Bills get late start to their season

Two fourth-quarter touchdowns complete Buffalo comeback from a 16-point deficit vs. Jets

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills had more turnovers than points while scuffling through much of the first three quarters against the New York Jets.

None of those early struggles mattered in the end.

Allen threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to John Brown with three minutes left, and the Bills overcame four early turnovers to rally from a 16-point secondhalf deficit and stun Le’Veon Bell and the Jets 17-16 in the season opener Sunday.

“We continued to fight,” Brown said. “We didn’t point any fingers. We just kept fighting until the time was up.”

After struggling to get much going on offence, the Bills finally were able to move the ball after Jets middle linebacker C.J. Mosley, who had two take-aways including an interception for a touchdown, left with a groin injury late in the third quarter.

“When he went out, it was kind of a game-changer,” Allen said, “as far as they didn’t have somebody that vocal in the middle of the field that was able to make all their calls and all their checks.”

Buffalo also took advantage of kicking woes by the Jets as Kaare Vedvik, claimed last week off waivers from Minnesota, missed an extra point and a 45yard attempt.

“We’ve just got to get better,” said Adam Gase, coaching his first game for the Jets. “We have to make extra points. We have to make field goals. We can’t be losing out on points in those areas of the field.”

Bell caught a touchdown pass and had a two-point conversion in his Jets debut, and Jamison Crowder had14 catches for 99 yards in his first game with his new team — but Gase’s offence otherwise sputtered behind a line that gave Sam Darnold little time to throw.

“We were inept on offence,” Gase said flatly.

Allen completed 24-of-37 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown, and had one of his two interceptions returned 17 yards for a touchdown by Mosley. Brown caught seven passes for 123 yards. The Bills defence limited the Jets to 223 total yards.

“I don’t think many teams can turn the ball over four times in the first half and only be down 6-0,” Allen said. “It speaks volumes about who they are, the character they have and how they’re coached.”

Darnold was 28-of-41 for 175 yards and the touchdown to Bell, who ran for 60 yards on 17 carries. The running back, who sat out all last season in a contract dispute with Pittsburgh, also caught six passes for 32 yards.

Leading 8-0 in the third quarter, it appeared the Jets scored on a five-yard