5 takeaways from Bills' commanding 31-10 win over the Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills made a statement on Thursday Night Football, putting the AFC East and the NFL on notice that they aren't going anywhere in 2024.

Ronnie Eastham | Sep 12, 2024

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The Buffalo Bills came out in the first half of their Week 2 Thursday Night Football clash and absolutely "Cook"ed the Miami Dolphins, building a 24 -10 lead before the half expired. Buffalo's defense was outstanding in the second half before Tua Tagovailoa was forced to exit with an unfortunate concussion, and the Dolphins' offense struggled even more so after that. Buffalo moves to 2-0 and into first place in the AFC East with the 31-10 win.

Here are five takeaways from the Bills' commanding Week 2 win.

Turnovers the name of the game

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The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and seemingly decided they didn't want the ball, as Tagovailoa threw a pick to Ja'Marcus Ingram on a pass broken up by Christian Benford. Buffalo turned that first turnover into a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen to James Cook. Late in the first quarter, Tagovailoa overthrew Robbie Chosen, and Benford was in the right spot at the right time to tally the Bills' second pick of the game. Buffalo would turn that one into three points on a 43-yard field goal from Tyler Bass.

Ingram tallied another pick in the third quarter, taking that one back to the house. Buffalo's secondary forced three turnovers on the night, all of which directly led to points and, thus, heavily aided in the team's victory.

Bills suffer another injury

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Terrel Bernard came out early in the game with what was reported as a pectoral injury. He was initially listed as questionable but reported as out for the game after halftime. We should have more information on his injury and future status soon, but fortunately, the Bills have a week and a half to recuperate. Baylon Spector played well at times in his absence but also had some plays he would like back. Regardless, Bernard is an integral part of Buffalo's defense, a team captain that it cannot afford to be without for an extended period of time, especially considering the absences of Taron Johnson and Matt Milano.

Josh Allen's injured left hand didn't appear to be an issue

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Aside from a fumbled shotgun snap which did not appear to be entirely his fault, Allen's injured left hand didn't appear to be an issue. The fumble occurred off Allen's right hand, not his injured one. The Bills and Allen now have a week and a half to rest his ailment for the team's Week 3 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They will need him to be healthy given the next four games facing the Jaguars, followed by the Ravens, Texans, and Jets, all of which are on the road.

Elite offensive line play yet again

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For the second week in a row, the Bills' offensive line was outstanding. They were opening holes for James Cook and Ray Davis for big gains on the ground, including both of Cook's touchdown runs. The line kept Allen clean for the most part, giving him time in the pocket to find his targets. Allen wasn't sacked or hit in the game and the pressure was almost non-existent. Cook averaged 7.1 yards per carry behind the Bills' line, and 4.2 as a team.

Bills' defense shut down Hills and Waddle

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For all the talk the Dolphins garner due to their dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Bills' defense kept them in check. The tandem combined for only seven receptions, 65 yards, and no touchdowns. The two were targeted ten times between them but neither ever got rolling. Sean McDermott's defenses have typically done a solid job against Hill in the last few years. This was also a testament to the performance of Buffalo's secondary with new starting safeties Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin. Even Mike Edwards and Cole Bishop saw some snaps in this game and made plays.

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