Bills vs. Steelers: Josh Allen on Pace For History?

The Buffalo Bills jumped out to an early lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers, contrasting their more recent comeback efforts.

Behind four touchdown passes from Josh Allen, two to Gabriel Davis, and one of that tally one yard away from breaking an NFL record, the Buffalo Bills have jumped out to a 31-3 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers at halftime at Highmark Stadium. 

Allen's 348 first half yards have him on pace to possibly break the single-game NFL passing record set by Norm Van Brocklin for 554 passing yards back in 1951.

What can we take away from that big first half in Western New York?

Big Half, Big Beginnings 

One of the weaker points behind the Bills' stellar season thus far has been struggling to get off to a good start: through the first de facto quarter of the season, Buffalo led at halftime in only one game, their blowout triumph in primetime against Tennessee. 

Whether intentional or not, the Bills apparently took that matter to heart: the third play of the game saw Allen hook up with Davis for a 98-yard score before they recovered a fumble on the ensuing Pittsburgh kick return. That yielded a missed field goal, but the scoreboard obviously speaks for itself. The last three-touchdown lead Bills held at halftime was their famous Wild Card victory over New England in January when they went up 27-3.

Slim Pickins' For Pickett

Kenny Pickett, to his credit, has held his own in his debut NFL start after a second half appearance against the Jets last weekend. His numbers are respectable, but the Bills' efforts in tearing up his safety blanket ... a power-rushing attack headlined by Najee Harris ... have placed intolerable pressure on his first major responsibilities. 

Through 30 minutes, the Bills have limited Pittsburgh to 18 yards on 10 carries.

The Replacements

It wouldn't be fair to call perhaps any Buffalo contributor a replacement, as the team has been more than comfortable exploring its depth during this recent run of success. But with both Dawson Knox and Isaiah McKenzie unavailable, one could hardly blame the Bills or Allen if there was a drop in offensive production. 

Instead, Davis has already beaten his total season output thanks to two deep scores, while Khalil Shakir (75 yards and a score on a trio) has likewise risen to the occasion after coming up big late last week. In Knox's place, Quintin Morris has 39 yards on an equal pair of catches and Isaiah Hodgins also picked up a 26-yard reception.

Of course, there's plenty of room for the regular contributors: Stefon Diggs has 44 yards and a touchdown on five catches.

Halftime Leaders

Bills

PASSING: Josh Allen (14-of-23, 348 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT)
RUSHING: Devin Singletary (3 carries, 23 yards)
RECEIVING: Gabriel Davis (2 rec., 160 yards, 2 TD) 

Steelers

PASSING: Kenny Pickett (13-of-20, 121 yards, 1 INT)
RUSHING: Najee Harris (9 carries, 17 yards)
RECEIVING: George Pickens (4 rec., 63 yards) 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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