As the Buffalo Bills hit the field to prepare for their snowy home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, they got some huge news. Tight end Dalton Kincaid, who has been inactive since Week 10 when he suffered a hamstring injury, will be active for Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense.
Kincaid warmed up with Allen, running routes and catching passes from his quarterback. With the snow piling up in Highmark Stadium, Buffalo may not be able to rely too heavily on its passing game, but it’s a massive boost for the offense to have one of its most reliable players back in the lineup.
The Bills also get left tackle Dion Dawkins back in the lineup, too. Right tackle Spencer Brown, wideout Joshua Palmer, and star pass rusher Joey Bosa will be out for the contest.
Dalton Kincaid re-enters the lineup at a critical moment for the Buffalo Bills
The Bills' passing game has had mixed results without Kincaid and both offensive tackles in the lineup, going for more than 300 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but less than 200 against the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Having Kincaid and Dawkins back on the field should stabilize the passing game against Cincinnati, which carries the league’s 31st-ranked passing defense.
Despite missing the last three games, Kincaid is still second on the team in receiving yards and tied for the team lead in touchdown catches. Kincaid still leads NFL tight ends in yards per reception too, averaging 15.4 yards per reception.
Still, the snowy atmosphere and the success of the rushing attack led by James Cook will require Kincaid to contribute more as a blocker. That hasn’t been his strong suit in his young career, but Dawkins talked up his blocking abilities this week nonetheless.
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Cincinnati’s rush defense ranks last in the NFL, which should allow Buffalo to continue to lean on Cook and the ground game effectively, even without elite blocking on the edge of the line of scrimmage.
Nonetheless, if this turns into a shootout despite the snow, having Kincaid as a reliable receiving threat for Allen will undoubtedly help the Bills keep up with the revitalized Bengals’ offense, which has been lights out with Joe Burrow under center in three games this season.