The Buffalo Bills they’ve been surprisingly indifferent this offseason, while everyone else has wondered if their Super Bowl window has closed.
The Bills’ season ended with another crushing loss in the playoffs. Then they traded Stefon Diggswho made four Pro Bowls in four seasons with Buffalo, and didn’t make a big move to replace him. Other longtime veterans were let go as the Bills sorted out their salary cap. The general reaction was that the Bills were in for a tough season.
On Thursday night, they still looked like Super Bowl contenders.
The Bills owned Miami Dolphins from drafting Josh Allen and that didn’t change in Week 2. Buffalo got three touchdowns from James Cookanother touchdown from the defense and made it 31-10 wub. They are 2-0 to start the season.
The Bills still have a good defense that has caused some upsets Tua Tagovailoawho eventually left the game due to a concussion after a terrible blow. Buffalo picked up Tagovailoa three times, including a pick-6 that effectively ended the Dolphins’ chances. And Buffalo still has Allen at quarterback. That’s enough for them to continue to be one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL, or so it seems after two weeks.
Bills to an impressive start
The Bills started the season slowly. They followed Arizona Cardinals at home 17-10 at halftime of the first match. Over the next five quarters, Buffalo outscored Arizona and Miami by a combined 55-21.
Thursday night started off great for Buffalo, but not so much for Miami. Cook scored on a beautifully crafted play that opened him up in the fourth; caught Allen’s pass and cruised 17 yards into the end zone. Tagovailoa threw two interceptions in the first quarter, the first time he has done so in his NFL career. Both turnovers appeared to be receiver errors Grant DuBose and Robbie Chosenplayers who did not have a single target in week 1.
Cook scored several more touchdowns on the ground, completing the hat trick before halftime. His third touchdown came on a glorious third-and-12 throw to Allen Ty Johnson to the 1-yard line. By this point, everyone was checking to see if they would face Cook in their fantasy football matchup this week.
In the third quarter, the game got out of control, and the focus changed. Tagovailoa was pressured and made a blind throw on third down. That turned into an easy interception and return for a touchdown by Bills cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram. The score was 31-10.
The night just got worse for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa fumbled and ran for a first down on fourth-and-four, and since it was fourth down, he didn’t want to slide too early. He put his head down and hit the Bills safety Damar Hamlinhe fell hard and couldn’t get up right away. He was sidelined shortly after with a concussion.
Tagovailoa said he considered retirement after suffering multiple concussions during the 2022 season. The concern for him after Thursday night isn’t just when he might return from the concussion, but his long-term health.
Bills get a statement win
Since the Bills drafted Allen in 2018, they are 12-2 against the Dolphins, including a playoff win. With the uncertainty surrounding Tagovailoa, the Dolphins may not be a factor in the AFC East race this season.
The Bills look like they’re chasing more than just another league title. They’ve had some tough losses in the playoffs, but they’re still a team that can compete for a championship. Allen is mostly responsible for that, although the players around him in the attack contribute. They don’t seem to be short on veterans they had to let go this season. Von Miller he had a terrible 2023, but he has an impact early this season as he looks healthy, and his re-emergence would be huge for the Bills defense.
The Bills and Dolphins came to Thursday night and it looked like we were going to learn a lot about the hierarchy in the AFC East. And before Tagovailoa left with his latest concussion, the Bills made it clear the Dolphins were still a long way behind them.
Maybe bills aren’t as much of an issue as you may have heard this offseason.