Buffalo Bills standout tight end Dalton Kincaid came up limp on a route late in the club's surprising 30-13 defeat to the Miami Dolphins. He exited the contest before gingerly making his way to the locker room and was ruled out with a hamstring injury shortly thereafter. The sequence of events foreshadowed the unfortunate news that followed nearly 24 hours later.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Kincaid will be week-to-week after getting hurt against the Dolphins. That's a devastating blow to both player and team amid a tight AFC playoff and division race.
Saying Kincaid's absence could have a massive domino effect on Buffalo's postseason outlook and pursuit of a sixth straight AFC East crown hardly feels hyperbolic. The third-year pro has operated as their de facto No. 1 receiver, but they have no way of replicating what he brings to the table.
Bills have no way of replacing TE Dalton Kincaid amid hamstring injury
Slot man Khalil Shakir surpassed Kincaid as Buffalo's leader in receiving yards in their loss to the Dolphins. However, they produce very differently, with the latter serving a role that the former or any other Bills pass-catcher hasn't proven capable of filling.
Kincaid has flashed in the intermediate part of the field, specifically against zone coverage and on horizontally-breaking routes. He's been star quarterback Josh Allen's go-to option in these areas while wideouts like Shakir, Elijah Moore and Curtis Samuel handle shallow/underneath work.
Speaking of Allen, he has a dazzling 155.6 passer rating when targeting Kincaid this season, which is second on the Bills behind Samuel. Yet, out of 270 tight ends, running backs and receivers who have run at least 50 routes, this mark ranks third in the entire NFL.
Through nine games, Kincaid has accounted for 30.8 percent of Buffalo's receiving touchdowns and a 19.5 percent air yard share. He's been a trusted option in scoring position while stretching the seam, and the numbers bear that out. Alas, his breakout campaign is suddenly derailed by a soft-tissue issue.
The designation puts Kincaid on the wrong side of questionable for their upcoming clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at the minimum. Considering Buffalo is slated to face the Houston Texans on Thursday night in Week 12, he figures to miss at least two games, perhaps more.
Note: Stats courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite ($).