What We Learned From Buffalo Bills’ Week 2 Win Over Miami Dolphins

“Josh Allen and a bunch of guys” — the plucky NFL team that did it again, much to the surprise and awe of every casual observer who watched the 2024 premiere of Sunday evening footballThe Buffalo Bills made a lot of headlines early in the offseason, largely due to the deal that saw a disgruntled Stefon Diggs leave for his new home with the Houston Texans.

The framework of those heads entertained countless theories as to why Josh Allen and the Bills would take a four-step decline this season. Yet Buffalo has scored 30-plus points in two convincing wins over the past five days.

While it’s unfair to say that this year’s Bills team is all Josh Allen and a few other guys, it’s not lost on me that there was a conscious effort to remove ego and certain energy from the locker room in order to allow Allen to become a more well-rounded leader.

To most, it felt like the Buffalo Bills had peaked at the end of the 2023 NFL season. That might explain why so many were quick to cast doubt on them before anything meaningful happened in September. How could anything possibly be better than what everyone had seen from the Bills from 2020-2023 — especially when so many of those teams’ key players were shown the door?

And yet here we are. Buffalo is up a surprising 2-0, having just finished trashing their division rivals on their home turf. The most die-hard fans will tell you they saw it coming, but there’s no way to predict the kind of success Buffalo has enjoyed in two games played in the confines of a single workweek.

Perhaps most surprising of all is how the Bills won. Leading by two scores in the third quarter, Buffalo didn’t let up until Miami waved the white flag. That 14-point lead grew to a three-touchdown advantage after cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram caught a pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and sent it the other way for six.

Of course, there was plenty of concern early on about how the Bills’ night would end. When linebacker and team captain Terrel Bernard was forced off the field with a pectoral injury, fans were beside themselves with surprise in the context of the loss of linebacker Matt Milano and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson. As we’ll learn in time, defensive coordinator Bobby Babich had a plan all along. Of course, no team is ever fully prepared for the loss of key starters, but as the 2024 season approaches, it’s worth asking whether Babich’s plan extends beyond reliance on individual effort.

Granted, individual effort creates game-changing plays — like defensive end AJ Epensea’s brilliant pressure on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa that led to Ingram’s second interception and touchdown celebration. We’ve heard all offseason how everyone was going to eat on offense. Two games in, doesn’t that seem to apply to defense, too?

Outside of running back James Cook and the aforementioned Ja’Marcus Ingram, no Bills player had a statistically impressive night. Allen went 13 of 19 for 139 yards and one touchdown (and a 107.1 rating). As a runner, Allen’s biggest impact came as a scrambler behind his offensive line, where he managed just two rushing yards on two carries.

In front of about 40 family members, Cook put together an unforgettable night, finishing with 11 carries for 78 yards with two touchdowns (including a 49-yard dash to paydirt); he also added one catch for 17 yards. Yet somehow Cook’s stats don’t seem to paint an accurate picture of just how dominant he and the offensive line were against Miami.

Anyone looking at the Bills-Dolphins stats from Week 2 wouldn’t have imagined that Buffalo managed to so thoroughly dismantle a strong Miami team. But all you had to see were the shots of wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle sitting on the bench as their backups tried to salvage something that trailed by 21 points. Hill and Waddle finished the night with mediocre numbers, combining for seven receptions and a harmless 65 yards. Hill caught three of his six targets for 24 yards, while Waddle caught all four of his targets for 41 yards.

Buffalo put on a masterclass in taking away Miami’s top two offensive players. What’s more, the Bills didn’t need Allen’s heroics, calling on his arm only in key moments, and claimed their 13th win in 14 games through the trenches.

As Rumbler points out Bird #20 From the second half open thread, the Dolphins “lived” every major stat — including more rushing yards, more total offense and more first downs. They held a 2-to-1 advantage in possession. But they also failed to convert drives into points, giving up the ball via three interceptions and committing turnovers on downs via failed fourth-down tries.

It was the most uncharacteristic Dolphins win of the Josh Allen era. On a night like Allen’s in Week 2, the most meaningful stats you can pin on him are his efficiency on the field and flawless football stats. While the totals don’t immediately reveal it, Allen targeted nine different receivers and made six.

For those looking for receiving themes, it appears that wide receiver Khalil Shakir has Allen’s confidence above all others. Shakir has seen the most targets (5), made the most catches (5), and gained the most yards (54). He’s caught nearly every pass thrown his way, going back to last season.

Many are clamoring for more from rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman and even tight end Dalton Kincaid. Yet Coleman is only two games into the game and was coming off a stellar performance in Week 1. Thankfully, Kincaid was able to return to the field after a nasty knee to the head that can only be described as a friendly whistle. Whether that changed Kincaid’s trajectory for the rest of the game, we’re not sure.

Those watching are witnessing how much can change in the blink of an eye for a player who gives his all on the field. Thursday night games are a familiar challenge for teams struggling with injuries, and many have wondered if playing on them exposes players to a significantly higher risk of injury. In Kincaid’s case, it’s likely just a case of bad luck that could have been much worse. Bernard’s situation, meanwhile, remains unclear until we hear otherwise.

Unfortunately, that is not the case for Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered another concussion in the third quarter. Tagovailoa gave his team everything he had and decided to dive head first into the end zone. It was immediately clear what had happened to him as he lay on the court. Concussions are much more serious than many realize. Traumatic brain injuries can have a lasting effect on a person’s quality of life.

For Tagovailoa, it is now time for serious talks, regardless of contractual considerations. Life is bigger than football, no matter how much a player or fan feels otherwise. Everyone wants the best for Tua Tagovailoa and wishes him the best as he navigates what must be an incredibly difficult situation and decision.

While Tagovailoa’s current and long-term health should rightfully receive a lot of attention in the discussion of the Bills’ Week 2 win, there’s also plenty of reason to think about how they view the Buffalo Bills.

At 2-0, the Bills currently have the best record in the NFL thanks to an early game in Week 2. It’s time to start wondering just how good the Bills could be in 2024 instead of getting stuck thinking about what’s wrong with the teams that lose to them. It’s a long season, and there will certainly be plenty of valleys between the fandom’s best heights, but starting off 2-0 is a significant step for a team full of youth and a franchise quarterback willing to silence his critics.

People may be starting to wake up and consider that what One Bills Drive has put together is at least as dangerous as previous versions. The difference? Maybe this version of the Bills has a higher ceiling that is achievable through building on-court chemistry and genuine camaraderie.

With a cast full of unlikely characters, it’s definitely fun to go to One Bills Drive. And that’s something everyone from Bills Mafia will love.