ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Joe Brady cautioned that the warning signs — or “smoke alarms,” as the Bills’ first-year head coach calls them — were evident even as Josh Allen opened the season by leading Buffalo to two wins and 77 points.
His concerns were validated when the Bills turned the ball over five times against the Los Angeles Chargers. But Buffalo still had enough resolve to contain the blaze.
“The house was on fire,” Brady said after Sunday’s 24-16 win. “That’s unacceptable and that falls squarely on me. But there’s a lot of positives that come from that.”
Brady and the Bills aren’t going to apologize for winning ugly. What mattered was how the team persevered in the face of adversity and the odds. Teams with a plus-4 turnover margin — the Chargers had one giveaway — were 1,304-67-9 in the Super Bowl era entering Sunday.
At 3-0, the Bills already have a two-game lead in the AFC East, with division rival New England (1-2) hitting town this weekend. And Buffalo was one of the NFL’s six remaining unbeaten teams through Sunday, with Philadelphia (2-0) set to play Monday night.
Early as it might be, it’s perhaps time to credit Brady, who celebrated his 37th birthday last week. He entered the season as the NFL’s youngest head coach, and he faced high expectations after inheriting a perennially contending team that has persistently fallen short in the playoffs.
“I told the team at halftime, this is perfect. I meant that. I wanted to see what it was going to reveal,” Brady said. “I’m so proud of the way the guys did respond. They didn’t blink.”
Keying the victory was Buffalo’s new-look defense, which took a step forward after allowing 31 points in each of the first two games.
After spotting the Chargers a 10-0 lead with both scores coming off turnovers, the Bills allowed two field goals on LA’s final seven possessions, four ending inside Buffalo’s 30.
The biggest stop came early in the fourth quarter, three plays after Allen lost a fumble at his 28, when C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Justin Herbert’s pass at the goal line. Allen capped the next drive with a go-ahead, 1-yard TD plunge.
Veteran edge rusher Bradley Chubb said the performance was payback for the offense bailing out the defense in the first two games.
“One might be on one day, the next might be the next day. But when both are firing, it’s an amazing thing,” Chubb said. “The bond that we have, it’s easy to overcome things like that. And we just hope we won’t be in that position again.”
What’s working
Red-zone defense. After allowing their first two opponents to score seven TDs on nine drives inside the 20, the Bills held the Chargers to one TD on four trips.
What needs help
Ball security. RB James Cook lost a fumble on the first snap from scrimmage and TE Dalton Kincaid had the ball knocked loose while fighting for extra yards. Allen’s three-turnover outing was the 11th of his career (4-7), and first in the regular season since he threw two interceptions and losing a fumble in a 21-14 win at Miami to close the 2023 season.
Stock up
Greg Rousseau. The sixth-year pass rusher enters Monday with an NFL-leading six sacks, two short of his career high. The 26-year-old has done so while making the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker in Buffalo’s new 3-4 system.
Stock down
Allen (with an asterisk). Though he rushed for two TDs and led his 19th career fourth-quarter comeback, Allen acknowledged the Bills stole a win.
Injuries
Starting CB Christian Benford left with a toe injury and could miss time, depriving an already thin position of its top player. Allen finished the game but came away limping after taking a hit on his left knee. Brady smiled on Monday when he said Allen is usually sore after a game, before adding, “I’m never usually concerned about him.”
Key number
3-0 — Brady became the NFL’s fifth-youngest coach in the Super Bowl era to win his first three games, behind Josh McDaniels (33), John Madden (33), Bill Cowher (35) and Mike Tomlin (35).
Next steps
The Bills renew their rivalry against the Patriots, who ended their five-year run of AFC East titles last season. Buffalo has an opportunity to open 4-0 for the 11th time in team history and third time with Allen.
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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.
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See AP’s full NFL coverage here
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
