If the Buffalo Bills are going to improve to 2-0 with a win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football in NFL Week 2, they need a few guys to step up in a major way.
It’s a short week, and the Bills are on the road against a tough divisional rival in the Dolphins. Both teams opened their 2024 NFL campaigns with gritty wins in Week 1.
It’s going to be a slog, no matter how you slice it, given the lack of time for practice and preparation, not to mention the physical aspect of a short-week contest.
These three Bills players need to show up big Thursday night if Buffalo is going to win.
Ed Oliver, Buffalo Bills defensive end
The Bills were thrilled to witness the breakout of Ed Oliver last season. The former first-round pick out of Houston put up career-high stats, tallying 9.5 sacks, 51 tackles, and 16 quarterback hits.
On Sunday in the season opener, Oliver was darn-near invisible. He received a dismal grade from Pro Football Focus (40.4), and failed to register a single tackle or any other normal statistic in the game.
The Dolphins are a dangerous team on the offensive side of the ball. Run or pass, they have a chance to go the distance on every single play. Needless to say, the Bills must see a big game from Oliver on Thursday night.
O’Cyrus Torrence, Buffalo Bills right guard
No Bills starter graded out as poorly as right guard O’Cyrus Torrence in Week 1 (35.8, per PFF) In Buffalo’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, Torrence was consistently overwhelmed and getting beaten in the trenches.
Here is an example of the “quality” we saw from Torrence on Sunday. Check out the way Arizona confused him on this blitz. He ended up blocking nobody.
Im supposed to believe this isn’t the second best QB in the league? pic.twitter.com/romVNpyFUn
— j (@jaylegone) September 9, 2024
Complete whiff there. The Bills cannot have consistent success unless the offensive line play is strong this season. Torrence needs to clean things up in a major way ahead of Thursday night’s clash in Miami.
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills tight end
There is an old saying in the NFL about how tight ends are a quarterback’s best friend. Well, on Sunday against Arizona, Bills starting tight end Dalton Kincaid was almost nowhere to be found.
Kincaid was a major focal point for Arizona’s defense. The Cardinals spent considerable defensive resources doubling him and ensuring he was not a part of Buffalo’s offense. In the end, Kincaid was targeted just twice by Josh Allen, catching one pass for 11 yards.
The NFL is a copycat league. You can be sure other teams will attempt to do similar things to shut him down. Kincaid and the Bills need to respond in a big way by figuring out how to counter this and thrive.