The Buffalo Bills came in the first half of their Week 2 Football on Thursday evening meeting and completely “cooked” the Miami Dolphins, building a 24-10 lead before the end of the half. Buffalo’s defense was excellent in the second half before Tua Tagovailoa had to leave the field with an unfortunate concussion, and the Dolphins offense struggled even more after that. Buffalo moves to 2-0 with the 31-10 win and takes first place in the AFC East.
Here are five takeaways from the Bills’ convincing win in Week 2.
The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and apparently decided they didn’t want the ball, as Tagovailoa threw a pass to Ja’Marcus Ingram that was intercepted by Christian Benford. Buffalo converted that first turnover into a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen to James Cook. Late in the first quarter, Tagovailoa threw Robbie Chosen too far and Benford was in the right place at the right time to convert the Bills’ second pick of the game. Buffalo converted that into three points with a 43-yard field goal by Tyler Bass.
Ingram was able to intercept another ball in the third quarter and take it home. Buffalo’s secondary forced three turnovers that night, all of which led directly to points and thus contributed significantly to the team’s victory.
Related: Highlights and duds from Bills’ dominant win over the Dolphins in Week 2
Terrel Bernard was forced out early in the game with a reported chest injury. He was initially listed as questionable, but after halftime it was reported that he will not play the game. We should have more information on his injury and future status soon, but thankfully the Bills have a week and a half to recover. Baylon Spector played well at times in his absence, but also had some plays he would like to have back. Regardless, Bernard is an integral part of Buffalo’s defense, a team captain who cannot be without for an extended period of time, especially given the absences of Taron Johnson and Matt Milano.
Aside from a fumbled shotgun snap that didn’t seem entirely his fault, Allen’s injured left hand didn’t seem to be a problem. The fumble happened with Allen’s right hand, not his injured one. The Bills and Allen now have a week and a half to recover from his injury for the team’s Week 3 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They’ll need him to stay healthy as the next four games are against the Jaguars, followed by the Ravens, Texans and Jets, all of which are on the road.
For the second week in a row, the Bills’ offensive line was outstanding. They opened up gaps for James Cook and Ray Davis, who made big gains, including Cook’s two touchdown runs. The line kept Allen clean most of the time and gave him time to find his targets in the pocket. Allen was not sacked or hit in the game and the pressure was almost nonexistent. Cook averaged 7.1 yards per carry behind the Bills’ line and 4.2 yards as a team.
Related: WATCH: James Cook runs past former Bills DB to score his third TD against the Dolphins
Despite all the attention the Dolphins get because of their dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Bills defense kept them in check. Combined, the duo managed just seven pass catches, 65 yards, and no touchdowns. The two were targeted a total of 10 times, but neither of them ever got going. Sean McDermott’s defense has usually done a solid job against Hill in recent 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 got some snaps and made plays in this game.
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