The Buffalo Bills won another game where things Those who didn’t tune in to watch the Buffalo Bills defeat the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football might have been a bit surprised by the 10-point win in Buffalo’s favor. That the Bills won isn’t the revelation, of course. Instead it’s that many had this team blowing out what they saw as a meek Dolphins squad. It’s not without merit, given nine of 16 regular-season games between these two teams have seen Buffalo win by 10 points or more.
But enough
about all that. It’s not how you win, but that you win. Right? Absolutely, even if we here at Buffalo Rumblings are committed to taking a look beyond the surface of every game, win or lose. The Bills have a lot to work on, and they didn’t play well in a few areas, yet they’re undefeated and scoring a lot of points each game.
What did we learn about the Bills in Week 3? Let’s get to it, while trying to avoid topics discussed through other outlets…
These Bills are built to survive upsets
If you did see the Bills’ win in Week 3, it may not have felt like the most compelling bit of football cinema. But was it ever efficient, and mistake free. Early in his career, quarterback Josh Allen was raked over the coals as someone who played too risky in welcoming arm punts. Allen was prone to turnovers that almost never resulted directly in points or losses you could count on more than a couple fingers, yet negative plays nonetheless that proved irksome in the age of fantasy football.
Through three games in 2025, Buffalo has a plus-three turnover differential; they’ve yet to turn the ball over on offense. Two of the turnovers forced on defense proved to be major turning points toward victory. In Week 1, it was defensive tackle Ed Oliver popping the ball out of running back Derrick Henry’s grasp, then most recently it was linebacker Terrel Bernard who made quarterback Tua Tagovailoa pay his Highmark Stadium entry fee with a game-sealing interception.
Right now, it’s fair to say that the Bills are really good at winning games where they don’t play their best. At worst, the offense has an incredibly high floor, where fans see 31 points as an average day. Think about that: 31 points is now toward the low end of points for Buffalo’s offense.
If the Bills can continue playing smart, mistake-limited/free football, the sky’s the limit thanks to JA17.
The Bills did what they needed to do to defeat the Dolphins. This is about looking at your opponent only. They didn’t have to prepare to play the Baltimore Ravens or Kansas City Chiefs. They had to remain focused on getting past a Miami squad
Bills capitalized on two key plays, which are largely responsible for the win. They allowed the Dolphins to hang around and chose to take advantage of mistakes without giving them back to the ‘Phins.
Dolphins bring out the MVP in Josh Allen
The Bills may hold a 13-2 regular-season record against the Dolphins since Josh Allen became starting quarterback in 2018. In those 15 games Allen has now thrown for 3,950 yards with 40 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding 672 rushing yards on 93 attempts (7.23 ypc) with five rushing touchdowns. Against one team, Allen has put up an MVP season — much the same as Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady did to the Bills for 18 consecutive seasons.
Allen’s willingness now to take what defenses give him, has elevated his game beyond what already made him an incredible play maker. Utilizing check downs that help Allen out in the passing game, and also knowing when to check to a run that favors matchup nightmare James Cook has unlocked a new level in Buffalo’s offense. Speaking of Cook…
James Cook is feature-back material
Call him James, Jim, Jimbo, or maybe even Himbo, because James Cook is HIM. Throughout the offseason and into training camp, much had been made of Cook’s tenure with the Bills. There were a fair number of fans (the majority, perhaps) who felt that Cook wasn’t worth the $15 million a season he was publicly advocating for; that it was better to replace him with another running back, say, perhaps Ray Davis or Ty Johnson who could offer more on third down. Many said investing in Cook was unwise given his snap share. While that all certainly made for worthy discussions, it’s impossible to ignore just how much Cook had done with so few touches before this season.
Though Johnson and Davis are great players in their own rights, neither is anywhere near the play Cook is as a home-run threat every time he touches the ball. Cook’s elite vision and knack for one-cut runs at the line have helped him become a potent complement to Allen.
In three games to open 2025, Cook has 53 rushes for 284 yards and four touchdowns; adding nine receptions for 71 yards. That’s feature-back material, folks. Week 1 saw Cook eased into the fold, but he contributed 13 carries and five receptions. In Week 2, Cook carried the football 21 times while adding one reception. Against the Dolphins, Cook had 19 rushing attempts and three catches. Where in prior seasons Cook would be taken off the field in favor of Davis or Johnson, it’s the latter two who have ceded snaps in 2025.
13 personnel is the new 12 personnel
Just when some were beginning to roll their eyes at the mention of 12 personnel, offensive coordinator Joe Brady has begun rolling out a new plan: 13 personnel. In prior seasons, tight end pair Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid were often on the field together, which meant one less wide receiver (or two less if Alec Anderson was on the field as a sixth lineman).
Now, with the addition of rookie tight end Jackson Hawes, the Bills have taken to rolling out formations with three tight ends (Knox, Kincaid, Hawes). The move has served the offense well, as it’s added a confusing wrinkle defenses have to consider. Opposing defenses aren’t able to load up the box and bring pressure on Allen because all three tight ends are viable (or far better) receivers.
That’s an important development, given the vertical challenges in the passing game at the moment. Where a defense may not “respect” a deep ball to a lightning-fast wide receiver, they now have to account for three huge pass catchers between the down and distance instead of bringing the house as they might against other teams running 13 personnel.
Deone Walker becoming a special player
The Buffalo Bills have a way with Day 3 NFL Draft picks. The latest in a long line of later-round defenders making a huge impact is rookie defensive tackle Deone Walker. The 6’7”, 331-pound Walker has brought a tsunami of splash plays to the defensive line, his most recent swell an interior pressure that blocked Tagovailoa’s sight line, also hiding a waiting Bernard.
To that point, Buffalo struggled to get to Tagovailoa and weren’t able to force him into mistakes characteristic of any quarterback reliant on timing and rhythm.
There were initial concerns about how and where Walker would fit in, his mammoth size more befitting a one-tech d-lineman. Most humans aren’t built like Walker, and he’s excelled as a penetrating three-tech in obvious passing situations. Though it’s very early, in time, Walker could become a centerpiece to what may eventually be known as The Cold Front.
While it’s true the Bills need to get home more often (or at least a lot closer) given the investments up front, it may be worthwhile to consider a few of those beyond the big earn… at least on occasion.
