By CHUCK POLLOCK, Sun Senior Sports Columnist
Well, the Bills are 1-0.
Yeah, they won their preseason opener, 29-14, over the Carolina Panthers, Saturday afternoon, in the first real game played at the new Highmark Stadium.
But equally important, 36-year-old Joe Brady, the NFL’s youngest head coach, won his first game for Buffalo succeeding the fired Sean McDermott.
It wasn’t a perfect performance — Brady, as with McDermott — won’t be happy with his team’s 10 penalties for 98 yards.
But, that aside, there won’t be much to complain about.
Buffalo’s quarterbacking was superb.
Starter Josh Allen, in two series, was 8-for-10 passing leading the Bills to a touchdown — a pass to former second-round draft choice Keon Coleman — and one of four Tyler Bass field goals.
Reserve Kyle Allen was 14-of-16 through the air.
BUFFALO dominated the offensive yardage 396-201.
The Bills never mustered a punt, much to Brady’s metered disappointment “I was hoping we’d get at least one just to see how we were progressing” — and undrafted rookie cornerback Kani Walker had an interception for Buffalo’s lone takeaway.
Former Chiefs edge rusher Mike Danni got half of the Bills four sacks with tackle Deone Walker and end T.J. Sanders got the other two.
COLEMAN, who had a checkered first two season, had a solid first two series, with three catches, one for a TD.
Meanwhile, former Panther and Bear, D.J. Moore had a trio of receptions for an average of 20 yards per and left the game after suffering a minor leg injury.
Several times Josh Allen scrambled and Brady admitted, “My heart skips a beat every time he gets touched throughout the next 20 games. But that’s the price you pay for playing football.
“What I did not want is anybody to step out there today and feel like ‘I’m playing three drives’ or ‘I’m going to play 10 plays.’ I wanted them waking up with the mindset that they’re going to play 70. If you dip your toe in, that’s when injuries happen. Soi I’m yelling at (Josh Allen) to get rid of the football … but look, that’s the way he plays football and I don’t want to take that out of him.”
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
