SB Nation Reacts: — Bills Mafia would like to see TE Dalton Kincaid better utilized

Do fans nationwide believe more in the Bills or Miami Dolphins?

Are the Buffalo Bills properly utilizing rookie tight end Dalon Kincaid?

Earlier this week, we asked Buffalo Rumblings readers to weigh in on the Buffalo Bills’ implementation of rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid through the first five weeks of the 2023 NFL season.

Through five games Dalton Kincaid is third on the team in receiving with 17 catches for 118 yards. He has yet to catch a touchdown, despite what many have observed as in his play as a highly efficient and reliable pass catcher. Far too often it appears as though his targets come very early on offense, only to dip significantly as the game wears on.

Notably, last week’s game in London saw Kincaid suffer a head injury, of which he was later cleared to resume play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But once back on US soil, Kincaid was on the team’s injury report and in the concussion protocol. Kincaid has been listed as a limited participant for all week during practice and remains questionable to play against the New York Giants for Sunday Night Football.

But what did Bills Mafia have to say about Kincaid’s on-field usage to this point in the season? Well, just 16% of Bills fans responded “yes” to believing Kincaid has been properly utilized through five games.

Certainly, we’d all love to see more from Kincaid, increased looks his way, and a few wrinkles added to his route tree to diversify what should be a mismatch in the making. It’s going to take time, even for as polished as Kincaid appears. We may just need to temper our expectations until later in the season to see his full potential.

Are you confident the Buffalo Bills are headed in the right direction?

We’re now heading down the steepest incline of the Bills current roller coaster, from a near perfect peak at 97% after defeating the Miami Dolphins to a drop of over 43 points lower following the loss to the Jaguars. Such is the nature of this season-long weekly poll, but one can’t help but believe this latest number is due more to the long-term outlook and a concerning amount of significant season-ending injuries.

Only 54% of you remain confident the Bills are headed in the right direction. That’s a concerning drop — one that possible takes little consideration of the team’s play on offense.

Who is the best team in the AFC East?

On the national level, fans weighed in this week on this very question, and it’s not the Buffalo Bills. Sure, it’s fair to say the Bills aren’t the premiere team in the AFC at this point, all things considered (which, actually does mean people need to consider the out-of-their-minds play by Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs). But do the results of this poll make sense to you?

I suppose it’s interesting and perhaps unsurprising given the way the national media continues propping up the Miami Dolphins. Though the results may also have as much to do with the significant amount of season-ending injuries (and those of the likely to be variety) Buffalo has endured at each level of the defense. Cornerback Tre’Davious White is done for the season, while linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones are currently on Injured Reserve with no concrete timetable for return.

If that situation isn’t feeding the narrative here, it’s difficult to understand why people would believe the Dolphins are superior to the Bills when Buffalo completely dismantled Miami and showed exactly how to shut their offense down.

Saying the Chiefs are the top dog in the AFC at this point feels like a bit of convenience, given their Super Bowl trophy from February. To this point, the Chiefs have looked very vulnerable and flawed when anyone other than quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce are shaking off defenders.