The Buffalo Bills won their preseason home opener against the Indianapolis Colts 23-19 on Saturday afternoon.
Quarterback Matt Barkley led the offence with 172 yards and two touchdown passes. Barkley had just one incomplete pass in 15 tries.
Quarterback Josh Allen and receiver Stefon Diggs were both inactive.
The defence got the game began with a bang. Dane Jackson intercepted rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson’s throw and returned it 20 yards to the Colts’ 13-yard line. Siran Neal, the cornerback, blitzed Richardson and put pressure on the outside to force the wayward ball.
The offence took advantage of the mistake, running just three plays before James Cook took a handoff and sprinted for an 8-yard score. Cook quickly beat the Colts’ defenders to the outside and sprinted into the end zone unchallenged.
Damar Hamlin and linebacker Tyrel Dodson earned a standing ovation when they stopped running back Evan Hull on fourth-and-1 to give the offence the ball and halt a driving Colts offence. Saturday was Hamlin’s first game appearance since having a heart attack in January.
During the Colts’ last drive of the first half, the defence failed to stop the run, allowing Indianapolis to drive 88 yards for a score to finish the half.
The offence struggled to get going in the second half, as Allen threw an interception that was recovered for a 52-yard score. Tyrell Shavers was the intended recipient of the pass.
After Matt Barkley led the offence on an 83-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 22-yard throw to Shavers, the Bills retook the lead. Shavers escaped the Colts’ coverage, and Barkley floated a long pass to the end zone, which Shavers grabbed in stride.
Barkley shone in the second half, completing 12 of 13 throws for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bills had strong kickoff and punt coverage, forcing the Colts to open four of their eight possessions within the 20-yard line. Sam Martin’s first punt of the game covered 46 yards to the Colts’ 7.
Key figures and statistics:
• Saturday’s victory was the Bills’ third preseason victory against the Colts since 2018.
• Latavius Murray’s 39 all-purpose yards pushed his preseason total to 931 yards. In addition, he has 6 preseason touchdowns.
• Barkley’s two preseason touchdown throws were his eighth and ninth of his career. Except for the first drive, the 32-year-old played every offensive snap in the second half.
• Andy Isabella had the Bills’ longest catch, taking a short throw 30 yards and beating the defender protecting him. Isabella clocked a 4.31 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine.
• Dorian Williams, a rookie linebacker, led the defence with seven total sacks. Williams recorded 131 total stops, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions in his last season at Tulane.
• Tyler Bass made his sole field goal attempt but failed to convert on one of his three extra point tries. Last season, Bass only missed four field goals and two extra point tries.
• In each of the Bills’ previous three preseason games, the defence intercepted a Colts quarterback.
• Defensive back In the fourth quarter, Darrynton Evans returned a kickoff 39 yards. During his three-year collegiate career, the former Appalachian State Mountaineer returned three kickoffs for scores.
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