Bills QB Josh Allen sets career highs in win over Jets
It was Allen’s first time eclipsing 300 passing yards in his three-year career and also tied and set career-highs in attempts and completions, respectively.
He started hot, completing 20 of 26 passes for 161 yards and two scores in the first half, connecting on his first seven attempts. He added 57 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, as well — although he did fumble twice in that opening half.
Allen called the 300-yards milestone “one of those stats that doesn’t matter,” but said he was thrilled by the win and cognizant of what he needed to improve on.
“Obviously, I’m happy that we won a game, I’m also happy the way we won it,” he said. “Those two fumbles early on — I can’t do. When we’re in a position to score points, I can’t take that away from us.
“The way we won, yes I’m happy. But at the same time, we’ve got a lot to work on, a lot to grow from. …We’ve got to be better. We left a lot out there and we know that.”
Bills general manager Brandon Beane traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason, before drafting receivers Gabriel Davis and Isaiah Hodgins in order to bolster his team’s passing offense. In their first game together, Diggs and Buffalo’s leading receiver in 2019, John Brown, combined for 156 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches — including a 17-yard screen pass to Brown, which Allen changed at the line of scrimmage.
Allen complimented the duo of Diggs and Brown after the game, insisting that neither was the “lead” receiver over the other.
“They’re extremely smart football players. They know how to get open, they’re fun to play with,” he said. “Not a lot of guys in this league can do what they can do … That’s what you like to see with your ‘one’ and ‘two’ receivers — and I wouldn’t even say we have a ‘one’ and ‘two,’ we have two ‘ones.'”
Head coach Sean McDermott agreed that the team has “a lot to work on” following its first game of the season, although he did expect some mistakes in the Bills’ first game since January.
That’s not to say he’s upset by Sunday’s performance.
“We left some things out there,” McDermott said. “Overall Josh did a really good job with giving our receivers a chance. I thought our line did a great job giving Josh time to work back there. Good first game but a lot to work on.
“There’s a lot to like. We’ve worked things in practice that we saw carry over to the game — that’s the biggest thing that makes me smile as a coach.”
Buffalo plays the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The Dolphins gave up 75 yards and two scores to Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, along with 155 yards on 15-of-19 passing in a 21-11 loss.