Joe Brady's aggressive approach to Bills offense validated in Josh Allen's production through 2 wins

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Joe Brady was so eager to get Josh Allen on the field, the Bills rookie head coach elected to take the ball — rather than defer — upon winning the coin toss in Buffalo’s home- and new stadium-opener against Detroit.

His instincts to be aggressive were immediately validated.

The lingering wisps of smoke from the pregame fireworks display had barely cleared on Thursday night, when Allen capped a 10-play, 85-yard drive with a 1-yard sneak into the end zone. The Bills went on to score TDs on each of their first four possessions — and six of eight, not including an end of game kneel-down — in the breathtaking offensive display of a 41-31 win.

If Buffalo, under former coach Sean McDermott, was at times faulted for being a little too conservative on offense, that’s no longer the case two games into Brady’s tenure following a season-opening 36-31 win at Houston.

Allen has been a one-man show in leading an offensive juggernaut that’s combined for 77 points, 855 yards, 54 first downs and scored on 13 of 18 possessions not ending in kneel-downs.

The production is a reflection of an offense that returned mostly intact, and is very familiar to Brady, who spent the previous two-plus seasons as coordinator before being promoted to replace McDermott in January.

Before running back James Cook closed the scoring on a 1-yard run with 2:50 remaining, Allen had accounted for Buffalo’s first nine touchdowns, five passing and four rushing. Allen’s yet to turn the ball over, though he’s come close on a few occasions, while also showing a familiar knack for spreading the wealth in the passing game.

While tight end Dalton Kincaid leads Buffalo with a combined 12 catches for 225 yards and two scores, Josh Palmer has scored twice on two catches. And even the ever-inconsistent Keon Coleman got involved with six catches for 63 yards against Detroit — three of those receptions coming before DJ Moore was sidelined with a shoulder injury late in the first half.

Buffalo’s 2-0 start is encouraging, with a variety of issues that still need addressing.

Moore’s absence was notable. Without him, the offense appeared to miss the connection the ninth-year player has established with Allen and his on-field presence to draw coverage away from others.

Though the injury is not considered significant, Brady said it was too early to determine if Moore will play next week.

Then there’s the Bills new-look defense, which is still in the gelling stages.

The bright side is how the defense limited Jahmyr Gibbs to 52 yards rushing on 16 carries. On the downside, the Bills allowed Detroit to close to within 10 points twice after being down 21-0.

“We’re kind of a boom or bust defense,” first-year coordinator Jim Leonhard said in noting opponents are ending drives with either touchdowns or three-and-outs. “That’s not a sustainable way to win.”

He's not that far off. On a combined 20 possessions, opponents have scored eight touchdowns with Buffalo forcing five three-and-outs.

Red-zone offense. After settling for a touchdown and two field goals on three trips inside the Texans 20 last weekend, the Bills scored touchdowns on all five red-zone drives against Detroit.

Fourth-down defense. Opponents have converted all four fourth-down attempts against Buffalo after the Lions went 2 for 2.

DL Deone Walker. The second-year player continues to be a force in the middle, and needed to with Ed Oliver sidelined after hurting his hip in pregame warmups. Walker ended the Lions' final threat by batting down two pass attempts that led to a three-and-out midway through the fourth quarter.

Tough to knock anyone, though PK Tyler Bass did miss an extra-point attempt.

Similar to Moore, Oliver's status is unclear for next week. Brady didn't go into detail on the injury in saying the Bills did have time to thoroughly examine Oliver's injury before they had to submit their list of inactive players.

90 — Josh Allen’s regular-season career win total, joining Russell Wilson (98), Patrick Mahomes (95) and Peyton Manning (92) as the only other players with that many in their first nine seasons.

Rest and prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 27 in the second game of a three-game homestand.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady speaks to the media after an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes )

Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady, left, and quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrate a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes )

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer (5) and quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrate their touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

NEW YORK (AP) — They're off and running at the new Belmont Park, as horse racing returned Friday following a three-year absence for a $550 million reconstruction project that modernized the historic track.

Fans in the sellout crowd of 6,000 cheered before a field of 10 left the starting gate just after 1:30 p.m. at the home of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. Lisa Joy, a filly ridden by jockey Antonio Fresu, won the first race there since July 9, 2023.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be part of this historical track and historical reopening of Belmont Park,” Fresu said afterward. “They seem to be doing a tremendous job. The track is fantastic. The grandstand looks fantastic, all the facilities, so I’m really, really happy to be part of it.”

The new facility is futuristic and white, a departure from the massive brick grandstand that occupied the space from 1968 until its demolition. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul before a ribbon- cutting ceremony in the expanded paddock area called it the start of a whole new era of racing in a state that has Belmont Park on the border of Queens and Long Island to go with venerable Saratoga Race Course upstate.

“With the new Belmont Park, New York enters into a league of its own,” Hochul said. “All eyes of the racing world are on this place. Everybody’s paying attention to what we’re unveiling here."

For now, the first two floors are open to the public while work is completed on the third, fourth and fifth in time for the spring. They are expected to be ready for the Wood Memorial, a key prep race for the Kentucky Derby that takes place in early April.

"We’ll show off the whole facility that day," New York Racing Association President and CEO David O'Rourke told The Associated Press. "The bones are here. Now we’re going to flesh this out."

The Belmont Stakes returns June 5 after a three-year run at Saratoga. The Breeders' Cup is back next fall, with the sport's world championship weekend taking place in New York for the first time since 2005.

“If you build it, we will come,” said Dora Delgado, the Breeders' Cup executive vice president and chief racing officer. “We knew they had the capability. They knew what we needed from a facility, so it was just perfect."

Delgado likened the new Belmont Park to Ascot Racecourse in England and what Arlington Park outside Chicago used to look like before closing in 2021.

"It’s state of the art," Delgado said. “They have created something here that’s just astonishing, and it’s a first for New York racing to have this kind of facility.”

Fresu called the track one of the best turf courses he had ever ridden on. Hall of Fame Trainer Shug McGaughey, who won Races 1 and 2, made sure he got in the winner's circle photo after the first because it was a piece of history.

“It’s a beautiful place,” McGaughey said. “It’s different than what I expected. ... It’s a lot more modern than old Belmont.”

Country artist Dierks Bentley performed as part of the celebration and told fans he was betting on the Japanese horse in the headline race, the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup. That horse from Japan is Forever Young, the reigning Breeders' Cup Classic champion who blew away the competition in impressive fashion.

“Hats off to the operations team,” O'Rourke said. “I don’t think my folks have slept the last two weeks. We pulled off a big race, a big day. I can’t be more thrilled.”

In this photo made with a smartphone, jockeys ride their horses into the newly-opened Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)

In this photo made with a smartphone, jockeys ride their horses into the newly-opened Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Whyno)