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The Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-10 in their Week 2 clash and are now 2-0 on the 2024 season. After a short week, the Bills traveled to South Beach and despite the sticky, nasty weather that is typical for Miami in September, they managed to pull out a win on Thursday night. It wasn’t a perfect game, and the tone of the game changed dramatically in the second half after Tua Tagovailoa was injured, but the Bills were able to sit out the remaining time and stay focused on what was ahead of them.

Below, we recap the night’s events by looking at the most inspiring performance, asking questions about injuries to Buffalo’s defense, looking at why the Bills’ passing game needs to improve, and discussing the most annoying aspect of the night.

In his breakout 2023 campaign, James Cook managed just two rushing touchdowns. He’s already matched that total in this one game. He’s also added a receiving touchdown. It was clear when Joe Brady took over as the play-caller last year that the offense would focus more on Cook and his ability to run the ball consistently. That dedication clearly remains the same through two games in 2024, and the ball carrier has rewarded that dedication with yards and now touchdowns. Cook certainly wasn’t finished when he came out of Georgia in 2022 (like many of the Bills’ draft picks), but Buffalo loves having balls of clay to mold, and running backs coach Kelly Skipper has certainly molded Cook into a premier player in today’s NFL. Each year, he’s taken clear steps forward in his vision and drive, and it’s paid off.

Additionally, two of the Bills’ corners combined for three interceptions, with Ja’Marcus Ingram making two (including one of the easiest pick-sixes a defender will ever throw). After the Bills parted ways with stalwart corner Tre’Davious White and still unsure of what they had in 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam, there were questions outside of Buffalo as to whether their starters should really 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’s more than just capable of being a starting corner in today’s NFL, he’s capable of being a plus starter at the position; a true asset to his team, not just a player who gets by with the talent around him. Former undrafted cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram picking up two turnovers that night was just the icing on the cake of a great performance by the Bills’ cornerbacks in this game.

Related: 5 Lessons from the Bills’ Convincing 31-10 Win over the Dolphins

Another year and another season of injuries plaguing the Bills’ defense. With Matt Milano already out with a torn bicep and Taron Johnson suffering an arm injury last week, disaster struck again when Terrel Bernard suffered what was reportedly a pectoral injury early in the game. It’s one thing to lose an All-Pro caliber player before the season even begins, let alone lose another one within minutes of the opener, but losing your play caller and your on-field brain creates a tricky dilemma for first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. How the Bills adjust to having their entire secondary (seemingly) reduced to backups for the foreseeable future will be something that will determine their overall defensive performance this season. They’re still solid and well-structured up front, which will help mitigate the losses they’ve suffered in these first two games, but it’s a concern nonetheless.

After two weeks, the Bills are still figuring things out in the passing game. On one hand, the Bills clearly felt comfortable attacking the Dolphins defense with the run game and were very successful at it. On the other hand, it was good that the Bills’ run game was so strong, because the passing game just 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 of course a 17-yard touchdown to James Cook on fourth down got the night rolling, but there was little else that put the Bills in a winning position tonight.

When you win a game as convincingly as the Bills do, it doesn’t always happen in every phase of the game. That said, the Bills’ passing game has simply left 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 is certainly room for improvement in the passing game. With extra time between now and their next game on Monday Night Football, hopefully Joe Brady and company have found solutions to those issues.

It’s always tough when the reality of a brutal game hits home. After a 2023 campaign in which Tagovailoa stayed healthy, played a full season and led the league in passing, it appeared that the terrifying 2022 season in which he missed significant time with multiple concussions was well and truly behind him. He’s found ways to protect himself from big hits and still be an effective quarterback. With the third quarter winding down on Thursday, Tagovailoa went for a fourth-down pickup in the red zone and collided with Damar Hamlin, immediately falling to the ground and looking stiff as he lay on the field. It was a terrifying and unfortunately familiar sight for those who have watched the Dolphins the past few seasons.

It’s always important to remember that despite their superhero performances on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, these are still human beings whose lives are put in dangerous positions for the sake of a game they love. It’s not just physical, either; when New York Giants fans decided to wait until Daniel Jones came out of MetLife Stadium on Sunday just to taunt him about his contract, it shows that some (and certainly not all) fans don’t always see the humanity in those on the field. It’s no fun watching a bad season, it’s no fun watching a good player get injured. Imagine being in the middle of that season yourself. Hearing people joke about needing a million dollars from you, or hearing a stadium full of fans fall silent as they wonder if this is the last they’ll see of you.

If there is one thing you can truly take away from this game, it is that you absolutely have to enjoy what you see on the field, live the energy, and embrace the rivalries as they develop. But there also comes a point where the game ends and people are just people, and sending nasty messages, or making hateful comments, or sending death threats, etc., etc., are simply not things that should be part of the thought process of your enjoyment of this game. This game is special, and the community of fans you surround yourself with should be special too. They shouldn’t be the ones cheering for the downfall of others, their careers, or their livelihoods. There are simply much better, healthier ways to enjoy this incredible game.

Related: Top Picks and Takeaways from Bills’ Dominant Week 2 Win Over Dolphins

After a much-needed 11-day break, the Bills are back at home in Week 3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. This game is the first of a Monday night doubleheader, meaning the game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. A test for both teams, but with the Bills getting some extra rest, it could be just the advantage they need to take down another tough AFC opponent, the Jaguars.

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