Bills Central

Bills affirm status atop AFC East in dominant 31-10 win over Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills are who we thought they were, and they proved it in their Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins.

David Faux

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The Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-10 in their Week 2 clash to move to 2-0 in the 2024 season. After a short week, the Bills traveled to South Beach and despite the sticky, nasty weather typical of Miami in September, found a way to win on Thursday night. It was not a perfect contest, and the tone of the game shifted dramatically in the second half after an injury to Tua Tagovailoa, but the Bills ground out the remaining time and kept their focus on what was in front of them.

Below we’ll recap the night’s action by looking at the most inspired performance, inquiring about injuries on Buffalo's defense, looking into how the Bills’ passing game requires a better performance, and discussing the most irksome aspect of the night. 

Inspire - James Cook and Bills' cornerbacks

Buffalo Bills
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In his 2023 breakout campaign, James Cook only managed to score two rushing touchdowns. In this single game, he has already matched that total. He also added a receiving touchdown on top of it. It was clear when Joe Brady took over as the play-caller last year that the offense focus would be more on Cook and being able to run the ball consistently. That commitment clearly remains the same through two games in 2024, and the ballcarrier has been rewarding that commitment with yards and, now, touchdowns. Cook was certainly far from a finished product when he came out of Georgia in 2022 (as many Bills draft picks are), but Buffalo likes having balls of clay that it can mold, and running backs coach Kelly Skipper has certainly modeled Cook into a premier player in today’s NFL. Every year he has taken clear steps forward in his vision and decisiveness, and it has paid dividends.

On top of that, two of the Bills' corners combined for three interceptions, with Ja'Marcus Ingram recording two (including one of the easiest pick-sixes any defensive player will ever score). After the Bills moved on from stalwart corner Tre'Davious White and still being uncertain about what they had in 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam, there were questions outside of Buffalo if its starters really should be Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford. Douglas was an established starter before coming to Buffalo, but Benford has had to overcome his draft status as a sixth-round pick to show that he is more than simply capable of being a starting corner in today's NFL, he's capable of being a plus starter at that position; a genuine benefit to his team, not simply a player who gets by on the talent around him. Former undrafted cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram getting two turnovers on the night was simply the cherry on top of a great performance from the Bills' cornerbacks in this game.

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

Inquire - Defensive Injuries

Terrel Bernard
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Another year, and another season where the Bills have to contend with injuries on defense. With Matt Milano already out with a torn bicep and Taron Johnson going down with an arm injury last week, disaster struck again when Terrel Bernard went down early in the game with what was reportedly a pectoral injury. It's one thing to lose an All-Pro caliber player before the season starts, much less lose another just minutes into the opening game, but losing your play caller and brain on the field creates a difficult predicament for first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. How the Bills adjust to having their entire second level of the defense down to backups (seemingly) for the foreseeable future is going to be something that determines their overall defensive performance this season. They’re still solid and well constructed up front, which will help mitigate the losses that have been incurred throughout these first two games, but it is a concern nonetheless.

Require - Inconsistent Passing Game:

Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) reaches for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Through two weeks, the Bills are still figuring things out in the passing game. On the one hand, the Bills clearly felt comfortable attacking the Dolphins' defense through the run game and were very successful in doing so. On the other hand, it was good that the Bills’ run game was as strong as it was, because the passing game simply wasn’t contributing to the offense consistently enough in this game. A few short passes to Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir kept the offense moving at times, and obviously a 17-yard touchdown to James Cook on fourth down got the night rolling, but there was very little otherwise that got the Bills into a winning position tonight.

When you win a game as decisively as the Bills did, it doesn’t always need to be through every single phase of the game. With that said, the Bills’ passing game simply leaves a lot to be desired after these first two games. Josh Allen is still the second-best quarterback in the NFL,  and that was more than proven last week against Arizona, but there are certainly improvements to be made with the passing game. With extra time between now and their next game on Monday Night Football, hopefully Joe Brady and company will have found solutions to those problems.  

Irk - Tua Tagovailoa:

Tua Tagovailoa
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It’s always difficult when the realities of a violent game come to fruition. After a 2023 season where Tagovailoa stayed healthy, played an entire season, and led the league in passing, it looked as though the scary 2022 season where he missed significant time with multiple concussions was truly behind him. He found ways to protect himself from major hits and still be an effective quarterback. As the third quarter ticked down Thursday, Tagovailoa took off for a fourth down pickup in the red zone and collided with Damar Hamlin, immediately going down and looking stiff as he lay on the field. It was a scary and, unfortunately, familiar scene for those who have seen the Dolphins the last few seasons.

It’s always important to remember that, despite their superheroic performances on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays, these are still people whose lives are put in dangerous positions for a game they love. It’s not simply physical, either; when New York Giants fans decided to wait for Daniel Jones to emerge from MetLife Stadium on Sunday simply just to heckle him over his contract, it shows that some (and certainly not all) fans don’t always see the humanity in those who are on the field. It’s not fun to watch a bad season, it's not fun to see a good player go down with an injury. Imagine being the one who is in the middle of that season yourself. Hearing people joke about needing a million dollars from you, or hearing a stadium of your fans fall silent because they wonder if this is the last they’ll see of you.

If there is truly one takeaway to have from this game, it’s that you should absolutely find enjoyment in what you see on the field, live in the energy, and embrace rivalries when they develop. But there is also a point when the game ends, and people are simply people, and sending nasty messages, or making snide remarks, or sending death threats, etc, etc, are simply not something that should be a part of the thought process of your enjoyment of this game. This game is special, and the community of fans that you surround yourself with should also be special. They should also not be the ones cheering on the demise of others, their careers, or their livelihoods. There are simply many better, healthier ways to enjoy this incredible game.

Related: Studs and duds from Bills' dominant Week 2 win over Dolphins

What's next for the Bills?

Following a much-needed 11-day break, the Bills will be back at home in Week 3, taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. This game is the first of a Monday night doubleheader, which means it has a special start time of 7:30 PM. A test for both teams, but with the Bills on extra rest, it may prove to be just the advantage they need to find a win over another strong AFC opponent in the Jaguars. 

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David Faux
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