ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills coach Joe Brady’s first hint of tight end Dalton Kincaid putting his nagging knee issues behind him came during a series of team-building tug-of-war competitions in April.
Upon drafting his squad, Kincaid made the bold choice to show he's injury free by taking on the role of anchor.
“That gave me a glimpse,” Brady said. “There’s so many things that people are going to be able to do, they speak without speaking
loudly. ... And when you see a situation like that, even in the offseason, guys speak to how they’re feeling.”
Kincaid’s been pulling his weight ever since.
Entering a Week 3 matchup hosting the Los Angeles Chargers (0-2) on Sunday, the fourth-year player is leading the Bills (2-0) with 12 catches and is third in the NFL with 225 yards receiving.
The early season production is a reflection of the promise Kincaid showed in 2023, when the first-round pick out of Utah had 673 yards receiving and set the team’s rookie season record with 73 catches.
Kincaid’s trajectory leveled off because of injuries, that included him playing on two bad knees in 2024, which carried over into last season.
The numbers are also indicative of the focus Kincaid put in strengthening both knees this offseason, and represented by the confidence he had in choosing to play a key role in the tug-of-war competition.
“I think it carried a lot of weight,” Kincaid said this week, referring to the exercise fostering a sense of security.
“I wasn’t really thinking about (the knees), which I think is a positive,” he added. “It’s just being in those situations and not thinking about it too much and just growing that confidence and trust."
As for the decision to take on the anchor role, the 6-foot-3, 246-pound Kincaid chuckled by saying he elected to have heavier players closer to the front, a strategy he picked up watching tug-of-war competitions on TV. The tactic worked as his team went undefeated.
Another reason behind the decision, he confided, was his competitive nature — something to which his teammates attest.
“Whether it's tug-of-war, golf, ping pong, Catan (board game), he’s the ultimate competitor,” tight end Dawson Knox said. “Him being willing to go be the anchor, it’s a great little peek into his competitive spirit. And that fuels who he is as a football player.”
Though late to football, after leaving the sport through much of high school growing up in Las Vegas, Kincaid made up for the lost time by relying on his drive and athleticism.
When healthy, he’s a crisp route runner with the speed to get past defenders, agility to find an opening in coverage and size to make contested catches.
“He opens up so much. He’s a tough matchup for linebackers and, I think, he’s a tough matchup for cornerbacks for that matter,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “It’s no secret that we’re a better offense when he’s on the field for us.”
The numbers bear it out.
The Bills are 9-1 when Kincaid scores a touchdown. And since the start of 2024, Buffalo is 25-4 when Kincaid plays, and 2-5 when he’s sidelined.
Kincaid said he’s feeling “pretty good,” downplayed his production by saying it’s still early in the season, and credited Allen, who has accounted for nine of Buffalo's 10 touchdowns (five passing, four rushing).
Allen turned the tables by paying tribute to Kincaid.
“He wants to win at everything he does,” Allen said. “He started golf two years ago, and he’s already become one of the better golfers on the team. He hit a hole-in-one this year."
Kincaid said it happened in Palm Springs, California, where he holed out from 157 yards using a pitching wedge.
From golf, to tug-of-war to the football field, he’s enjoyed quite a year already.
“Yeah,” Kincaid said, ever mindful of maintaining his day-at-a-time focus. “So far.”
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