Any concerns Josh Allen had about how the Bills would perform after a 10-day break were quickly alleviated during their opening drive, which culminated in James Cook’s 6-yard touchdown run.
Buffalo kept the momentum going, with Allen throwing four touchdown passes and the team scoring on all five of their first-half drives, ultimately defeating the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10 on Monday night.
“It feels great,” Allen said, highlighting that his 11 games with four touchdown passes set a new team record, surpassing Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.
“I think this could have easily been a game where we let up after 10 days off, but I didn’t feel that from our guys; there was a strong sense of urgency throughout the week,” he noted, referring to the team’s last game, a 31-10 win over Miami on September 12. “We didn’t just win it today; we won it in the last 10 days.”
In the first half alone, Allen completed 22 of 28 passes for 247 yards, connecting with nine different receivers. He attempted just two passes after halftime, finishing 23 of 30 for 263 yards before Mitchell Trubisky stepped in.
He distributed the touchdowns among Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and Ty Johnson.
“Freak of nature, all those things,” Shakir said about Allen, who has totaled 230 touchdowns (passing, rushing, and receiving), just one shy of tying Patrick Mahomes for the most by a player in their first seven NFL seasons.
Buffalo’s defense limited Jacksonville to just 70 yards, five first downs, and a field goal over five first-half possessions. The game was largely decided when Allen threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Johnson just 19 seconds before halftime.
Safety Damar Hamlin contributed with his first career interception, easily snagging an overthrown pass from Lawrence intended for rookie Brian Thomas Jr. Just five plays later, Allen connected with Shakir for a 27-yard touchdown, with Shakir catching the ball at the 22 and breaking two tackles on his way to the end zone.
Hamlin’s interception came about 21 months after he suffered cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a Monday night game in Cincinnati.
“We all remember how that last game went,” said Hamlin, now a starter after serving as a backup last season. “To come all the way back and have this special moment, it’s all God.”
The four-time defending AFC East champions have started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2020, and for the third time since coach Sean McDermott took over in 2017. They have scored over 30 points in each game.
The Jaguars are facing significant struggles. Their last 0-3 start was in 2021 under coach Urban Meyer, who was fired before the season concluded.
To complicate matters, Jacksonville’s flight out of Buffalo was delayed due to mechanical issues, according to the team.
The latest loss came just a week after Lawrence expressed his frustrations, stating, “We suck right now” following an 18-13 defeat to Cleveland. The Jaguars also squandered leads of 14-0 and 17-7 in their season opener against Miami.
On Monday, coach Doug Pederson also criticized his team’s performance.
“It’s really shocking. I’m very disappointed. You hate to say it, but the reality is we’re not very good right now,” Pederson said. “I need everyone to coach and play better. Let’s leave it at that.”
He was pulled from the game with 7:45 remaining, watching from the sidelines as backup Mac Jones was sacked and lost a fumble just three plays into his appearance, leading to Ray Davis scoring on a 3-yard run.
A larger concern is the Jaguars’ defense, which had difficulty containing Allen. The Bills accumulated 288 yards, achieved 19 first downs, and converted 6 of 8 third downs, as well as both fourth-down attempts, all in the first half.
Buffalo’s 31-point halftime lead tied for the third largest in team history and was the biggest since they led Atlanta 38-7 on November 22, 1992.
Von Miller recorded a sack, bringing his career total to 126.5, which ties him for 17th on the all-time list with Derrick Thomas, just ahead of Dwight Freeney.
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