The Buffalo Bills destroyed the Miami Dolphins, 31-10, on Thursday Night Football, adding to their dominance over their AFC East rival.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
Cooking on high heat early
Bills running back James Cook had three first half touchdowns Thursday night. Two of those TDs came with the second-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft rushing them in, while the other came on a pass from Josh Allen.
His third TD — a 49-yard rush right up the middle — served as an absolute backbreaker as it came a play after the Bills sacked Tua Tagovailoa and right before the first half. That score put the Bills up by a commanding 17 points and they’d only add to it from there.
Dominating defense for the Bills
All three of the interceptions the Bills notched against Tagovailoa turned into scores as Buffalo’s defense accounted for 17 points. Ja'Marcus Ingram’s pick-six during the third quarter was the most devastating blow that Buffalo’s defense dealt.
Considering the Bills' defense was actually shorthanded entering this game makes this effort all the more grand. Just imagine what the unit is capable of when fully healthy.
A rough, concerning night for Tua Tagovailoa
It progressively got worse for Tagovailoa on Thursday night. After throwing three interceptions, the Dolphins’ starting QB was hit hard in the third quarter and ruled out with a concussion.
Groggy, Tagovailoa stumbling off the field was a scary scene, especially considering the quarterback's documented history with concussions.
Josh Allen follows monstrous season-opener with fairly quiet game
Chances are, if the Bills win that Allen played a big role. So what a surprise that the star QB follows a four-touchdown season-opener with a fairly quiet 139 passing yards and one touchdown performance.
Be clear — this was an anomaly as perhaps the Bills wanted to be extra careful to protect Allen's hurt hand. But expect more splashy performances from Allen as the season continues.
The Bills’ stronghold on the Dolphins continues
With their thrashing of Miami, the Bills have now won 12 of the last 13 games against the Dolphins. That’s about as dominating as you’ll ever find a division “rivalry” … if we could even call it that.