By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
If there was any doubt that Josh Allen is one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks , following Thursday night’s 36-31 victory over Detroit, a check of his stats over this season’s first two games is in order.
As his Bills got off to a 2-0 start, following a 36-31 victory over the Texans at Houston in the opener, Allen followed with a 41-31 decision against the Lions, Thursday night at the new Highmark Stadium. And he put up otherworldly stats over those two games in the process.
At Houston he scored all four Bills touchdowns — two passes and two rushes — then, versus the Lions, Allen scored five of the six Buffalo touchdowns — three passing TDs and two runs.
If you’re keeping track, Josh has scored nine of the Bills’ 10 TDs and accounted for 54 of his team’s 77 points (excluding three field goals and eight extra points).
Against Detroit, Allen threw TD passes of 43, 16 and 1-yard to wide receiver Joshua Palmer and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, respectively.
He also scored from one and two yards out on the ground.
The only other Buffalo touchdown was scored by running back James Cook who went in from a yard out on a night when he rushed for 135 yards on 21 carries.
After the game, new coach Joe Brady referenced Cook’s score
The back was stopped on the previous play even as he put the ball out toward the goal line.
“I told him ‘Don’t reach’ (and risk a fumble), I’ll get you in (for the TD),” said. Brady who calls the plays. “And the next play I did.”
THE LAST two games, Allen’s combined passing stats are 40-of-60 for 572 yards and those nine touchdowns (four of them rushing).
Of course, minimizing those nine TDs in two game is a bit like asking, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?”
Allen admitted he was close to tears given the emotion of being part of opening a new stadium.
“I got sort of emotional during the national anthem thinking to be there helping open a new stadium,” he said. “And also what a privilege to get to do what I wanted to do all my life … quarterback an NFL team. I was lucky enough to end up in Buffalo. But I let the game come to me, especially against a team like Detroit which has so much talent.”
Indeed, Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw four touchdown passes — two to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and one each to running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta.
After Detroit fell behind 27-7 just before halftime, he rallied his team, but never could cut the deficit to a field goal.
Brady added of his team, “I needed them to empty the tank today in a short week (two days to prepare for Detroit) and then I lose my tackle (Ed Oliver hurts his hip in pregame warmups).
“But this game was nothing out-of-the-ordinary for me. I’m staying on the sideline to call plays because if you’re in the (press) box you get sort of a narrow view … as if you’re watching a TV. I’d rather be on the sideline where I can feel the emotion and look guys in the eye.”
Brady, who has started his head-coaching career at 2-0, mused, “(The win over the Lions) was nothing out of the ordinary for me.”
Bills fans hope that assessment rings true, starting a week from Sunday back at Highmark against the Chargers.
NOTES FROM the: Bills’ 41-31 victory over Detroit, Thursday night in the first-ever regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium:
— The game was played on a new grass surface but it will be resurfaced after two more home games, the Chargers and Patriots starting Oct. 5.
Interestingly, the Buffalo News ran a story in Thursday’s edition that contained an interview with a field expert who maintained his incredulity that the Bills had waited so long to deal with the flaws in Highmark’s grass surface.
— Hall-of-Famer Bruce Smith, the former Bills’ defensive end, was the Legend of the Game. His name came up during play when edge rusher Greg Rousseau logged his second sack, making it two straight games with a pair of sacks to start the season, an accomplishment only duplicated by Smith.
— The Canadian national anthem, O’ Canada, was performed by the group Baernaked Ladies while our national anthem was sung by Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of Moana in the movie.
— His name didn’t appear on the injury report, but Bills’ defensive tackle Ed Oliver didn’t play due to a hip injury sustained in warm-ups.. He was replaced by DeWayne Carter..
— The Lions first sack of Bills’ QB Josh Allen was recorded by edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, his third of the year. Allen fumbled on the play but Buffalo recovered.
— The Bills first two sacks of Detroit QB Jared Goff went to edge rusher Greg Rousseau who also has four sacks in the season’s first five quarters. Later Buffalo outside linebacker Bradley Chubb goi his first sack of the season.
— Allen’s first touchdown pass was a 43-yarder to Joshua Palmer who caught the winning score at Houston. Allen scored Buffalo’s first six touchdowns of the season (including a 1-yard run against Detroit), giving him a half-dozen scores in the Bills first five quarters of the season. Later he got No.s 7 and 8 in the second quarter and No. 9 through seven quarters … five passes and four runs. . By halftime, Allen had five touchdown passes and three scoring runs in a span of six quarters.
— The Lions were the team with an injury problem. Three starters on the offensive line, both first-string safeties and a starting cornerback did not play depriving head coach Dan Campbell of six starters of his 22 first-teamers.
— Wide receiver D.J. Moore left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and a stinger and did not return. There’s a fear he hurt his ACL.
— Buffalo’s inactives were wide receiver Skyler Bell, running back Ty Johnson (hamstring) , safety Jason Kilgore, guards Ar’maj Reed-Adams and Jude Bowery, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and Oliver.
Brady admitted, “It’s tough when you find out you’ve lost a key guy minutes before you have to name your inactives.”
— Detroit’s inactives were guard Christian Mahogany, tackle Blake Miller, cornerbacks Keith Abney II and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.,defensive end Ahmad Hassanien, linebacker Jimmy Rolder and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
