After Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen ran in a six-yard score, Arizona Cardinals RB DeeJay Dallas returned the subsequent kickoff 96 yards for a score, becoming the first player (and team) in NFL history to take a dynamic kickoff to the end zone.
That score pulled the Cardinals within three points with 8:31 left to play in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Arizona went three-and-out on their next drive before Bills kicker Tyler Bass extended their lead to six points, 34-28. The Cardinals managed to convert a couple of first downs in their two-minute drill but stalled out before turning the ball over on downs with 0:32 seconds left to play.
DeeJay Dallas finished with 123 kick return yards. For added context, that’s nearly one-tenth of his career kickoff return total over 62 returns in his four-year career.
Grading the Cardinals’ Week 1 performance vs. the Bills
In the battle between rookie wide receivers, Keon Coleman outproduced Marvin Harrison Jr. The Bills receiver led his team with four receptions for 51 yards on five targets. MHJ was nearly invisible, catching just one of his three targets for four yards.
The Cardinals struggled to convert explosive plays, gaining 270 yards on 60 total plays (4.5 avg). The Bills gained 352 yards on 58 plays for a 6.1 average. The gap grows more stark when you consider Buffalo gained 222 passing yards on 18 completions (8.9 avg) compared to Arizona’s 146 yards on 21 completions (4.2 avg).
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Allen continues to be the key difference-maker for the Bills’ offense. Not only did he pass for 232 yards and two touchdowns, but he also ran for another two touchdowns and 39 rushing yards. His 271 yards account for over 75% of the Bills’ yardage.
The Cardinals also live by the beat of their quarterback. When Kyler Murray could extend plays and work outside the pocket, like when he scrambled for 29 yards to set up a Matt Prater 31-yard field goal, the offense can score.
Arizona will return to the drawing board in Week 2 when it hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, September 15, at 4:05 p.m. EST.
