Cardinals vs. Bills: 4 key players to watch in NFL Week 1

There will be four players the Buffalo Bills will need to look at to have big days to beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Anthony Miller | Sep 8, 2024

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

The 2024 NFL season gets underway Sunday for the Buffalo Bills as they take on the Arizona Cardinals, and given their offseason turnover, the team will need to see guys step up and make plays in order to leave Highmark Stadium with a 1-0 record.

Entering the new campaign, there appear to be more questions about the Bills from the media than in previous years. A combination of new faces in the secondary and receiving corps plays a factor in that. There is still talent all over the field for Buffalo, and with Josh Allen leading the way, it's impossible to count the team out.

Here are four key players for the Bills the beat the Cardinals on Sunday.

RB James Cook

Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s year three for James Cook and his first professional season in which there are few questions about his potential role/feasibility as a lead back. Cook knocked it out of the park last season with 1,122 rushing yards, 445 receiving yards, and six total touchdowns, finishing sixth in the entire NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,567.

Given the questions looming in the receiving corps and the propensity with which offensive coordinator Joe Brady ran the ball last season, the Bills could lean more on the run early and trust that Cook will pick up positive yards (he's averaging five yards per carry in his career). He will be a threat in the passing game, as well, as Allen will look for guys who have earned his trust.

TE Dalton Kincaid

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Speaking of trust, Allen certainly has a rapport with tight end Dalton Kincaid after his stellar rookie season in which he finished third on the team in receiving yards. Kincaid was second on the team in targets with 91, catching 73 of them for 673 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the leading returning receiver after the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

Tight ends are always the security blanket for a quarterback, especially a player like Kincaid, who has a knack for finding soft spots in coverage. The future is bright for Kincaid as he will have an even bigger role in the passing game this year, with many pundits both local and national expecting the 24-year-old to ascend into the upper tier of NFL tight ends this fall.

DE Greg Rousseau

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Greg Rousseau exploded onto the scene during preseason after racking up 2.5 sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers alone. Rousseau's potential has always been immense and he's always shined as a run defender, but he's never put up gaudy production as a pass-rusher; both the player and team hope that this changes this season.

The defensive line is already deep with A.J. Epenesa and Von Miller joining Rousseau on the edge and Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones clogging up the middle of the line. Buffalo won't rely solely on Rousseau for pass rush production, but he plays a big role in their plans; he'll look to kick off his potential breakout campaign with a big outing against Arizona.

S Damar Hamlin

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

This is one of the league's great storylines entering opening weekend, as this is the first start for Damar Hamlin since his scary injury in January 2023 when he suffered a cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin takes over one of two starting safety spots vacated by Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, who both left One Bills Drive in the offseason.

Those are big shoes, but Hamlin has starting experience, starting 13 games for Buffalo in place of an injured Hyde in 2022. It’s a different-looking secondary that will need big performances from Hamlin as he will be looked upon to pick up from his 2022 season, a campaign in which he showed immense promise.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —