The Arizona Cardinals dominated offensively early and took advantage of the Buffalo Bills’ mistakes on offense to take a 17-3 lead Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium. However, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was too much for the Arizona defense. He threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another pair as the Bills rallied from 14 points down to win 34-28.
Allen was 18-for-23 passing for 232 yards and two scores and ran the ball nine times for 39 yards and two touchdowns.
After 190 first-half yards on offense, Cardinals only gained 70 the rest of the way, but got a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from DeeJay Dallas to pull within three points.
In the end, the Cardinals had one more opportunity but could not convert and they fell to 0-1 to start the season.
Here is how it went down.
Cardinals 7, Bills 0
The Cardinals opened on offense and got a touchdown to open the 2024 season. It was the James Conner show early as he either ran the ball or caught a pass for the first six plays. He had six carries for 10 yards and two receptions for 31, and the Cardinals went 70 yards in 7:13. Kyler Murray threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Michael Wilson. They were aided by a personal foul late hit penalty on Buffalo when Murray scrambled once. It was a questionable call that gave the Cardinals a first-and-goal.
Bills cornerback Taron Johnson injured his arm and was questionable to return.
STRIP SACK! Cardinals take it away
The Bills moved down the field after a big 53-yard kickoff return and got into the red zone. But Roy Lopez got the Cardinals’ first sack of the year, knocking the ball out and Justin Jones recovered at the 29.
Cardinals 10, Bills 0
Following the takeaway, the Cardinals went 60 yards in 10 plays and got a 29-yard field goal from Matt Prater. Running back Emari Demercado had a 24-yard catch in the drive.
Before the field goal, right tackle Jonah Williams was injured and had to be helped off the field. He was ruled questionable to return.
Cardinals 10, Bills 3
Tyler Bass hit a 37-yard field goal to get the Bills on the board. Again, they moved the ball effortlessly until they made a mistake in the red zone. On third-and-goal from the four, Allen ran for a touchdown, but right guard Cyrus O’Torrence was flagged for a facemask penalty, making it third-and-goal from the 19. Allen ran again and was stopped for no gain and they settled on a field goal.
James Conner TD! Cardinals 17, Bills 3
The Cardinals scored for the third straight drive, going 71 yards in 13 plays. Greg Dortch had a big third-down catch and tight end Trey McBride had a pair of receptions. Conner, who was on the sideline for most of the drive, capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to put them up two touchdowns.
Cardinals 17, Bills 10
The Bills might have saved their game. Aided by a questionable roughing the passer penalty on Zaven Collins that would have been a sack were it not for the flag, Josh Allen made things happen. He ran seven yards for a touchdown.
Bills 17, Cardinals 17
The Bills received the second-half kickoff and started at the 40 because of a kickoff violation, as Matt Prater’s boot did not reach the landing area.
To cap a 10-play drive, Allen threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins to tie the score.
Cardinals turn it over
After the Bills scored, the Cardinals went three-and-out but forced a Buffalo punt. But after the punt, Greg Rousseau beat replacement right tackle Kelvin Beachum and knocked the ball out of Murray’s hand as he attempted to make a throw for s strip sack, his third of the game. Dorian Williams recovered the fumble at the Arizona 21.
Bills 24, Cardinals 17
After the fumble, Khalil Shakir scored on an 11-yard touchdown catch from Allen just five plays after the takeaway. Momentum had turned in the game.
Bills 24, Cardinals 20
After Murray’s 29-yard run and Conner’s 20-yard run, the Cardinals couldn’t pick up a first down after getting to red zone and picked up three points on Prater’s 31-yard field goal.
Bills 31, Cardinals 20
Josh Allen rushed for his second touchdown of the game, this time from six yards out, after a 28-yard pass to rookie Keon Coleman.
DeeJay Dallas kickoff return for TD! Bills 31, Cardinals 28
Dallas had the first huge play in the new kickoff rule and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown. The last time the Cardinals had a kickoff return for a touchdown was David Johnson in Week 2 in 2015.
James Conner ran in the two-point conversion.
Bills 34, Cardinals 28
The Bills got a 39-yard field goal after Dallas’ touchdown return to give the Bills a six-point lead with under two minutes to go.
Could Murray put together a game-winning drive for Arizona?
Greg Dortch can’t haul in 4th-down pass
On fourth down, Murray the ball down the field to Dortch. With a lot of contact, Dortch couldn’t haul in the pass and the Cardinals’ final shot at getting a win ended as a turnover on downs.
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