Dalton Kincaid has flashed for the Buffalo Bills before, but Sunday in the 36-31 win over the Houston Texans, it looked like something more. It wasn’t just that he made plays. It was how many different ways he changed the game.
Kincaid finished with five catches for a career-high 130 yards, the most receiving yards by a Bills tight end since 1967. For a player who already held the franchise mark for catches by a rookie and made the Pro Bowl last season, this was still a different kind of performance.
"He's a stud," quarterback Josh Allen said. "Absolute stud."
What might matter even more for Buffalo is whether this becomes the norm. Coach Joe Brady believes the answer could be tied to something that won’t show up in the flashiest clips: Kincaid’s work as a blocker.
After spending the offseason getting healthy and improving in that area, Kincaid looked like a tighter fit in the offense against Houston. Brady said that growth could keep him on the field more often and unlock even more for Buffalo.
"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."
That versatility showed up in the way Buffalo deployed him. The Bills mixed personnel groupings throughout the game, including looks with two and three tight ends. If Kincaid can be trusted as part of the run game, defenses can’t as easily read Buffalo’s intentions - and Brady can keep one of his best receiving weapons on the field without giving anything away.
"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."
The production came in big chunks. Kincaid averaged 26 yards per catch, and three of his five receptions went for at least 35 yards. Every one of those explosive plays helped Buffalo score.
Late in the second quarter, with the Bills pinned at their own 4-yard line, Kincaid rose up for a 38-yard catch over Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Two plays later, Allen connected with D.J. Moore on a 43-yard touchdown that pushed Buffalo ahead 24-14.
He struck again after Houston moved in front 28-27 in the fourth quarter. Kincaid’s 40-yard catch carried the Bills to the Texans’ 22 and set up Tyler Bass’ 33-yard field goal.
Then came the biggest play of the afternoon, with Buffalo needing every inch it could get.
Trailing 31-30 and starting at its own 4-yard line with 3:13 left, Kincaid caught a 35-yard pass over the middle and turned it into a 35-yard gain on the game-winning drive, moving the Bills to the Houston 33. Three plays later, Allen hit 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."
The numbers put Kincaid in rare company. His 130 yards were the third-most by a Bills tight end in franchise history, behind only Paul Costa’s 163 and 138-yard games in 1967.
He also paired with Moore, who had five catches for 100 yards, to become the second Bills wide receiver-tight end duo to each top 100 yards in the same game. The only other Buffalo pair to do it was Andre Reed and Pete Metzelaars, who did it against the San Francisco 49ers in 1992.
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