The Bills’ offense goes silent in the second half as the Steelers come back to win.
Bills offense goes quiet in 2nd half as Steelers rally to win
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ new-look offense overcame a poor start, Ulysees Gilbert returned a blocked punt 9 yards for a touchdown, and Pittsburgh beat the Buffalo Bills 23-16.
The Steelers rallied from a 10-0 deficit in the second half, scoring on each of their first four drives, with Roethlisberger putting Pittsburgh ahead for good with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dionte Johnson in the left corner of the end zone.
The ball bounced off Johnson’s fingertips at first, but he was able to secure it before tumbling out of bounds 3:41 into the fourth quarter.
Roethlisberger tied Drew Brees for third in the NFL with his 36th career fourth-quarter comeback in his 18th — and possibly final — season. He threw for 188 yards and a touchdown on 18 of 32 passing.
Chris Boswell kicked three field goals, including a game-winning 45-yarder with 2:42 left.
After losing to the Bills in each of the previous two seasons — both in primetime — the Steelers finally beat them.
Following an offseason in which many predicted them to be Super Bowl candidates, the Bills delivered a dud in a showdown of defending AFC division champions.
Buffalo’s potent offense, headed by Allen, sputtered in, resembling nothing like the ferocious team that set several scoring and passing records last season. Allen threw for 270 yards on 30 of 51 passing, including a 3-yard touchdown throw to Gabriel Davis.
The Bills, on the other hand, had to settle for three field goals from Tyler Bass and, to make matters worse, failed to convert consecutive fourth-down opportunities to start the second half.
Cardinals dominate Titans
The Arizona Cardinals trounced the Tennessee Titans 38-13 Sunday for a massive road win to start the season. Kyler Murray had five touchdowns and defender Chandler Jones had a career-high five sacks.
Jones had three sacks in the first quarter, tying a franchise record, and LeBron James chimed in on social media for his Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Jones, who is seeking a new contract, also caused two fumbles that were returned for 14 scores by the Cardinals.
Murray tormented the Titans, tossing for 289 yards and two touchdown passes to DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk, respectively.
Against Tennessee, Arizona scored the opening 17 points and moved the ball nearly at will. Murray has the option of either buying time by scrambling around for an open receiver or simply keeping the ball. Murray was wide open on a keeper and kept the ball up for a 2-yard touchdown for a 24-6 lead.
Wilson leads Seattle past Indianapolis
The Seattle Seahawks beat the Indianapolis Colts 28-16 on Sunday, with Russell Wilson throwing four touchdown passes, two of which went to Tyler Lockett.
Wilson adjusted swiftly to new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s system, posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the first half while leading Seattle to a 21-10 lead. Wilson completed 9 of 11 throws for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
Seattle’s tight end Gerald Everett scored on a 9-yard reception, and wide receiver DK Metcalf scored on a 15-yarder. With 6:45 remaining, the latter gave Seattle a 28-10 lead.
Wilson completed 18 of 23 passes for a total of 254 yards.
The Seahawks spoiled quarterback Carson Wentz’s debut in Indianapolis, who was acquired by the Colts in an offseason trade with the Eagles for a pair of draught picks. Wentz was 25 of 38 for 251 yards and two touchdowns, both to Zach Pascal, after missing most of training camp due to foot surgery and spending another week in isolation after close contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19.
