Colts vs. Bills: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

The Tyrod Taylor era began in resounding fashion as the Buffalo Bills outclassed the Indianapolis Colts in a 27-14 home victory on Sunday.

Taylor was the biggest star of the game, finishing 14-of-19 passing for 195 yards and a touchdown. He also contributed 41 yards on the ground to round out his efficient performance. Bob Kravitz of WTHR in Indianapolis couldn't help but to salute the fifth-year quarterback:

Deadspin's Drew Magary is asking the pressing question on everybody's minds:    

"

is tyrod taylor more elite than joe flacco

— Drew Magary (@drewmagary) September 13, 2015"

Particularly jarring is Taylor's numbers juxtaposed with Andrew Luck's. The difference in yardage actually went in Luck's favor, but he only completed 26 of his 49 pass attempts, throwing for 243 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Bills front seven did a great job of hassling Luck in the pocket and putting him under duress. Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com properly illustrated the dynamic between Luck and Buffalo's pass rush:

That constant pressure helped play at least a small part in the Bills' first score of the game.

Ronald Darby intercepted a pass that Luck forced to T.Y. Hilton as the pocket collapsed in the first quarter. Darby blanketed Hilton the entire way and stepped in front of the pass to pick it off.

Some wondered whether Darby would be able to handle Hilton or Andre Johnson for the entire game. Head coach Rex Ryan had no such doubts in his mind.

"This kid can play," Ryan said of his rookie cornerback, per the Associated Press (via USA Today). "We know the challenge in front of us, but guess what, we're not running from it."

Hilton and Johnson combined to have 11 catches on 24 targets.

Former Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes believed the entire secondary was a major strength for the Bills on Sunday:

Five plays after the turnover, Buffalo was in the end zone. Taylor hit Percy Harvin perfectly in stride with a beautiful pass over the top of the Colts defense, per the NFL:

Dan Carpenter nailed a 41-yard field goal with a little under eight minutes remaining in the first half to give the Bills a 10-0 lead. On the next drive, Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal from 52 yards that would've made it a one-score game.

Buffalo capitalized on the missed field goal, going 58 yards in five plays. Karlos Williams capped off the drive with a 26-yard touchdown run.

A 17-0 halftime deficit was a less-than-ideal development for the Colts. With Luck under center, Indianapolis has never won after failing to score a point in the first half, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Any hopes of a comeback were largely dashed after the Bills scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter. Running back Boobie Dixon punched it in from a yard out to put the hosts ahead 24-0.

Donte Moncrief caught a two-yard touchdown pass on Indianapolis' next drive, and the two-point conversion made it a two-score game, 24-8. But this tweet from Grantland's Bill Barnwell largely summed up the effectiveness of the Colts' second-half efforts:

A Dwayne Allen touchdown reception in the fourth quarter closed the gap a little bit, 27-14, but Indianapolis simply didn't have enough time left to overtake Buffalo.

While Bills fans have every reason to be happy with Buffalo's victory Sunday, expectations should remain somewhat tempered.

Jake Locker, Derek Anderson and Nick Foles were among the winning quarterbacks in Week 1 last year. The first week of the regular season always produces a fluky result or two.

Taylor looked great on Sunday, but can he keep that up later on in the season when opposing teams have had ample time and evidence from which to devise a plan to slow down the Bills QB? Plus, it's not as if Ryan's offense with the New York Jets was particularly dynamic for long stretches of the season.

While it's entirely possible Sunday's win was merely a sign of things to come, it would be much more prudent to wait a few more games to see if Buffalo can keep it up.

For Indianapolis, the result is a bit worrying in that it confirmed the fears of some fans who identified defense as a major weak spot for the Colts. The team did little in the offseason to improve on that side of the ball and it showed against the Bills.

Luck is the league's best young quarterback, but the Colts can't rely on his being lights-out every week.