4 Bills to Shine in the First Two Games of the 2024 NFL Season

There’s no team sport like football, where every victory is an individual demonstration of an incredible group effort. But every team has its standout players, often stars or overlooked players who exceed expectations. In some cases, they’re players fans may have written off in the offseason. After the Buffalo Bills’ dominant Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, we could see a handful of players step up and make an impact early in the year.

The Bills are now 2-0 and atop the AFC East. Below are a few players who are excited to start the new season.

Many in the Bills Mafia wrote Von Miller off in the offseason, and understandably so. He failed to record a sack on 179 pass-rushing snaps and managed just three tackles on 243 total snaps in 2023, according to PFF Stats. As a result of the poor campaign, Miller agreed to take a pay cut, but with a host of incentives. So far, he’s on pace to earn those incentives. He has two sacks on the season, and even more shockingly, he’s already had nine pressures, compared to 13 last year. He’s accomplished this on just 41 pass-rushing snaps. Watch out, NFL: It looks like Von Miller is back.

Related: This one play shows how the Bills can mitigate the Dolphins’ explosive offense

James Cook broke out last season, finishing fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,122) and sixth in all-purpose yards (1,567). Cook has since picked up the pieces and is on pace to improve on last season’s numbers. Through two games, Cook has amassed 149 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards. It’s only two games, but he’s on pace for nearly 1,700 all-purpose yards. He’s had just two rushing touchdowns in 2023; he’s already matched that mark this season.

Second-year linebacker Dorian Williams wasn’t expected to start in 2024, but an injury to former All-Pro Matt Milano forced Williams into his current role, and he’s making the most of the opportunity. His pass coverage has been shaky but should improve as he gains experience. His run defense, however, has been solid through two games. He leads the Bills in total tackles with 19. Williams plays fast and physical and is fun to watch. He brings a speed element to the defense that seemed to be missing in previous years, and he should get better week by week.

Related: Bills’ top 5 and bottom 5 PFF grades from dominant Week 2 win over the Dolphins

It’s a bit of a cowardly cop-out to point to Buffalo’s entire offensive line, but all five starters deserve recognition. If you look at them individually, per PFF, you’d think they’re all bad. But as a group, they’ve dominated the first two weeks. PFF had the Bills’ line at No. 8 going into the 2024 season, then moved them to No. 5 after Week 1. Against Arizona, they allowed just six pressures and no sacks. This week against Miami, they allowed no sacks again.

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