After a half of forgettable football, the Buffalo Bills trail the Baltimore Ravens 21-3. A once-promising kickoff sent Buffalo quickly heading south, and nothing has gone Buffalo’s way since the anthem ended.

Facing a very quick 4th and 1 attempt at their 39, the Bills converted with Allen to send an early message. A short time later, head coach Sean McDermott made the staggering decision to punt on 4th-and-2 and even closer to the Ravens’ end zone. Even worse was McDermott’s decision to punt when faced with a second 4th-and-1 at the same 39-yard line while trailing 14-3.

All this despite what McDermott said at halftime about his defense needing to play better. So his favorite move was to kick the ball away and ask them to catch more chaos? Quarterback Josh Allen appeared to aggravate his hand injury on that early fourth-down conversion, and he continues to flex it. Maybe that plays a role in the misery in the first half?

Baltimore’s apparent plan to exploit Bills players who wouldn’t play under ideal circumstances has paid off. Once again in an important game, Buffalo’s defensive line has essentially disappeared.

Every part of this Bills team seems overwhelmed, which was never more apparent than on Baltimore’s first offensive play — a call that Derrick Henry returned 87 yards for a touchdown. Overall, Buffalo’s defense was overmatched, out of position, and simply not good enough to share the field with Baltimore.

On offense, the entire group seems slow and the play-calling trends are timid. This isn’t inspiring football from any angle if you’re a Bills fan. After linebacker Baylon Spector claimed a foul from quarterback Lamar Jackson, it felt like a little momentum was swinging in Buffalo’s direction. A perfect opportunity to boost the turnover… which culminated in a common rushing try from James Cook.

After the two-minute warning, the Bills lucked into an unlikely first down thanks to a timeout penalty on the Ravens. Josh Allen threw a perfect deep pass to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, but Coleman let it sail through his hands. Shades of Stefon Diggs, anyone?

This is not good football. Tonight’s game also serves as a reminder of the weekly nature of the NFL, where a 1-2 team can scrutinize a 3-0 group.

After 30 minutes, Allen is 9-for-16 for 42 yards, with five carries for 21 yards. Kicker Tyler Bass made a positive impact by scoring a 50-yard field goal with plenty left.

Fortunately, there is still a second half to play. Will it be more of the same, or can McDermott figure this out? It’s time for Josh Allen to take over the game. If you don’t, it won’t work tonight.

Here is your second, semi-open thread. Enjoy it if you can – and hopefully the Buffalo Bills find their way to a win before the night is over.