Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are set to host Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. It’s one of the premier quarterback matchups of Week 1 as the 2024 NFL season kicks off.
Although Allen and Murray will have a major impact on the game’s outcome, it’s the battles elsewhere on the field that could decide which team opens the campaign with a victory. That’s especially true since all signs point to a close game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The weather shouldn’t be much of a factor beyond an occasional wind gust. The forecast calls for temperatures in the low-60s with a limited chance of precipitation, according to the Weather Channel.
The Bills and Cardinals are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET start on CBS.
Cardinals vs. Bills: Week 1 Matchup Breakdown
X-Factors
Bills: Safety Play
Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer departed Buffalo in the offseason. Their seven-year partnership peaked as perhaps the league’s best safety tandem. They helped erase a lot of mistakes elsewhere on the Bills defense. Now that safety net is gone.
Mike Edwards and Cole Bishop both missed a vast majority of training camp and the preseason because of injuries. It was a massive setback because they were both offseason additions—Edwards in free agency and Bishop in the draft. So they missed out on crucial reps necessary to get acclimated in the team’s defensive scheme.
In turn, the Bills listed Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin as their starting safeties against the Cardinals. Rapp endured an up-and-down first year in Buffalo last season, while Hamlin will be making his first start since his life-threatening injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023.
The Hamlin story in inspiring, and he was productive before the injury two years ago with 91 total tackles across 15 appearances.
“Truly a blessing,” Hamlin told reporters Wednesday. “I reflect back on the whole process and not knowing if I would be able to play again. … Sitting with that uncertainty was eating at me because football is truly my passion. It’s the thing that I’ve always been obsessed with my entire life. … It all just goes to the power of being process oriented and taking things one day at a time and accepting where you are at each moment of the process.”
Great vibes aside, the drop-off from Hyde-Poyer to Rapp-Hamlin will be noticeable. It’s going to take a defense-wide effort to make up for that lack of production from the back end of the secondary.
Add in the absence of linebacker Matt Milano and the Bills may struggle to string together stops.
Cardinals: Edge Rushing
The Cardinals finished the 2023 season with 33 sacks, the third-lowest total in the NFL. It’s an area they may struggle to improve in 2024.
Arizona did bulk up its defensive interior with the free-agent signings of tackles Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones. The edge-rushing group is mostly the same, however, particularly after first-round pick Darius Robinson landed on injured reserve with a calf injury.
So the onus once again falls on Dennis Gardeck and Zaven Collins to lead the pass-rushing attack. The duo combined for just 9.5 sacks last year. Fifth-round selection Xavier Thomas also figures to garner a chance to make an immediate impact.
"I know that we've made a lot of strides and we're gonna continue to get better in that spot."
Arizona Cardinals DC Nick Rallis has confidence in the pass rush unit despite losing key players. pic.twitter.com/pZecuwd91b
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) August 22, 2024
It doesn’t help the Cardinals edge-rushers open the campaign with one of the sport’s toughest challenges: trying to slow down Allen, both through the air and on the ground.
Arizona may have to adjust on the fly if the pass rush isn’t getting home early. A strategy of playing contain to merely keep the Bills QB in the pocket to make him a pure passer could be effective, especially since Buffalo is working in a revamped group of wide receivers.
Marquee Matchup
Bills CB Rasul Douglas vs. Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Douglas was fantastic for the Bills after being acquired from the Green Bay Packers ahead of last year’s trade deadline. He tallied 29 total tackles, eight passes defended, four interceptions and a touchdown in nine games for Buffalo.
His first test in 2024 is Harrison, one of the most hyped receiver prospects in a decade. The Ohio State product recorded an eye-popping 144 catches for 2,474 yards and 28 touchdowns in 25 contests across his final two college seasons.
Buffalo appears to have the edge in the other CB-WR battles—Christian Benford vs. Michael Wilson on the outside and Taron Johnson vs. Greg Dortch in the slot. So if the Arizona passing game is going to succeed, Harrison and tight end Trey McBride will need to shine.
The Douglas-Harrison battle is intriguing because they’re similar players: physical bullies and footwork technicians. They’re not speed demons. It’ll be a hard-fought, earn-every-inch matchup all afternoon.
Both guys will win some snaps, but who will come out on top more frequently, especially on third down and in the red zone? The answer may decide the game.
Final Score Prediction: 24-23 Bills
The Bills-Cardinals matchup is closer than the 6.5-point spread would suggest. It’s going to take some time before Buffalo reaches its full potential after an offseason roster overhaul, and Arizona has the offensive talent to exceed expectations this season.
One funny thing about the NFL is how often narratives actually come into play. Tyler Bass has been one of the biggest following the Bills all summer. He was one of the league’s best kickers in 2021 and 2022, connecting on over 87 percent of his field-goal attempts.
That changed last year. Bass made just 82.8 percent of his field goals (24 of 29) during the regular season and missed three more in the playoffs. That included a failed game-tying attempt late in a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
His struggles continued throughout camp, frequently missing multiple kicks in a session. Yet, Bills general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott stood firmly behind him. True competition was never brought in.
So why wouldn’t the season opener come down to a last-second Bass kick? If he makes it, the Bills avoid an upset alert from the Cardinals. If he misses it, the told-you-so’s will begin in Buffalo.
Main Photo Credit: Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
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