Our top three questions (and answers) from the Buffalo Bills' 31-10 wipeout victory over the Dolphins
Three questions on our mind after the Buffalo Bills' decisive victory by the over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night: The Bills' 2-0 start; injuries to Terrel Bernard and the defense; and Tua Tagovailoa's concussion marring Miami's long night.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin tackles Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during the third quarter.
1. How important is a 2-0 start for the Bills?
It’s huge, because this sets them up to successfully navigate the difficult opening stretch of the season. If the Bills can split their next four games, they will be 4-2 and in great shape to make the playoffs again.
The next four games are brutal: home against Jacksonville, then three straight road games against teams with Super Bowl expectations – Baltimore, Houston and the New York Jets. A three-game road trip is a rarity in the NFL. If the Bills open the season 3-3, they’re still in OK shape in terms of earning a playoff berth again.
Obviously, the NFL is unpredictable. The Bills lost at home to Denver and won at Kansas City last year. Unexpected results. But the schedule gets a bit easier after the Jets game. Getting to 4-2 would be a fantastic start.
2. Can defense withstand onslaught of injuries?
That’s the obvious worry because of the way last season ended. The Bills were without Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard and Baylon Spector for the playoff loss to Kansas City last January. As everyone knows, the Chiefs exploited the linebacker position to the nth degree.
Bernard’s pectoral injury is ominous. DaQuan Jones missed 10 games last year with a pectoral injury. But Spector is a much better athlete than people realize, considering he was a seventh-round draft pick. He ran 4.60 time in the 40 out of college. That’s faster than Milano. Optimistically, Spector might be OK.
Cam Lewis is filling in admirably for Taron Johnson. Lewis has been a revelation through two games.
Nevertheless, the reality is that the Bills have lost three of their six best defensive players (Johnson, Milano and Bernard) to injury. (We’re counting Ed Oliver, Von Miller and Greg Rousseau in the top six.)
3. Could this night have gone worse for the Dolphins? Hardly. Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth concussion since September 2022. This one looked bad, even though Tagovailoa’s collision with Damar Hamlin was not severe by NFL standards. Miami’s quarterback could be out for a significant stretch. Miami gave him a four-year, $212 million extension, with $167 million guaranteed in July.
Furthermore, left tackle Terron Armstead, the one elite member of the Dolphins’ offensive line, left the game with a shoulder problem, and probably will have to play through it for the near future.
Miami has somewhat of a soft schedule for the next month and needs a fast start. The brutal part of the Dolphins’ schedule is the final six weeks of the regular season. Now, if they don’t have Tagovailoa, this season could get away from them quickly. Miami is at Seattle in Week 3, then plays at home vs. Tennessee, at New England and Indianapolis, and home vs. Arizona.