Josh Allen picked up right where he left off last season to begin Buffalo’s 2024 campaign with a 34-28 Bills win over the Cardinals.
The 2023 total yards and total touchdowns leader went 18 for 23 plus 232 yards and two touchdowns passing, along with 39 yards and two touchdowns rushing on nine attempts in Sunday’s victorious home opener.
His ground attack also included a signature Air Allen hurdle over 3-time all-pro and 6-time pro bowler Budda Baker for a fourth-quarter rushing score.
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The Bills QB appeared to injure his non-throwing left hand/wrist when he came down into the endzone but had it wrapped and remained in the game.
When asked by the press after the contest he said it was “fine.” and he’d “probably” get X-rays, which he reportedly did postgame.
“I’m not a doctor…I just kinda landed on it,” he added.
The Bills got off to a slow start in the first half, and Allen lost a fumble on the first drive and had what would have been another rushing TD in the second quarter that was waived off due to a facemask penalty, before adding a rushing touchdown before the half.
He then threw scoring third-quarter tosses to receivers Khalil Shakir and Mack Hollins, respectively, before adding the leaping fourth-quarter rushing score to finish the day with 271 total yards, 4 total touchdowns, and a 137.7 passer rating while erasing a 14-point deficit to complete the come-from-behind win.
The acrobatic aerial score caused a buzz among fans and teammates alike.
“I was like, that’s our Josh, that’s what he does man,” said DE AJ Epenesa.
“I was just screaming.” receiver Khalil Shakir shared during his postgame press conference. “True competitor. True warrior. I would follow that guy into a battle any day.”
Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins went so far as to wax poetic when describing Sunday’s Josh Allen experience.
“He continues to show the world to stop playing with his name,” the Bills tackle said. He also noted “After the National Anthem, I thought it was a flyover, I just said ‘shoot what goes up must come down’, and I hope he comes down in the endzone, and he did. You know, that big quarterback, it’s hard to stop that, especially when you’re flying. We all wish we could be like a bird, or an eagle, or shoot, even a dove, and Josh is that every game, so hey, I salute him, I’m glad he’s here, I’m glad he’s my quarterback.”
Regarding the status of the left-hand injury, head coach Sean McDermott noted to the media “Always concern (for all injuries). I’ll know more in the next couple of hours.”
Allen did manage expectations during his postgame press conference when asked to break down the hurdle play.
“Just kind of again, split-second situations,” he noted about the airborne TD with a smile. “The first rushing touchdown I kind of lowered the shoulder knowing that was a corner, the second time I know was Buddha, and Buddha’s he’s a good player and he’ll lay the boom on you so I decided to go up and over but, you know, probably can’t make a living in doing that but here we are.”