Josh Allen seems off and 3 other quick reactions from Bills' win over Panthers

The Buffalo Bills came away with a resounding 40-9 win, and we have some initial reactions to the win

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) celebrates with quarterback Josh Allen (17) after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Coming off a bye week, the Buffalo Bills are undefeated under head coach Sean McDermott, and that streak continued this week against the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers entered winners of three straight, and running back Rico Dowdle was dominating of late. That didn't matter, however, as the Bills rolled to a 40-9 victory, snapping a two-game skid.

This was an important week for the Bills, with three significant additions to the defense. Edge rusher Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi returned from their six-game suspension and rookie Maxwell Hairston returned from his preseason injury, making his NFL debut. The Bills' defense looked different this week, more energized and aggressive. Now, let's get into this week's initial post-game reactions.

Defensive catalyst Micael Hoecht

Michael Hoecht's Bills debut could not have come soon enough. The Bills' pass rush, while effective at times, hasn't been consistent through the first six weeks of the season. Often, the Bills got pressure but couldn't get the deal done. This week was different, with Hoecht regularly pushing the opposing tackle into the pocket and getting pressure on the edge.

Hoecht finished the game leading all Bills defenders with 1.5 of the Bills' seven sacks, and added three tackles, with a quarterback hit and a tackle for a loss. Hoecht was dominant and brought a different level of energy to the defense we haven't seen lately.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45), defensive end Greg Rousseau (50), defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91), and defensive end Michael Hoecht (55) celebrate after a sack during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Josh Allen still seems somewhat off

Josh Allen completed only 12 passes on 19 attempts, but despite the decent completion rate, some of his passes were off target. He also missed some open wide receivers that would have been easy completions had Allen seen them. His 19 pass attempts resulted in just 163 yards and a touchdown. He added two more scores on the ground, each from a yard out.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The passing attack wasn't impressive, but Allen still established a new NFL record for most games scoring at least one passing and one rushing touchdown, breaking Cam Newton's record, with 46 such games. He recorded three more total touchdowns, giving him 17 on the season.

James Cook makes Bills history

The Bills scored 40 points in the win against the Panthers, leaning heavily on their rushing attack, to the tune of 35 rushes for 245 yards, and four touchdowns. Bills running back James Cook was the catalyst, carrying the ball 19 times for a career high, 216 yards, averaging 11.4 yards per carry, and two touchdowns.

Cook's rushing output is the highest of any player so far this season, and ranks sixth most in team history, and only the 12th time a player has surpassed 200 rushing yards in a game. Cook now has 753 yards after just seven games, averaging nearly six yards a carry. He also has seven rushing touchdowns on the season.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Khalil Shakir's season high

Khalil Shakir sets a new season high with 88 receiving yards on six receptions. It's only the sixth time in Shakir's career that he's gone over 80 yards in a game. Last season, Shakir was second in the league, behind only Ja'Marr Chase, for total yards after catch. There aren't many better in the league at picking up yards after the reception, and he needs to be a bigger part of the Bills' passing attack. Shakir added another touchdown, his third of the 2025 season.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) reacts after a touchdown on a 54-yard reception during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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