Bills' Balance, Trust in Josh Allen Shines vs. Raiders
After a subpar performance by the Buffalo Bills offense in Week 1, their balance was the difference on Sunday in a 38-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
Nine players had a catch for Buffalo, and four had a rushing attempt. The Bills finished the day with 37 passes and 35 running plays.
James Cook paced the running game with 17 carries for 123 yards, the first 100-yard game of his two-year career. Damien Harris and Latavius Murray each ran for a touchdown for Buffalo.
"The more that we can hand it off to [James Cook] and these guys, they're getting five, six yards a pop, stay in front of the chains, putting us in second and short situations where now we can hand it off again or take a shot," Allen said. "We can throw it short and just get the first down. There's a lot of options we can get when we run the ball like that."
The Bills' emphasis on the running game helped lead to a more efficient performance from Allen. He completed 31 of his 37 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.
Gabe Davis had six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown, which came on a fourth-down conversion on Buffalo's first drive of the third quarter. Stefon Diggs also had a solid performance with seven catches for 66 yards.
Dawson Knox and Khalil Shakir also had receiving touchdowns for the Bills.
"It's all about playing smart but not conservative," Knox said. "Taking what the defense gives you. It was a really good game all around on offense."
Allen's ability to bounce back was a key talking point throughout the week after he had four turnovers in Week 1. Even with the ups and downs through two games, the team's confidence in Allen hasn't wavered.
"We're behind him 100 percent," Davis said. "He's the best quarterback in the NFL, in my eyes."
If Buffalo can continue this balance on offense, it'll make them even much more dangerous and take some much-needed pressure off of Allen.
