New Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan got his reign off to a flying start this evening as his side opened their 2015 NFL season with a surprise 27-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Both sides struggled to create much on offense in the opening exchanges, with Andrew Luck most at fault for the Colts when he threw an interception.
It was Bills new boy Tyrod Taylor that came up with the big play of the first quarter, sending a 51-yard pass over for Percy Harvin to collect in the endzone for the opening score of the game.
Dan Carpenter added a field goal for the hosts in the second, and they opened up a 17-point lead going into half time when Karlos Williams raced in for a 26-yard score.
Things went from bad to worse for the reigning AFC South champions when Anthony Dixon made his way into the endzone from a yard out, with the extra point making it 24-0.
The Colts finally got themselves on the board in the closing stages of the third quarter when Luck picked out Donte Moncrief with a two-yard pass, and the visitors made it an eight-point score through Coby Fleener's catch on the two-point conversion.
That did little to raise hopes of a comeback for Indianapolis, however, and Carpenter kept the scoreboard ticking over for his side with a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
The visitors managed to reduce the deficit to 13 points with just under six minutes remaining of the match when Luck found Dwayne Allen, but this time the two-point conversion was unsuccessful.
That proved to be the last of the scoring as Buffalo held out for the victory, getting their new season - and their new era - off to a perfect start.
Barney Corkhill
