Dalton Kincaid has teased the Buffalo Bills before.
He caught more passes than any rookie in franchise history. He made the Pro Bowl last season. The talent that made him a first-round pick has never exactly been difficult to find.
Sunday still felt different.
Kincaid caught five passes for a career-high 130 yards in the Bills' 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans
, producing the most receiving yards by a Buffalo tight end since 1967."He's a stud," quarterback Josh Allen said. "Absolute stud."
The bigger question is whether this version of Kincaid is finally here to stay. Bills coach Joe Brady thinks it might be.
The reason has little to do with catching passes.
Kincaid spent the offseason getting healthy and becoming a better blocker. That doesn't
produce many highlights. It could produce more opportunities for everything that does.
"That's kind of who he's been all offseason," Brady said. "When he's on the field we're a better team and we're a better offense. He's so dynamic. You see how much stronger he is in the run game. That's only going to allow us to get him on the field a little more."
Kincaid has always been a matchup problem as a receiver. The more complete he becomes as a tight end, the fewer reasons Buffalo has to take him off the field.
It also gives Brady more freedom with his offense.
The Bills used several personnel groupings against Houston, including packages that put two and three tight ends on the field. If Kincaid can be a legitimate part of the running game instead of tipping Buffalo's intentions to a defense, Brady can keep his best receiving tight end on the field while forcing opponents to account for both possibilities.
"The confidence he plays with and what he opens up," Brady said. "We were in a lot of different personnel groupings but getting big people on the field and seeing the matchups that it was able to present against. Look, he's a matchup issue.
"It was cool to see him continue to evolve this offseason and it showed up Game 1."
Kincaid averaged 26 yards per reception. Three of his five catches went for at least 35 yards, and all three helped Buffalo score.
Kincaid made a leaping 38-yard catch over star Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. late in the second quarter with the Bills backed up at their 4-yard line. Two plays later, Allen hit D.J. Moore for a 43-yard touchdown that gave Buffalo a 24-14 lead.
Kincaid struck again after Houston went ahead 28-27 in the fourth quarter. His 40-yard catch moved Buffalo to the Texans' 22 and helped set up Tyler Bass' 33-yard field goal.
His biggest catch came with Buffalo running out of time.
The Bills took over at their own 4-yard line trailing 31-30 with 3:13 remaining. Kincaid went over the middle for a 35-yard catch and run on the game-winning drive, moving Buffalo from its 32 to the Houston 33.
Three plays later, Allen found Joshua Palmer for the winning touchdown.
"It's hard to move the ball on that defense anyway, and to do it backed up, you saw the big plays he made in that situation," Brady said. "I'm so proud of Dalton and excited for him."
It's been nearly six decades since a Bills tight end had a game like it.
Kincaid's 130 receiving yards were the third-most by a tight end in franchise history. Paul Costa owns the only two bigger games, with 163 and 138 yards in 1967.
Kincaid also teamed with Moore, who had five catches for 100 yards, to become the second Bills wide receiver-tight end duo with 100 yards in the saame game. Andre Reed had 144 yards and Pete Metzelaars had 113 against the San Francisco 49ers in 1992.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Dalton Kincaid finally broke out for Bills and one change could make it last
