Bills' Von Miller appears to be back as defense dominates Dolphins (encouraged/concerned)

The Buffalo Bills made a statement in the first half of their Thursday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins.

Buffalo's defense opened the game with a Ja'Marcus Ingram interception that led to a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen to James Cook. Miami immediately answered with a nice drive, but from there on out, the Bills were on top in the first half. James Cook reached the end zone two more times, while Tyler Bass converted a field goal.

Buffalo's defense played a part in the offense's success. In addition to Ja'Marcus Ingram's interception, Christian Benford caught a pass of his own. Later in the first half, Ed Oliver sacked Tua Tagovailoa on a turnover on downs.

Buffalo kept things moving in the second half with an early pick-six interception by Ingram. The defense continued to apply pressure and forced several turnovers while the offense was more than content to simply run out the clock.

In the end, the Bills won comfortably over the Dolphins. With a 2-0 lead, Buffalo can now enjoy a mini-break and hopefully recover in some areas. After the 31-10 victory, there are reasons to be encouraged and worried about the Bills.

ENCOURAGED

James Cook: James Cook returned to Florida and put on a show in the first half.

The back opened the game with a 17-yard touchdown pass to get Buffalo on the scoring track. He scored two more touchdowns later in the half, the first coming from one yard out, the second coming from 49 yards out after a Miami turnover.

With his performance, Cook set the team record for most touchdowns in the first half.

From Miller: The pass rusher appears to be back to his old self. After recording a sack against Arizona in Week 1, Miller recorded another sack against the Dolphins, forcing a turnover on a deep tackle near the Bills. It was more than just a sack, though. Miller was consistently successful with his pass rush moves on Thursday night. He put himself under pressure on multiple occasions and forced Miami's tackle early on one occasion, resulting in a penalty.

Ja'Marcus Ingram: The former UB product had a fantastic summer at St. John Fisher University. He carried that into the regular season, where he made some big plays in the first two weeks.

Invoices OL: Buffalo's offensive line dominated the Dolphins' defensive line for most of Thursday night's game. The unit opened running lanes for James Cook and Ray Davis while doing an excellent job of protecting Josh Allen.

Ed Oliver: Oliver didn't make any significant plays in Buffalo's home opener against the Cardinals. That wasn't the case in prime time, though. Oliver made one of the biggest plays of the first half when he sacked Tua Tagovailoa, forcing a turnover on downs. Cook scored a touchdown on the next play.

Christian Benford: Buffalo's cornerback also intercepted a ball against Tagovailoa in the first half. Tagovailoa threw a bad pass to Robbie Chosen and Benford was waiting for the ball.

Bobby Babich and Joe Brady: Buffalo's coordinators all had excellent nights for the Bills. Babich's unit caused several turnovers in the team's win, including a pick-six. More than the turnovers, Babich frustrated Mike McDaniels and the Dolphins offense by denying them medium and long throws throughout the game.

Brady showed excellent game sense with his plays as Buffalo moved the ball up and down the field in the first half. The offense wasn't as dynamic in the second half, but the team mostly tried to take time off the clock.

WORRIED

Terrel Bernard injured: The Bills entered Thursday's game without several of their star defenders. Matt Milano is expected to miss most of the regular season and All-Pro nickel cornerback Taron Johnson is battling a forearm injury. Things got even worse Thursday night when Terrel Bernard left the game in the first half. Buffalo announced that Bernard had a pectoral injury and his return was questionable. Buffalo's current depth at the linebacker position is shaky at best. If Bernard's injury is serious, Buffalo will need to address that position.

Tyler Bass: Tyler Bass was having a good night as a kicker until he couldn't anymore. The kicker came up for a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and the kick went way wide. Bass had an up-and-down summer with the Bills and this attempt won't make fans think much better of the kicker.