Josh Allen puts on a show as Bills rout Raiders, recover from difficult start to season

Josh Allen rebounded from a four-turnover, season-opening dud by throwing three touchdown passes and leading the Buffalo Bills to a 38-10 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard each intercepted Jimmy Garoppolo, and the Bills eased the lingering frustrations of an overtime loss at the New York Jets on Monday and a week full of off-field distractions.

Coach Sean McDermott had to address his leadership group after team owner Terry Pegula was accused of making racially insensitive comments in a lawsuit filed by a former NFL Media reporter. Pegula denied the allegations.

And then on Wednesday, a Bills media reporter was overheard on an open microphone questioning receiver Stefon Diggs’ character. Diggs went to social media a day later, calling the comments “hurtful” and “insulting.”

It was an especially uplifting performance from Allen, who enjoyed his 21st three-or-more touchdown outing after spending much of last week facing questions about his sloppy performance, which he fully acknowledged cost the Bills a victory.

Allen completed his first 13 attempts for 94 yards, and finished 31 of 37 for 274 yards passing and no turnovers. His 13 consecutive completions to start a game set an individual record and matched his best run at any point of an outing. He improved to 13-4 in games following a loss, and 23-4 in games he doesn’t commit a turnover.

Dawson Knox scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard catch to put Buffalo up, 14-7, three minutes into the second quarter, and Khalil Shakir padded the lead with an 11-yard touchdown reception in the final seconds of the first half.

Allen sealed the victory by opening the second half overseeing a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 9:01. He went 7 of 8 for 37 yards, and capped the drive by throwing across his body to hit Gabe Davis in double coverage in the end zone to convert fourth-and-goal from the 2.

Whatever chance the Raiders had to get back into the game ended four plays from scrimmage later, when Milano jumped in front of Josh Jacobs to intercept Garoppolo’s pass at midfield. Garoppolo finished 16 of 24 for 185 yards, with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.

The Raiders tweeted after the game that Adams was being evaluated for a concussion. Jakobi Meyers is already in concussion protocol and did not play Sunday.

Cowboys 30, Jets 10 — In Arlington, Texas, Dak Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Zach Wilson had three interceptions in his first start after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury, and Dallas (2-0) finished a season-opening sweep of the teams in New York. CeeDee Lamb had 143 yards receiving and Brandon Aubrey kicked five field goals in the 28-year-old rookie’s second game. Wilson threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson to get the Jets (1-1) within three points in the second quarter, but New York had just 147 yards outside the long TD, and four second-half turnovers left little doubt for Dallas. Prescott’s TD tosses were to tight ends, including rookie Luke Schoonmaker’s first career score on a 1-yarder.

49ers 30, Rams 23 — In Inglewood, Calif., Brock Purdy passed for 206 yards and ran for an early touchdown, Deebo Samuel rushed for an 11-yard TD with 11:28 left, and San Francisco (2-0) hung on for its ninth consecutive regular-season victory over Los Angeles (1-1). Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards and a score, and both Isaiah Oliver and Deommodore Lenoir intercepted passes by Matthew Stafford in the second half, finally allowing the 49ers to pull in front. Their defense overcame a record-setting performance by fifth-round pick Puka Nacua, who caught 15 passes for 147 yards to break the NFL’s single-game record for receptions by a rookie.

Commanders 35, Broncos 33 — Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns and Washington (2-0) rallied from an 18-point deficit to win in Denver (0-2), holding on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary when cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke up Wilson’s pass to Courtland Sutton on the tying 2-point try. Howell threw for 299 yards on on 27-of-39 passing in his first road start and led Washington to its largest comeback since 1990. The Commanders trailed, 21-3, in the second quarter as Denver scored touchdowns on its first three possessions; Brian Robinson Jr. ran for two scores during a 32-6 Washington before the Broncos made it interesting at the very end.

Seahawks 37, Lions 31 (ot) — Geno Smith threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett on the opening drive of overtime to lift visiting Seattle (1-1) after Detroit (1-1) came back from a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, extending the game with Riley Patterson’s 38-yard field goal as regulation expired after coach Dan Campbell played conservative, settling for the tie despite taking over at the 50 with all three timeouts just inside the 2-minute warning. Detroit rallied after Smith threw a go-ahead, 3-yard touchdown pass to Lockett early in the fourth and Tre Brown returned a Jared Goff interception 40 yards for a score on the ensuring drive, his first interception in 383 attempts — 30 shy of Aaron Rodgers’ NFL record — and Detroit’s third turnover of the game.

Chiefs 17, Jaguars 9 — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and Kansas City (1-1) overcame three early turnovers in Jacksonville (1-1) to avoid becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999. The Chiefs converted twice on fourth down and outgained Jacksonville, 399-271. The Jaguars had several chances, but settled for field goals in two trips into the red zone, they averaged a measly 4.2 yards per play, and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining, and Kansas City didn’t let the Jaguars get the ball back. Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones had two sacks on five QB pressures in his season debut.

Falcons 25, Packers 24 — Younghoe Koo booted a 25-yard field goal with 57 seconds remaining and rookie Bijan Robinson turned in another dynamic performance, rushing for 124 yards on 19 carries and hauling in four catches for another 48 yards to rally host Atlanta (2-0). Green Bay (1-1) squandered a 24-12 lead and three more touchdown passes from Jordan Love, who has a half-dozen scoring throws in his first two games as Aaron Rodgers’ replacement. Atlanta’s young quarterback, Desmond Ridder, bootlegged for a 6-yard touchdown on fourth-and-4 with just under 12 minutes remaining. Then it was Ridder and Robinson teaming up for two more drives that set up field goals by Koo, including a 39-yarder with 8:13 remaining.

Colts 31, Texans 20 — Anthony Richardson rushed for two touchdowns before leaving with a concussion and Gardner Minshew threw for 171 yards and a TD as Indianapolis (1-1) held off host Houston (0-2) despite only scoring a field goal after halftime. Richardson gave the Colts an early lead when he dashed 18 yards untouched on their first drive. C.J. Stroud fumbled when he was sacked by Samson Ebukam, and Richardson made it 14-0 when he ran 15 yards for the score on the next play. Stroud — taken No. 2 in this summer’s draft, two slots ahead of Richardson — threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns, but he was sacked six times and hit nine others playing behind a line filled with backups.

Buccaneers 27, Bears 17 — Baker Mayfield passed for 317 yards and a touchdown, playing turnover-free ball for the second straight week as Tampa Bay (2-0) made it a franchise-record 12 consecutive losses for visiting Chicago (0-2). Mayfield completed 26 of 34 passes, with Mike Evans catching six balls for 171 yards and the score, a 32-yarder in the third quarter to finish an 89-yard drive. After yielding a 75-yard TD drive on Chicago’s first possession of the game, the Buccaneers sacked Justin Fields six times and picked him off twice. The Bears closed to 20-17 on Chase Claypool’s 20-yard TD catch, but saw any hope for a comeback fade when Fields — throwing out of his own end zone — tossed an interception that Bucs linebacker Shaquil Barrett returned 4 yards for a clinching TD.