Quarter by quarter: Sanders gets first TDs as a Bill as offense overwhelms WFT

First quarter

Slow start not a problem: The first few plays were a less than ideal start for the Bills, but they quickly worked through that. After finding themselves in third-and-15, Josh Allen connected with Gabriel Davis for a 23-yard play to keep the drive going. In all, they would go 75 yards in eight plays.

Sanders' first TD: The Bills’ first drive was capped with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders’ first touchdown as a Bill. Allen found him along the sideline in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown to take an early lead. Allen became the 11th quarterback Sanders has caught a touchdown pass from.

Weather a factor: It was very windy at Highmark Stadium on Sunday. On fourth-and-2 from the Washington 35, the Bills went for it instead of potentially going for a long field goal into the wind. They were unsuccessful, with Allen throwing to running back Devin Singletary for no gain.

Early takeaway: Cornerback Tre’Davious White was the first Bill to help notch a takeaway Sunday, but he would not be the last. When Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke connected with tight end Logan Thomas, White punched the ball out, and Matt Milano recovered the fumble.

Second quarter

Moss keeps rolling: The Bills went to running back Zach Moss the majority of plays following the fumble recovery on a drive that went into the start of the second quarter. Moss, who had two touchdowns in the fourth quarter Week 2 in Miami, finished the drive with a seven-yard touchdown catch to put the Bills up 14-0.

Poyer pick: Just three plays into the next drive, safety Jordan Poyer intercepted Heinicke, who was making his first NFL start on the road. Poyer ran it back 26 yards, putting the Bills on the Washington 17.

Key play: Shortly after the interception, the Bills found the end zone again. Tight end Dawson Knox had an athletic catch that was good for a 14-yard touchdown. Knox finished the day with 49 yards on four catches.

Washington back to back: While the Bills jumped out to a 21-0 lead, Washington quickly erased that. A 73-yard touchdown off a short pass, a recovered kick and a quarterback scramble made it 21-14 in a matter of minutes. However, Buffalo would tack on two more field goals before half.

Third quarter

Opening drive: The Bills dissected the Washington defense on Buffalo’s first drive of the third quarter, going 93 yards in 17 plays. Allen then connected with Sanders for their second touchdown of the day, a five-yard pass, to finish the march downfield. The Bills went for two but were unsuccessful.

Beasley-Allen time: Wide receiver Cole Beasley had 98 yards on 11 receptions, with a lot of that coming on that third quarter drive. Allen threw Beasley’s way five times that series, with Beasley catching them all.

Another takeaway: Safety Micah Hyde also intercepted Heinicke on Sunday, running it back 11 yards. Still, the Bills were only able to get three points out of it, gaining just six yards over four plays before Bass took care of things. His 29-yard field goal made it 36-14.

Lone sack: Heinicke was sacked just once Sunday, with Star Lotulelei sacking him for no gain. The Bills’ focus was more on containing him, but Lotulelei was able to notch his sack with 1:38 left in the third. Washington punted two plays left.

Fourth quarter

Allen adds one: After taking over, the Bills needed just three plays to score. An 19-yard pass to Knox did the bulk of the work, and shortly after, Allen walked one into the end zone himself.

A small sign of life: Washington was able to score once more in the fourth quarter, with Thomas pulling in the two-yard touchdown catch. Heinicke was inconsistent on the drive, but a 37-yard pass to McLaurin and some scrambling was enough to keep it together.

Trubisky time: With 5:21 left in the game, backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky entered the game for the Bills. By then, the Bills mostly took to the ground to eat up time, but Trubisky finished his day completing one pass on one attempt for one yard.