Bills’ A.J. Epenesa has breakout game, knocks Tua Tagovailoa out of it in shutout win (8 observations)

Miami Gardens, Fla. — The Buffalo Bills defense swarmed and shut down whoever was playing quarterback for the Miami Dolphins en route to a blowout, 35-0, win in Week 2 to improve to 1-1 on the season.

The Bills pass rush was unstoppable and the offense generated five touchdowns, which was a drastic change from the opener against Pittsburgh when they only managed one offensive touchdown.

The story of the game was the Buffalo defense, which recorded its first shutout since 2016. Coincidentally, Jacoby Brissett was also the quarterback in that game - a 16-0 win over the New England Patriots. The Dolphins drop to 1-1 on the season.

Here are some instant observations from the game.

A.J. Epenesa, Greg Rousseau flash substancial upside

The Bills spent their first picks in the last two drafts - a 2nd-rounder in 2020 (A.J. Epenesa) & a 1st-rounder in 2021 (Greg Rousseau) - on pass rushers. Both of them showed how imposing the Bills new and improved pass rush can be against the Dolphins, consistently winning their one-on-one matchups and putting stress on whoever was in at quarterback.

Between the two of them, they recorded three quarterback hits and Epenesa’s first one knocked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of the game in the first quarter with a rib injury. Miami started 30-year-old Jesse Davis at right tackle and both young pass rusher had their way with him.

Greg Rousseau had a knock in college that he fell into a lot of his sacks. That was the case in some respects today but he recorded two of them and he brutalized whoever the Dolphins tried to block him with. It was quite a return to Hard Rock Stadium for the rookie first-round pick.

Veteran defensive tackle Star Lotulelei returned this week and his presence was felt. On one play early in the first half there were three Dolphins offensive linemen working together to try and block him. The Bills landed eight hits on Dolphins quarterbacks in the game, had six sacks, and six tackles for a loss in the game.

Josh Allen pressing, offense erratic BUT scored points

The numbers are a bit concerning. Allen completed less than 60% of his throws for a second consecutive week and, on first watch at least, there aren’t as many excuses as last week.

Allen threw for under 200 yards but two timely touchdowns in the first half put the Bills up big and they never looked back. The passing offense doesn’t seem in sync like it did for most of last season when they scored more than 500 points and had the no. 2-ranked passing attack in the NFL. Allen missed some throws today and even some of the ones he made weren’t as accurate as he was last season.

Miami’s defensive plan put its talented secondary one-on-one at times against the Bills talented receivers and relied on the pressure up front. Allen was often backpedaling and was forced to throw off balance several times. After last week’s loss to the Steelers, talk of Allen’s regression in Year 4 after MVP-caliber Year 3 started and he didn’t so a lot individually to silence the narrative. The Bills did score five touchdowns on 12 offensive drives, though. Miami has one of the best defenses in the NFL, too.

Devin Singletary turning into big-play maker; Zack Moss experience

The first big play of the game came after Allen handed it off to Devin Singletary. The third-year back exploded through a big hole created by left guard Jon Feliciano and took it all the way to the house for a 46-yard touchdown run. Singletary had a 20-plus yard run last week and has continued the momentum he built in the preseason after winning the job.

Zack Moss and Singletary each had a fumble in the game off passes from Allen. Moss was out for a long stretch after his but returned later and made up for it. He rushed for two touchdowns and his first one was a bruising effort behind two blockers on a wide pitch that ended with him hit sticking a would-be tackler. Moss and Singletary combined for 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Leslie Frazier came out aggressive

The Bills had three sacks on their first three possession and Frazier wasn’t shy about blitzing from the back seven. Micah Hyde, Taron Johnson and Matt Milano all recorded sacks in the game. Tagovailoa and then Jacoby Brissett struggled with the pressure the Bills brought throughout the game.

Taron Johnson playing like Pro Bowler

Johnson is having a remarkable season and earning himself a lot of money. He said before the season that he wanted to make new big-time memories to add to his highlight reel after the iconic pick-six against the Ravens in the playoffs last season. He had four tackles, a sack, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. He was unstoppable and a force for the Bills defense.

Dane Jackson, Levi Wallace both show why coaches believed

Levi Wallace had a great pass breakup and then intercepted Jacoby Brissett to give the Bills a huge turnover early in the game. He started to cramp shortly after and Dane Jackson entered the game. He had a massive play of his own with a big stop on a fourth and short, attacking the ball carrier and making the big tackle. Both cornerbacks showed why the Bills were so confident in their depth and why they didn’t acquire another veteran in the offseason or during training camp.

Justin Zimmer active over Harrison Phillips, and shows why

It was a surprise healthy scratch for Phillips but Zimmer has established himself as a trustworthy pass rusher up the gut for the Bills. He recorded a sack in the game and had a huge win on the Jackson 4th-down tackle to help set up his teammate.

Stefon Diggs vs. Xavien Howard was worth price of admission

It might have been a draw between Diggs and Howard on the game but each made a few big-time plays. Diggs had one of Allen’s touchdowns and then caught a beautiful deep ball for 41 yards on a contested catch situation against Howard in the fourth quarter. Howard had two pass breakups and an interception in the loss.

READ MORE

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins: Live game updates from NFL Week 2

Jon Feliciano not spiraling after tough day vs. Cam Heyward: ‘You’re gonna get got sometimes’

Can Bills’ Josh Allen continue dominance of Dolphins? (5 things to watch in Week 2)

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