Allen, Johnson lead Bills past Newton-less Panthers 27-14 By STEVE REED, AP Sports Writer 15 hrs ago
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) works against the Carolina Panthers during the first half an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
1/14 SLIDES © Provided by The Associated Press
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) works against the Carolina Panthers during the first half an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 16, 2019, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After winning the coin toss, Josh Allen quickly asked for the ball.
He was eager and ready to go — and it showed.
Allen shook off some first-game jitters and completed 9 of 11 passes for 102 yards and led two scoring drives, Kevin Johnson returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown, and the Buffalo Bills beat the Carolina Panthers 27-14 on Friday night in the second preseason game for both teams.
BOX SCORE: BILLS 27, PANTHERS 14
"We won the coin toss, and from that point on we were ready to go," Allen said. Allen is looking to build confidence after going 5-6 as a rookie starter last season. He took a step forward against the Panthers, leading a 13-play, 63-yard drive that culminated in a field goal, and a touchdown drive capped by a 1-yard run by LeSean McCoy to put Buffalo (2-0) up 10-0 early before exiting the game. His only regret is getting to play just two possessions.
Allen continued to develop his chemistry with recently signed free agent wide receiver Cole Beasley, connecting on five passes for 54 yards.
"It looked like the game slowed down this week a little bit for him and that's good to see," Bills coach Sean McDermott said of his second-year quarterback. Matt Barkley also looked solid in a backup role, completing 8 of 10 passes for 110 yards, including a 9-yard TD pass to Duke Williams.
The Panthers (1-1) struggled mightily on offense without Cam Newton, who didn't play for the second straight week.
Buffalo's defense held Carolina to 132 yards in the first half after spending two days facing the Panthers in joint practices earlier this week. The Panthers didn't help themselves with five holding penalties before halftime.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he was disappointed in his team's performance. "We had a lot of young guys out there that need to turn the corner," Rivera said. "The first two games were really about the young guys getting chances. Quite frankly, from perspective, I don't think some of the young guys stepped up when they had the chances."
Click for Full Text!