The Buffalo Bills have been surprisingly unfazed this offseason while everyone else was wondering if their Super Bowl window was closed.
The Bills’ season ended with another crushing playoff loss. They then traded Stefon Diggs, who had been to the Pro Bowl four times in four seasons in Buffalo, and made no big, spectacular move to replace him. Other long-time veterans were released as the Bills sorted out their salary cap. The general reaction was that the Bills were in for a rough season.
On Thursday night, they still looked like a Super Bowl contender.
The Bills have dominated the Miami Dolphins since the signing of Josh Allen, and that didn’t change in Week 2. Buffalo got three touchdowns from James Cook, another touchdown from the defense, and cruised to a comfortable 31-10 victory. They are 2-0 to start the season.
The Bills still have a good defense that rattled Tua Tagovailoa, who eventually had to leave the game with a concussion after a dangerous hit. Buffalo was able to intercept Tagovailoa three times, including a pick-6 that virtually nullified the Dolphins’ chances. And Buffalo still has Allen at quarterback. That’s enough to keep them one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL, or so it seems after two weeks.
Bills with impressive start
The Bills started the season slowly, trailing 17-10 at home against the Arizona Cardinals at halftime of their opening game. Over the next five quarters, Buffalo outscored Arizona and Miami by a combined score of 55-21.
Thursday night started out great for Buffalo, but not so much for Miami. Cook scored on a beautifully timed play that gave him space on fourth down; he caught Allen’s pass and ran 17 yards into the end zone. Tagovailoa threw two interceptions in the first quarter, the first time in his NFL career. Both turnovers appeared to be errors by receivers Grant DuBose and Robbie Chosen, players who combined to have zero targets in Week 1.
Cook scored a couple more touchdowns on the ground, completing a hat trick before halftime. His third touchdown came on a great throw from Allen on third-and-12 to Ty Johnson to the 1-yard line. At this point, everyone was checking to see if they would be playing against Cook in their fantasy football matchup this week.
In the third quarter, the game got out of control and the focus changed. Tagovailoa was under pressure and threw blind on third down. However, Bills cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram easily intercepted the ball and scored a touchdown, making the score 31-10.
The night got much worse for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa fought through and ran for a first down on fourth-and-four, and because it was a fourth down, he didn’t want to slide too early. He lowered his head and hit Bills safety Damar Hamlin, went down hard and couldn’t get back up right away. He was ejected shortly afterward with a concussion.
Tagovailoa said he considered retirement after suffering multiple concussions during the 2022 season. The concern for him after Thursday night is not just when he might return from that concussion, but also his long-term health.
Bills receive a clear victory
Since the Bills signed Allen in 2018, they have a 12-2 record against the Dolphins, including a playoff win. With the uncertainty surrounding Tagovailoa, the Dolphins may not be a factor in the race for the AFC East this season.
It looks like the Bills are going for more than just another division title. They’ve had some unfortunate playoff losses, but it’s still a team that can contend for a championship. Most of that is thanks to Allen, although the players around him on offense are doing their part as well. It doesn’t seem like they’re missing the veterans they had to let go this offseason. Von Miller had a terrible 2023, but is making an impact early this season as he looks healthy, and his reemergence would be huge for the Bills defense.
The Bills and Dolphins met on Thursday night and it seemed like we were going to learn a lot about the hierarchy in the AFC East. Even before Tagovailoa left the game due to his recent concussion, the Bills made it clear that the Dolphins were still far behind them.
Maybe the Bills aren’t as much trouble as you heard this offseason.
