ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� New head coach. New Buffalo Bills stadium.
New primary receiver.
Same Josh Allen.
It didn鈥檛 take Allen long to grow accustomed to his new surroundings by overseeing a pair of scoring drives to kick off the franchise’s new era with a preseason-opening 29-14 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.
In Buffalo鈥檚 first game in its and first under new head coach Joe Brady, Allen showed his familiar elusiveness in completing a 9-yard touchdown to Keon Coleman to cap his second and final offensive series of the day.
Allen went 6 for 8 for 111 yards, starting with a 21-yard throw to Khalil Shakir on a play action pass on the first snap from scrimmage.
Most notable, perhaps, was Allen continuing , the veteran who was acquired in the offseason and is being asked to bring a big-play dimension to an offense that鈥檚 lacked it for much of the past two years.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to go out and make an assumption that it鈥檚 going to be awesome to do that every single game, is getting him the ball early and often,鈥� Allen said of Moore鈥檚 three catches for 61 yards. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a heck of a football player and we鈥檙e lucky to have him.鈥�
Shakir continues to be wowed by the rapport the two have developed since Buffalo acquired Moore in a trade with Chicago in March.
鈥淎bsolute insane ball by Josh, and then DJ to catch and get the first down. The awareness to do that is amazing,鈥� Shakir said of Moore converting a third-and-15 with an 18-yard catch along the sideline. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like football art, right? It鈥檚 beautiful.鈥�
Moore鈥檚 catch set up Coleman鈥檚 touchdown, in which Allen scrambled out of the pocket before throwing across his body to find the receiver open in the middle of the end zone. Buffalo鈥檚 first drive ended with Tyler Bass hitting a 33-yard field goal.
Bryce Young and the Panthers starters, meantime, sputtered in making their preseason debut 鈥� and after sitting out in the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 6.
The Panthers went three-and-out and combined for 11 yards on three series with Young under center. Young finished 3 of 5 for 18 yards. He played in front of a revamped line with both projected starting tackles Ickey Ekwonu (knee) and Taylor Moton (blood clot/lung) sidelined. Carolina also held out both starting guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis.
鈥淥bviously not the start we wanted, not the drives we wanted. You know, it鈥檚 part of the process. A lot of moving parts,鈥� Young said. 鈥淓veryone is going to feel that on the plane back. And then you come back and you watch it, you learn from it, grow, turn the page.鈥�
Young鈥檚 primary backup Kenny Pickett closed the first half with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ja鈥橲eem Reed. Pickett finished 16 of 19 for 92 yards on three drives spanning halftime. Kyle Trask mopped up and competed a 9-yard TD pass to John Metchie in the final minute.
Ian Wheeler and Frank Gore Jr. accounted for Buffalo鈥檚 other touchdowns with scoring runs four minutes apart in the fourth quarter.
The only scare for Buffalo was Moore coming up limping after his catch, with trainers and a team doctor examining his right foot and lower right leg. Moore eventually put his shoe back on, but didn鈥檛 return with the starters done for the day.
Brady didn鈥檛 have a definitive update on Moore, though said the player told him 鈥渉e was good to go,鈥� during a chat on the sideline.
Moore spent the second half on the sideline in shorts and running shoes, and did not make himself available to reporters afterward.
Bass line
In missing a 45-yard field-goal attempt wide right, Bass was 3 of 4 in his first game setting since Buffalo鈥檚 preseason finale a year ago. The sixth-year player missed all of last season with pelvis and hip issues.
Up next
Panthers: At Jacksonville on Friday night.
Bills: Travel to Cleveland for joint scrimmage on Thursday, and preseason game on Aug. 22.
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