BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid figured it took well into June for his two sore knees to feel right again.
What still lingers is the sting of disappointment Kincaid experienced in how last season ended with a loss at Kansas City in the AFC championship game.
Facing fourth-and-5 at midfield with two minutes left, Kincaid turned at the Chiefs 35 and was in position to catch Josh Allen’s off-balance desperation heave only to have the ball slip through his arms in a 32-29 loss.
“It was tough. It still (stinks) thinking about it,” the third-year player said following practice on Wednesday. “But, you know, life goes on. Moments change. It’s just how can you respond and how can you be better from that?”
It’s a question Kincaid took to heart during an offseason he spent getting physically and mentally stronger. The dividends are apparent a month into the season with Kincaid leading Buffalo with three touchdown catches, and ranking third in both receptions (14) and yards (179).
The numbers are fine, but the only statistic Kincaid is concerned with is the Bills’ AFC-leading 4-0 record as they prepare to host division rival New England (2-2) on Sunday night.
“Four and oh,” he said, before being asked to separate team from personal success. “Yep, 4-0 is all I care about.”
Kincaid’s focus on the bigger picture is one of the lessons he took after his production dipped following a celebrated rookie season. The 2023 first-round draft pick out of Utah went from 73 receptions, a franchise rookie record, and 673 yards in 16 games to closing his second season with 44 catches on 75 targets and 448 yards in 13 outings.
The injuries certainly didn’t help. After spraining the PCL in his left knee in Week 10, Kincaid then dealt with a buildup of fluid in his right knee during the playoffs.
He acknowledged being surprised how his rookie success failed to carry over by calling it a reminder of how quickly things can change.
“If you don’t really accept that early on in your career, you’ll just kind of figure it out and you’ll learn the hard way,” he said.
Kincaid has become a quick study in football, a sport he gave up in high school before returning to it in his senior year growing up in Las Vegas. He then spent two seasons at Division III San Diego, before transferring to Utah where Kincaid capped his senior season with 890 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.
Kincaid’s refocused approach to this season hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“It’s hard to keep a winner down,” coach Sean McDermott said.
“When you’re in the arena, you’re going to have some mistakes,” he added. “And I think that’s part of being in the arena is you’re going to fall sometimes. And it’s how you get back up and how you handle yourself. And he’s a winner. And winners handle themselves accordingly.”
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady sees Kincaid playing with more confidence. It’s evident in his route-running and willingness to block downfield — further indications of Kincaid being injury free.
On Buffalo’s game-opening touchdown in a win over New Orleans on Sunday, Kincaid’s block on cornerback Isaac Yiadom created an opening on receiver Khalil Shakir’s 43-yard catch-and-run. Fittingly, it was Kincaid sealing the 31-19 win with a 28-yard touchdown catch with 7:07 left.
Brady called up the touchdown play in part to reward Kincaid for his blue-collar work.
The trust the Bills have in Kincaid was evident in Week 1. Some seven months after his drop at Kansas City, Kincaid scored Buffalo’s first touchdown of the season, capping the opening drive with a 15-yard catch in a 41-40 win over Baltimore.
“I can’t dwell on the past at all, but it definitely did feel good to go out there and score,” Kincaid said. “Coming out with the win was awesome. Yeah, that’s all that mattered.”
