It may only be preseason in the NFL, but the Buffalo Bills gave their fans plenty to be excited about in their first meaningful game action.
Josh Allen and the Bills starting offense looked incredibly sharp, putting together two early scoring drives against Carolina’s starting defense.
If this was supposed to be a tune-up, Buffalo certainly didn’t look like a team that needed much tuning.
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Josh Allen looks ready for another big season
Allen wasted little time showing why he’s considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Bills quarterback completed 6 of 8 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, finishing the first two drives without an interception. More importantly, Buffalo consistently moved the football against Carolina’s starters.
Allen spread the ball around and appeared completely comfortable running the offense.
Newcomer DJ Moore was one of the biggest beneficiaries, catching three passes for 61 yards, while Khalil Shakir added two receptions for 41 yards. Allen connected with Keon Coleman for a 9-yard touchdown, putting the Bills on the scoreboard.
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Buffalo’s offense clicking on all cylinders
The passing game wasn’t the only thing working. Running back James Cook carried the ball five times for 21 yards, giving Buffalo another productive element during its limited time on the field.
The most impressive part of the performance might have been how quickly the Bills found success against Carolina’s starters. Buffalo produced two scoring drives while facing the Panthers’ starting defense, making it difficult to draw a better conclusion from such a limited sample.
Of course, preseason success doesn’t guarantee anything once the regular season begins. The Bills still have plenty to work on before the games count.
But if the goal of the first preseason appearance was to show that the offense is ready to roll, mission accomplished. Allen looked sharp, the passing game was explosive, Cook contributed on the ground, and Buffalo found the end zone twice.
For a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, that’s about as encouraging a first look as Bills fans could have hoped for.
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