Bills Central

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

The Buffalo Bills had way more studs than duds in their blowout win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

Anthony Miller

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The Buffalo Bills got off to a fast start in their 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night, dominating from essentially the opening kickoff.

Buffalo's defense stole the show, allowing only 10 points while picking off Miami signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa three times. The Bills' offense didn't need much from Josh Allen, who threw for just 139 yards, and the team ran for 101 yards. The already banged-up defense lost middle linebacker Terrel Bernard along the way, but it was still a dominant performance that affirms Buffalo's status atop the AFC East.

Here's a look at the Bills' studs and duds from their win over Miami.

Studs: Secondary

Damar Hamlin
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Much has been made about the potential vulnerability of Buffalo's secondary given its two new starting safeties and the absence of Taron Johnson with a forearm injury. The unit stepped up in a big way in Miami, forcing three turnovers and even scoring a touchdown.

Safety Damar Hamlin led the team in tackles with 10 and one tackle for loss. Ja'Marcus Ingram had two interceptions, two pass deflections, and returned one pick for a touchdown. Christian Benford also had an interception in the win. Everyone participated in a big way as they held Miami's passing game to 212 yards.

Related: WATCH: James Cook runs past former Bills DB to score third TD vs. Dolphins

Studs: Ed Oliver and Von Miller

Ed Oliver
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Von Miller seems to be returning to his old form as he had four pressures, two tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack. The Amazon Prime broadcast referenced Next Gen Stats' note that Miller was getting to the quarterback in a staggering 2.10 seconds. It's the second straight game that the future Hall of Famer recorded a sack.

Ed Oliver was also stellar in the middle of the defensive line, putting consistent pressure on the quarterback. Oliver finished with three tackles, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack. Oliver's efforts alongside Miller and Greg Rousseau have made this defensive line one of the best in the NFL through the early portion of the season.

Studs: RB James Cook

James Cook
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It was a second straight week of James Cook running the ball well with good vision and smooth quickness. Cook posted 78 rushing yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. He also caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Allen.

Cook is off to a good start to the season, with 149 rushing yards through two games. He was expected to have a more expanded role in the offense while Allen looked to develop chemistry with his receivers, so expect Cook to be fed the ball even more moving forward.

Related: Bills' team captain exits Thursday Night Football game due to pectoral injury

Duds: Receiving Corps

Khalil Shakir
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There weren't many duds on the Bills, but the wide receivers were pretty much non-existent outside of Khalil Shakir, who led the team in receiving with five receptions for 54 yards. Curtis Samuel was the only other receiver to have a catch, as he made one for three yards. Only three other receivers had targets, including rookie Keon Coleman, who had one target.

To be fair to the wide receivers, the offense leaned more on the running game, as Allen attempted just 19 passes. Buffalo's defense was also on the field more than not. The receiving corps' lack of production is not necessarily a cause for concern given this week's offensive game plan and the success of the run game, but regardless, the unit as a whole wasn't very productive in the win.

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Anthony Miller

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