Two offensive players who need to shine for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1

The Buffalo Bills winning this week may end up coming down to how the offense plays. If this becomes a tight contest, the Bills may rely on a couple of players to get the job done. Everyone has talked about spreading the ball out in this offense, but the two players with the most experience in this system may see the first opportunities late in the fourth quarter. 

The Bills, despite not having the All-Pro’s, still have playmakers, and experienced players who have proven to be effective in this league. Sunday’s game may come down to the two offenses. Both defenses are going through a bit of a rebuild, so it’ll be a high scoring game. Let’s take a look at two players that need to shine for the Bills on Sunday. 

Run game

This one falls on a couple of position groups. The new look interior offensive line, and of course James Cook. The Bills have two players at new positions, Connor McGovern at Center, and David Edwards becomes the new left guard. We didn’t get to see too much of those two in the preseason, so it’ll be interesting to see how well those two gel together. 

Of course, James Cook is playing a big role in the run game. As the lead back, Cook set plenty of expectations for himself after rushing for over 1,000 yards last season. Now, the Bills will be relying a bit more on the ground game, and Cook is expected to benefit from that. The Cardinals' defensive line doesn’t have anyone who can scare you away from running the ball, which will lead to more explosive runs by Cook and the rest of the backs. 

Dalton Kincaid

Kincaid, who had a huge second half of the season last year, should expand on that and become the team's new No.1 pass catcher in 2024. Kincaid finished the 2023 season with 673 yards and two touchdowns after flourishing with Joe Brady as the interim. Now, Joe Brady had the off-season to install his system, and Sunday will be the first time we get to see that. Dalton Kincaid should be the beneficiary of that, and it’ll be fun to see what packages they have planned with him on the field. 

The Cardinals' defense played well last year against tight ends, giving up 100 yards to the tight end position to one team, the Chicago Bears, according to CBS Sports. With Budda Baker coming down from the secondary, along with Zaven Collins and Kyzir White at linebacker, Kincaid will likely be getting the most attention on the Bills offense. If he does draw attention from the defense, expect other guys like Khalil Shakir and Mack Hollins to benefit from that.