It all started with a bang for the Buffalo Bills. Isaiah McKenzie returned the opening kickoff 75 yards, deep into Steelers territory. It was exactly the thing the fans at Highmark Stadium needed to bring them to their feet as if the environment wasn’t already raucous enough.
It was all set up perfectly, the Bills were going to go in and score and they were going to dominate the football game in front of their fans. Not quite… That initial loud bang was followed by a series of small pops in what was a very uninspiring performance for the Bills.
The Bills followed the big opening kick return up with a three and out and settled for a field goal. The offense struggled for most of the first half but managed to take a 10-0 lead into the half. A third quarter avalanche and 20 unanswered Steelers points flipped the game on its head and the Buffalo Bills were never able to recover.
The Bills offensive line allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers pass rush to control the game as they conceded constant pressure and committed several penalties. The passing game suffered from the lack of protection and was never in rhythm. Josh Allen wasn’t as sharp as his usual self and didn’t get much help from his receivers. The offense as a whole struggled to pick up yards on first downs and constantly played behind the sticks.
Allen executed a great 13 play 91-yard touchdown drive at the end of the second quarter, capped off by a Gabriel Davis touchdown that would be the only time the Bills reached the end zone this afternoon. The Bills air raid offense was held to one completion of over 17 yards on 51 pass attempts. Allen finished his day 30-51 with 270 yards and one touchdown. He also took 3 sacks one of which resulted in a lost fumble.
Last year’s All-Pro receivers Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley had decent games with nine catches for 69 yards and eight catches for 60 yards, respectively. Devin Singletary built on his strong offseason with a good opening performance taking 11 rushes for 72 yards.
The run defense was a bright spot, but the unit struggled to get off the field against a quarterback who looked way past his prime. The number 2 cornerback spot remains a point of weakness and the Steelers smartly exploited the weakness to their advantage. The Steelers offense wasn’t explosive but they effectively used their 3 wide receivers to put up just enough points to win. Matt Milano was a standout on defense playing a great all-around game that included a tackle for loss and a pass deflection.
Special Teams play in second half put the game out of reach for the Buffalo Bills
A huge special teams play put the dagger in the Buffalo Bills heart. Trailing 13-10 the Bills punted from deep in their territory. The Steelers sent the house and got to punter Matt Haack, blocking the punt and setting up an easy walk-in touchdown. Lacking their typical offensive firepower the 20-10 lead proved to be insurmountable for the Bills and they fell feebly 23-16.
It’s not time to panic yet, the offense struggled, but it was against one of the league’s best defenses. Meanwhile, the Bills defense played well. Nonetheless, it’s always disappointing to start 0-1, and it especially hurts to lose in front of your home fans. The Bills will return to practice on Monday and begin preparing for a trip to South Florida to play the Dolphins.