Week 3: Bills 43, Washington 21
At Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park
Plays of the game: The Buffalo Bills scored two touchdowns off Washington turnovers in the first half to surge to a 21-0 lead.
WFT tight end Logan Thomas caught a pass late in the first quarter, fought through tacklers and fumbled when Tre’Davious White punched the ball out near midfield. Matt Milano hopped on the loose ball. Zack Moss scored on a seven-yard catch, capping an eight-play, 52-yard drive to give the Bills a 14-0 lead.
About a minute later, Jordan Poyer intercepted Taylor Heinicke and returned it 28 yards to the WFT 17-yard line. Josh Allen hit Dawson Knox for a 14-yard touchdown and 21-0 lead.
For the record: Bills 2-1; Washington 1-2.
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Josh Allen returned to MVP-caliber form, moving the Bills’ offense seemingly at will against Washington’s overmatched defense and had five touchdowns for the third time in his career.
For the second week in a row, the Bills orchestrated a long touchdown drive on their first possession of the second half, taking firm control of the game by marching 93 yards in 17 plays and 8:17.
Allen hit Emmanuel Sanders with a 5-yard touchdown pass for a 33-14 lead.
Sanders caught his first two touchdowns with the Bills.
Stars of the game:
• Josh Allen: Completed 32 of 43 passes for 358 yards, four TDs, 129.8 passer rating. He also rushed for nine yards, TD on four carries. Allen's rushing touchdown was his 26th of his career and sets the franchise record for most rushing touchdowns by a QB. He had been tied with Jack Kemp. Allen also reached 100 career touchdowns.
• Emmanuel Sanders: Five catches, 94 yards, two TDs.
• Cole Beasley: Game highs with 11 catches and 98 receiving yards.
• Micah Hyde: Five tackles, two pass breakups, interception.
Shutout streak snapped: The defense allowed its first points in the first half this season on a coverage breakdown, allowing Antonio Gibson to take a screen pass 73 yards for a touchdown, trimming the Bills’ lead to 21-7 with 9:51 remaining in the second quarter.
Isaiah McKenzie then made a crucial mistake by allowing the ensuing kickoff to bounce. It was recovered by Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins for what was essentially a long onside kick. Washington took over on the Buffalo 24 and Heinicke scrambled for a four-yard touchdown, chopping the Bills’ lead to 21-14.
Only two teams in the last 75 years opened a season by not allowing first-half points in each of their first three games of a season: the 1962 Packers and 2019 Patriots, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Bills held three consecutive opponents scoreless in the first half just once in their history, in 1974.
Eight first-rounders: The game marked the first time since at least the 1970 NFL merger that all eight starting defensive linemen were first-round draft picks, according to the Fox broadcast.
Passing Bledsoe: Josh Allen surpassed Drew Bledsoe (905) for the fifth-most completions in team history. He entered the game needing 23 completions.
Injuries: Jordan Poyer (left ankle) was banged up on Washington’s late touchdown drive, but walked off the field under his own power. He did not return but was seen on the sideline cheering on Mitch Trubisky.
Next up: Bills vs. Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 3, 1 p.m.