ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — — Despite all the changes the Buffalo Bills made at wide receiver and defensive back this offseason, quarterback Josh Allen has remained the biggest constant.

And when the four-time reigning AFC East champions needed their franchise player most after falling behind by 14 points in their season opener against Arizona on Sunday, Allen delivered by taking matters into his own hands — and improving by leaps and bounds.

Allen capped his four-touchdown outing in a 34-28 victory by going through the air. Running right from Arizona’s 6, Allen raced to the goal line and crouched Budda Baker before being pushed from behind by another Cardinals defender and crashing hard into the end zone.

The touchdown gave the Bills a 31-20 lead with 8 1/2 minutes left and capped a run that saw Buffalo outscore the Cardinals 28-3 at halftime.

“I thought it was the flyover,” said left tackle Dion Dawkins, who compared Allen’s jump to the Air Force jet flying over the stadium during the national anthem. “I just said, hurry up, what goes up must come down. And I hope you come down in the end zone.

“And he did. You know, that big quarterback, it’s hard to stop him, especially when you’re flying.”

Allen said he made his jump in a split second, especially after he dropped his shoulder while passing linebacker Xavier Thomas for a 7-yard touchdown run near the end of the half.

“The second time I knew it was Budda, and Budda’s a good player, and he’ll put you on the tree,” Allen said. “So I decided to go up and go over it. But I probably can’t make a living at it, but here we are.”

Allen finished the game with his left hand, which was not used for throwing, heavily wrapped and initially said he was fine but added that he was awaiting further testing. He was 18 of 23 for 232 yards and completed 11-yard touchdown passes to Mack Hollins and Khalil Shakir.

It was a close battle between non-conference rivals on a windy day with temperatures around 60 degrees Fahrenheit and strong gusts of up to 30 mph blowing in from the west off nearby Lake Erie.

The outing was the first kickoff return for a touchdown under the NFL’s new rules. DeeJay Dallas fielded the ball at his own 4, worked his way up the middle through a barrage of Bills before finding a lane on the left side with 8:31 left to cut Buffalo’s lead to 31-28.

The Cardinals couldn’t maintain the momentum, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal on their first three possessions, while building a 17-3 lead on James Conner’s 3-yard touchdown run with 2:40 left in the second quarter. It was the first time since 2006 that Arizona had scored points on each of its first three drives.

Buffalo had 352 yards of offense and showed it was capable of scoring 30-plus points with a new receiver group after trading Stefon Diggs to Houston and losing Gabe Davis to free agency. Allen completed passes to nine players, with rookie Keon Coleman finishing with a game-high four catches and 51 yards.

Buffalo’s young and injury-plagued defense also contributed.

Greg Rousseau had a career-best three sacks, including one that forced a fumble. The defense preserved the Bills’ win when Damar Hamlin and Ja’Marcus Ingram broke up Kyler Murray’s pass attempt to Greg Dortch at the goal line on fourth-and-7 from Buffalo’s 29 with 26 seconds left.

“We’ve got to be better. We were up 17-3 and we lost the game,” said second-year Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. “We’ve got to keep the score up there a little bit, especially when we’re ahead.”

If there was a bright spot, it was that the Cardinals were able to maintain the sparks of enthusiasm they showed last year when they went 3-5 under Murray as the quarterback returns after an 11-month absence with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Murray completed 21 of 31 attempts for 162 yards and a touchdown and also led the Cardinals in rushing with 57 yards on five carries.

Arizona rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the fourth player selected in the draft, made a nearly invisible NFL debut by making one catch — on three targets — for 4 yards.

The game turned in the third quarter, with the score tied at 17-17. Rousseau set up the game-clinching touchdown for Buffalo with his third sack, forcing Murray to fumble and Dorian Williams to recover the ball at the Arizona 21-yard line.

Buffalo scored five plays later when Allen Shakir cut to the left and the receiver rolled over defender Justin Jones before clearing the goal line.

Bills coach Sean McDermott paid tribute to Buffalo’s newcomers and reserves for stepping up, including Ingram, who was not supposed to play until defensive lineman Duwaune Smoot was sidelined after injuring his toe in practice on Thursday.

Ingram played an even bigger role than expected, filling in after cornerback Taron Johnson did not return after injuring his right forearm in the first quarter.

“It’s a great example of being ready when your number is called,” McDermott said. “We fell behind early in the game and they fought back from there. I think that in itself is a great sign for our football team.”

Next

Cardinals: Host three consecutive home games, beginning with the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Bills: Have a short week and travel to play the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl