfts-week-2-2024-nfl-power-rankings">Pro Football Talk</a>: No. 7 (Up 1)Josh Allen could be on the front end of an MVP year.<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rankings-aaron-rodgers-wasnt-great-but-its-not-time-to-freak-out-about-the-jets-043048242.html">Yahoo</a>: No. 6 (Up 1)It’s jarring that the Bills had to come back to beat the Cardinals at home. But plenty of good teams had close calls in Week 1 or lost. And while we keep saying that it’s unsustainable that Josh Allen has to put the team on his back every single week, he keeps doing it with pretty good results.<a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-2-power-rankings-chiefs-remain-no-1-after-surviving-ravens-packers-bengals-plummet/">CBS Sports</a>: No. 3 (Up 1)Josh Allen once again showed how valuable he is as a player with four combined touchdowns in the opener. Now he has a short week to get ready for Miami on the road, but he has owned the Dolphins in his career.<a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=126006X1587360&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfl.com%2Fnews%2Fnfl-power-rankings-week-2-2024-nfl-season">NFL.com</a>: No. 7 (Up 1)The Cardinals controlled the clock for about 20 of the first 27-plus minutes and led 17-3, leaving the fans at Highmark Stadium shocked, but it was mana for the folks who had been predicting the Bills’ demise all summer. Then with bookend TD drives on both sides of halftime, Buffalo tied the game and seized control of it -- and it would have been more one-sided in the second half had the Bills not allowed a 96-yard kickoff return and two-point conversion midway through the fourth quarter. I realize this sounds like rationalizing, but the Bills found a way to overpower Arizona in the end the way we’d expect a quality team to after a slow start to a game. Now Thursday night against the Dolphins will be another matter entirely. Greg Rousseau’s big game gives hope for the pass rush, but Buffalo’s secondary feels incomplete right now.<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10134488-2024-br-nfl-power-rankings-where-does-every-team-stand-entering-week-2">Bleacher Report</a>: No. 9 (No change)Lots was written about all the changes to the Buffalo Bills offense in 2024. Heading into Sunday’s opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Bills quarterback Josh Allen told reporters that his intent was to throw the ball more and run a bit less this season.“I’ve got some big, tall guys that can go jump for a ball now and it’s been an adjustment for me,” Allen said. “You know, I’ve got Keon (Coleman) and Mack (Hollins) that I’ve gotta learn how to layer certain balls a different way, which has been fun. It’s been challenging, but it’s been fun. And just understanding that he may not look open, they may not look open, but they are if you put it in the right spot. Or with Curtis (Samuel), having a gadget guy that we can bring in the backfield and run routes, and do different things with.”Allen was solid throwing the ball in Sunday’s win, misfiring on just five of 23 passing attempts and tossing a pair of touchdown passes. But once the Bills fell behind 17-3, Allen put on his cape and essentially willed the team to a win, adding two more scores on the ground.“It’s safe to say that Bills head coach Sean McDermott isn’t happy about falling 14 points behind a mediocre Cardinals team or having to scratch and claw out a Week 1 win at home,” Davenport said. “But the Bills were hardly the only team that didn’t play its sharpest game Sunday, and thanks to Allen’s heroics, the Bills got all that matters at the end of the day—a win. Still, giving up 28 to the Cardinals is a concern for a Buffalo defense that now has to play the high-octane Dolphins on the road on a short week.”</div></body>

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‘Josh Allen could be on the front end of an MVP year’ (Bills post-Week 1 power rankings)

After a slow start, the Buffalo Bills came to life. Buffalo’s offense scored 34 points at Highmark Stadium in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Josh Allen lost a fumble on the opening drive, but led the Bills on scoring drives on five of their next six drives. Allen rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two scores in the win while connecting with nine different pass catchers.

‘Josh Allen could be on the front end of an MVP year’ (Bills post-Week 1 power rankings)

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