The Miami Dolphins hung around a little bit longer than people expected in Week 3, but the Buffalo Bills got a win at home, and on a short week.
Divisional wins are always tough to come by, especially on short weeks. Buffalo’s defense struggled at points in the game, but they got the stops when they needed to ultimately improve to 3-0 on the season by a score of 31-21.
So, without further ado, here are the biggest winners and losers from this tight Week 3 win for the Bills:
Winner: Dalton Kincaid, TE
The first two years of Kincaid in Buffalo haven’t resembled anything that we saw when he was at Utah. But in the first three games of the season, Kincaid has gotten back to that player. His performance in Week 3 might have been the best of the season as he finally is making plays down the field and after the catch.
He did have a key holding call late in the fourth quarter that took away a big play, but Kincaid was drafted to be a receiver, and he’s really starting to become a weapon. He finished the game as the team's leading receiver, and it's clear he is starting to come into his own.
Winner: Jackson Hawes, TE
Are we really going to write about two different tight ends in Buffalo? Absolutely. Jackson Hawes was the NFL’s highest-graded tight end in the NFL coming into Week 2 and nothing that he did this week should change that. He remains a huge asset in the run game and did a great job of sealing off defensive ends and blocking on the move. There were several times where his block sprung the running back into the open field.
Hawes had 16 career catches during his college career and he’s never going to be a big weapon in the passing game. But he did get into the end zone on Thursday and will need to show that he can a respectable pass catcher if he wants a bigger role in Buffalo. But right now, he’s one of the best blocking tight ends in the league and has developed into a real weapon for Joe Brady.
Winner: James Cook, RB
There is no argument as to who is the best player on offense for Buffalo. And there might not be an argument anymore for the No. 2 spot. James Cook continues to dominate for the Bills and he was stellar again on Thursday.
Cook had several runs that were inches away from being taken to the house, but that didn’t stop him from racking up over 100 yards once again and getting into the end zone. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry and his development as a zone runner has been so much fun to watch. Cook is an incredible player and he is a huge reason why Buffalo’s offense is so consistent each week.
Loser: Joshua Palmer, WR
Buffalo paid some pretty good money for Palmer this offseason and the hope was that he would be a high-end No. 3 or maybe the No. 2. And unfortunately, there are long stretches in these games where it’s hard to even know that he’s on the field.
Palmer’s first target of the game came in the middle of the fourth quarter and it resulted in a five-yard gain. Palmer isn’t a bad player and to his credit, he’s not getting a ton of opportunities, but the production certainly doesn’t match the salary. Hopefully, Palmer’s role in the offense can increase as the season goes on, but his lack of production through three games is eye-opening.
Loser: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE
The Bills paid Rousseau big money this offseason after an eight-sack season and the hope is that the 25-year-old pass rusher’s best football is ahead of him. Unfortunately, his play has not lived up to that contract.
Rousseau had just one total tackle in Week 3, and his lack of pass rush was noticeable. Joey Bosa has been a far more productive pass rusher, and there is no doubt that he has more wins. It’s still early in the season, and the hope is that Rousseau can snap out of this funk, but his lack of production is startling.