Buffalo Bills quarterback Sean McDermott has done an exceptional job at keeping Miami at bay and dominating their division rival. Their dominance against Miami is undeniable.
On their initial drive of the second half, the Bills began making strides forward before Keon Coleman let one pass slip through his hands at Dolphins 3-yard line and Jalen Ramsey intercepted Josh Allen for an interception.
| Team | Player | Position | Stat Type | Stat Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Passing | 25/35, 282 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 92.8 RTG |
| Bills | Josh Allen | QB | Passing | 21/25, 320 YDS, 4 TD, 0 INT, 158.3 RTG |
| Dolphins | De’Von Achane | RB | Rushing | 8 CAR, 101 YDS, 12.6 AVG, 2 TD |
| Dolphins | Raheem Mostert | RB | Rushing | 7 CAR, 9 YDS, 1.3 AVG, 0 TD |
| Bills | James Cook | RB | Rushing | 12 CAR, 29 YDS, 2.4 AVG, 1 TD |
| Bills | Josh Allen | QB | Rushing | 4 CAR, 17 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 1 TD |
| Dolphins | Tyreek Hill | WR | Receiving | 3 REC, 58 YDS, 19.3 AVG, 0 TD |
| Dolphins | Braxton Berrios | WR | Receiving | 6 REC, 43 YDS, 7.2 AVG, 1 TD |
| Bills | Stefon Diggs | WR | Receiving | 6 REC, 120 YDS, 20.0 AVG, 3 TD |
| Bills | Gabe Davis | WR | Receiving | 3 REC, 61 YDS, 20.3 AVG, 1 TD |
| Dolphins | Andrew Van Ginkel | LB | Defense | 2 Sacks |
| Bills | Micah Hyde | S | Defense | 1 INT, 23 YDS Return |
Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins meet twice each season in playoff-contending games that could determine who advances to the postseason. When these two met last, in Week 2, Buffalo dominated 31-10 at Hard Rock Stadium; since their 13 meetings Buffalo is 12-1 against them; Miami remains winless this season while Buffalo could secure playoff berth with another victory.
At Hard Rock Stadium, the Bills were victorious over the Dolphins with running backs De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert leading their team. This win improved Buffalo to 3-5 overall and tied for third place in the AFC East. Their defense held Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa to just 103 passing yards without touchdowns — second lowest on his list this season!
In the second quarter, Bills took an early lead after an impressive 10-play drive that culminated with Achane’s touchdown run. Dolphins responded with their own long scoring drive that consumed 8:21 of clock time; however, on its final play Tagovailoa was hit by Jordan Poyer of safety team and lost possession.
After halftime, with the score tied, Buffalo took control of the third quarter when Josh Allen connected on two touchdown passes to Quinton Morris during the third period. On his second touchdown throw – when being sacked – Allen passed it off quickly enough for Morris to turn it on and score quickly again.
Buffalo’s defense responded in force, holding Miami to one first down on each of their next three possessions – prompting kicker Dan Carpenter to drill a 33-yard field goal through the uprights for victory.
With their win, the Bills were able to match both their point and turnover margin from Thursday’s win against the Dolphins, while also amassing 249 yards of offense – including season high 132 on the ground from Achane and Mostert running backs.
Miami Dolphins Record
The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins have one of the oldest rivalries in NFL history. While neither AFC East team has graced a Super Bowl since 1978, both have remained competitive this season and will meet on Sunday at Highmark Stadium for what may prove pivotal for both.
The Buffalo Bills defeated the Dolphins last season and improved to 7-2 with a 30-27 win on Saturday, led by Josh Allen’s 325 yard passing performance and three touchdown throws against their defense, along with 44 yard rushing from James Cook and four receptions by him. This win marked their fourth straight and first four game triumph since 2000!
Tyler Bass kicked a record-setting and career-long 61-yard field goal to help seal victory for the Bills over the Dolphins with just five seconds remaining in their matchup. His kick put Buffalo three points up over Miami.
Codrington returned a 28-yard punt return, giving the Bills great field position at Miami 37-yard line, but rookie RB Khalil Shakir lost a fumble to Dolphins DE Emmanuel Ogbah during their initial drive.
Tagovailoa struggled against the Bills defense, completing only one pass out of 14 attempted and throwing three interceptions before suffering concussion and leaving with concussion symptoms. On fourth down quarterback Skylar Thompson was sacked in the red zone by EDGE Von Miller before any chance for them to tie the score was given up by Miller’s sack preventing any chance of them tying things up at that point.
Though they suffered their first loss at home this season, the Bills remain undefeated at home and have won all 12 games they’ve played against the Dolphins so far, outscoring them by an average of 14.5 points each game and dominating turnover battle with a +8 turnover margin over that timeframe. It would seem clear that Bills would be the favorite in this matchup given how the Dolphins offense has struggled all year to string together drives.
Buffalo Bills Record
The Buffalo Bills have won 12 of 13 head-to-head matchups against Miami Dolphins over the last 13 games. Both teams meet twice annually and these matchups have become must-see contests with playoff implications. Up until recently, however, Buffalo dominated this rivalry and AFC East. But now Dolphins are legitimate contenders and could even take home first place this season.
At Dolphin Stadium this season, both teams battled hard in an intense, close contest. Following an unproductive first quarter for both sides, Buffalo came roaring back in the second with three consecutive scoring drives led by Josh Allen that culminated with two touchdown passes to Ray Davis for two scores from him to pass Joe Ferguson (181) for second on their all-time passing touchdown list.
Tampa Bay scored its own field goal, from Mike Nugent, early in the third, but Buffalo quickly responded with another touchdown drive led by Allen and capped by Jordan Matthews for three yards on three attempts. Miami attempted a comeback late in the game; however Skylar Thompson turned over possession on downs in his final possession after being tackled by EDGE Von Miller and gave away possession.
Buffalo held an edge in first downs (31-3), total yards (473 to 325), and time of possession (31:53 to 28:07). Their defense held Miami runner De’Von Achane to just four-yard gains on two rushing attempts while also sacking him three times and intercepting two passes from him.
Sean McDermott has led his Bills to victory against Miami Dolphins in 10 of 12 meetings at Highmark Stadium and 14-2 overall against them since taking over coaching duties from John Madden. Since drafting QB Josh Allen they are 8-2 against them at home without ever experiencing defeat in that span.
Buffalo dismantled Miami 31-10 on Thursday night to start off their 2017-18 NFL campaign in spectacular fashion. James Cook scored three touchdowns – two rushing and one receiving. Additionally, their defense intercepted Tua Tagovailoa three times including an interception six; Tagovailoa was ultimately knocked out late in the third quarter after colliding with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin during a scramble and was knocked out of play as well.
Miami Dolphins Outlook
The Dolphins may have had some subpar performances recently and Tua Tagovailoa is out, but it may be too soon to worry about them. With plenty of young talent on offense and perhaps one or two plays falling their way, the Dolphins could make a run at making the playoffs if all goes according to plan.
The Bills opened this game up strongly, with K Tyler Bass scoring a 40-yard field goal on their opening drive. However, Miami responded with an 8:21 scoring drive that featured Rookie CB Brandon Codrington taking advantage of an unfavorable bounce on Josh Allen punt for 29 yards to set up their offense in Bills territory and eventually settle for K Jason Sanders’ 42-yard field goal attempt as they made progress toward tying the score.
After halftime, Buffalo kicked another field goal from 43 yards out. Meanwhile, their defense continued to perform admirably as they limited Miami to just one first down on their second drive of the game despite back-to-back penalties on their offensive line which enabled them to progress downfield due to back-to-back penalties on Allen causing third-and-14 situations resulting in Mack Hollins being hit in the chest and an eventual interception by Miami ending this first half.
In the offseason, Miami upgraded their talent at running back and wide receiver. Tyreek Hill has proven his worth as an elite wideout, while Jaylen Waddle and Jonnu Smith should both prove valuable additions for Miami. Furthermore, Tua Tagovailoa was signed to an extended deal and should build upon last season’s strong finish.
Starting off 2024 on an ideal note, this team should win at least nine of its first 11 games under McDaniel’s guidance, with only the offensive line possibly needing additional upgrades in future seasons.