ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WROC) — The Raiders opened the game with an easy touchdown drive. The Bills followed with a meek three and out. There was a sense of dread at Highmark Stadium.
However, the rest of the day was a big blue and red party.
Josh Allen passed for three touchdowns and 274 yards and five different Bills found the end zone as Buffalo hammered Las Vegas 38-10 for their first win of the season.
Seemed like the Bills defense was going to dominate right off the first snap when Ed Oliver walked Greg Van Roten into Josh Jacobs for a four-yard loss. However, the Raiders went 89 yards on the next four plays. Davante Adams had 33 of those yards on two catches, including a 16-yard TD.
Greg Rousseau energized Highmark Stadium by tipping a screen pass. Terrel Bernard made a diving grab of the deflection for his first career interception at the Raiders 28 28-yard line.
Buffalo needed a 4th and 1 sneak by Josh Allen to keep the drive alive, but Latavius Murray cashed the turnover in with a four-yard TD run. It was the first score for Murray in a Bills uniform.
The Bills defense followed with a quick three and out of their own. Ken Dorsey and Dawson Knox were the stars on the next drive. Knox converted a 3rd and 6 to get the Bills moving and gave Buffalo the lead with a two-yard touchdown catch. The play action dump to a leaking Knox in the end zone was the second excellent play call by Dorsey. The first was a 3rd and 3 run with Damien Harris that went for 11 yards. Buffalo had their first lead of the day at 14-7.
Vegas got a field goal, thanks to Adams remaining a big thorn in Buffalo’s side. Harris answered with a 41-yard kickoff return to the Buffalo 47. Buffalo drove the ball to the Raiders one-yard line, but Murray was stopped short on third down and a pass to Knox never had much of a chance on fourth down.
Buffalo’s defense stepped up big again, forcing the Raiders into a three-and-out punt backed up near their own goal line. This time, Allen and company cashed in. Diggs, Cook and Gabe Davis each caught passes for a first down. Khalil Shakir finished the drive with an 11-yard TD reception–his first catch of the year–and the Bills went to the half up 21-10.
The first drive of the second half was a 15-play, nine-minute marathon where seven different Bills carried the ball and Buffalo converted two fourth downs. The second of which was a 4th and goal play from the two where Davis made a leaping catch in traffic for the score.
Matt Milano stopped the next Raiders drive with a physical interception, taking the ball off Jacobs’ head near midfield. Buffalo turned that into a field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter and the rout was on from there.
After the Raiders punted near midfield, essentially giving up, the Bills cashed in once more on a long drive. Damien Harris plunged over the goal line to cap off an 11-play, 95-yard dive that lasted over seven minutes.
James Cook led all running backs with 17 carries for 123 yards. The Bills’ run defense held Josh Jacobs to a staggering -2 rushing yards on nine carries.
Gabe Davis caught six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown while Stefon Diggs made seven grabs for 66 yards.
The Bills will hit the road next week to take on the Washington Commanders, who held on for a 35-33 win over the Denver Broncos in Week Two.