That first possession — the one the Bills had — went pretty well. A three-and-out, a Kevin Minter sack, and the Bills fans were already itchy in their seats.

But as the fruitless possessions for the Cardinals' offense piled up, the defense couldn't match. For a chunk of the game, it felt  like many of the East Coast games of Cardinals yesteryear. This was a team that, frankly, hadn't been part of the Bruce Arians era. At all. Even the NFC Championship game felt like an overwhelming performance by a better team. This just felt like the Cardinals never got into sync.

It's certainly not where you want to be three games into the season. Carson Palmer and Michael Floyd still don't seem to be on the same page. The run defense slipped hard, especially when the Cards all but predicted LeSean McCoy and, as a scrambler, Tyrod Taylor, were going to be the key to the Bills' offense.

Now comes two straight NFC West games in what will be a five-day window. They are crucial, against two teams you expected to find behind you in the division standings. They won't be if the Cardinals don't find consistency.

-- Not a lot of good in the game. But the Patrick Peterson one-handed interception was an incredible athletic feat.

-- Speaking of incredible athletic plays, Tyrann Mathieu made one to force that fumble. If he could have only picked it up. He would've scored a touchdown. It could've been a one-score game with eight minutes left.

-- There are — obviously — some decisions coming on the special teams front. Punter Drew Butler was clearly limping every time he was on the field and when he was headed to the locker room. It would seem likely they'll need someone to at least fill in a week. The long snapper issue isn't about injury. The Cardinals never had to worry about the position for the longest time. Mike Leach was as close to perfect as you could get. Kam Canaday is struggling. Arians had already acknowledged it. And with that position, it's tough to wait out growing pains.

-- As they did in the first two games, both Chandler Jones and Markus Golden got a sack. They each have three sacks in three games.

-- The Cardinals had no turnovers. Now they have five, including four straight interceptions by Palmer to end the game.

-- Painful stat of the day: Beginning with the first drive of the game, when the Bills set the Cards up with a punt and the Cardinals began at the Bills' 36 and went nowhere, the Cardinals got to the Buffalo 36 or closer seven times but only scored twice.

Then again, most of the stats ended up painful.