Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills made an early statement to begin with NFL season as they claimed a thrilling 36-31 road win over the Houston Texans.
Allen had lost in each of his previous four visits to Reliant Stadium, including in his playoff debut in the 2019 season and in a defensive struggle last season.
This year’s meeting was anything but a defensive struggle, both offenses showing as the Bills thrived against a highly vaunted Texans defense, Allen accounted for 391 yards and four total touchdowns.
Allen, the 2024 MVP, scored two rushing touchdowns and connected with DJ Moore, making his Bills debut, for a 43-yard touchdown to put Buffalo up 24-14 late in the second quarter.
CJ Stroud found Nico Collins for a 12-yard score to cut the Texans’ deficit to three points with less than half a minute left in the first half, and they led by one point early in the fourth quarter after running back David Montgomery’s third score of the game.
Ka’imi Fairbairn restored that one-point lead with a 58-yard field goal that answered Tyler Bass’ 33-yard kick, and the Texans were one favorable bounce away from the game’s icing, as the ultimately decisive score began with the Bills recovering James Cook’s fumble.
Allen took full advantage of the lucky break, hitting tight end Dalton Kincaid over the middle for a crucial 35-yard catch-and-run to put Buffalo in field goal range. However, the Bills fended off a chance to settle for a game-winning punt, and after Kamari Lassiter dropped what looked like a certain game-winning interception for Houston, Josh Palmer beat the same defender on a deep post route to haul in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Allen.
The ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed to leave the Bills with a five-point lead. Stroud drove the Texans to the Buffalo nine-yard line, but was sacked on two of the last three plays, with a classic shutout finally resolved when Greg Rousseau stripped him of the ball and Terrel Bernard recovered.
Bears up 59, Ravens beat Colts
No offense on Sunday’s slate of opening games matched the firepower of the Chicago Bears, who produced a remarkably prolific offensive display to beat the Carolina Panthers 59-37.
The Bears jumped out to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter and, after seeing it erased, took a 31-24 halftime lead on quarterback Caleb Williams’ second touchdown.
A two-yard run by Chuba Hubbard tied things back up at 31-31 midway through the third, but the Bears pulled away behind rushing efforts by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
Monangai had 100 yards, most of which came on a 61-yard touchdown run, while Swift had 124 yards and three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens made an excellent start to life under new head coach Jesse Minter as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 41-23.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson had 364 yards (324 passing, 40 rushing) and two touchdowns, while running back Derrick Henry had 144 rushing yards and three scores. Wide receiver Zay Flowers had 150 yards and a 54-yard touchdown, but left the game with a hamstring injury and did not return.
Lions restrain the holy spirits
The Detroit Lions survived a major upset as they beat the New Orleans Saints 31-30 after giving up a 21-0 lead.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough found Juwan Johnson in the corner of the end zone for a nine-yard score to tie the game at 24-24 and force overtime.
Detroit scored on the first possession of overtime when Jared Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a four-yard touchdown, only for Shough, the sophomore signal-caller, to set up a two-point conversion attempt after hitting Noah Fant for an eight-yard score.
However, the Saints were unable to complete an impressive comeback as Shough’s lift to Bryce Lance fell incomplete.
New Orleans’ NFC South rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also fell short of a struggling effort, losing 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals in a game they trailed 27-10 in the third quarter.
The Buccaneers were the architects of their own downfall as they lost four fumbles, including one by quarterback Baker Mayfield that was returned for a touchdown.
Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy’s meeting in Pittsburgh is expected after a game, with the former Green Bay Packers quarterback and head coach enjoying a 20-13 Steelers victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Former Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt made the decisive play, his 35-yard interception return giving the Steelers a 20-10 lead that the Falcons, with third-string quarterback Cooper Rush leading the charge, never seemed to overhaul.
Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes as the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the miserable Cleveland Browns 34-10, while the New York Jets beat former coach Robert Saleh’s Tennessee Titans 23-10.
