Is there a serious battle for the AFC East brewing? I think so. The Miami Dolphins have shocked the NFL by BEATING the unstoppable Buffalo Bills 21-19, even though Josh Allen threw for 400 yards against them.
Well, I said that the Micah Hyde injury would cause some significant issues for this Buffalo defense, though I never expected that it would end up being the Miami defense that would steal the show.
The Buffalo Bills absolutely dominated every inch and aspect to this game as they had more total yards (495 vs. 212), more passing yards (380 vs, 171), more rushing yards (115 vs. 41), more first downs (31 vs. 15), more total plays (90 vs. 39), and more time of possession (40:40 vs. 19:20).
You can’t be any more dominating and not win than the Buffalo Bills were today.
Yet, the Miami defense may have bended all game long, but they never broke. The defensive front of DE Melvin Ingram, DT Christian Wilkins, DE Emmanuel Ogbah, LB Elandon Roberts, and LB Jerome Baker stuffed the Bills running game completely as not a single Buffalo player managed to rush for 50 yards for more,
Moreover, when the Bills abandoned the running game, the Dolphins defense simply shifted from focusing on the RBs to setting their crosshairs on Josh Allen. This defense racked up 4 sacks, 10 QB hits, 3 TFL, 9 PD, and a whopping 88 tackles.
Simply put, the Dolphins didn’t give the Bills receivers or running backs an inch, which forced Josh Allen to throw the ball….A LOT.
Allen ended up going 42/63 (67%), 400 yards, and 2 TDs. Yeah, Josh Allen threw the ball 63 TIMES! That’s insane for a Week 3 regular season game.
It just goes to show how often the Dolphins secondary, led by Xavien Howard, Brandon Jones, and Jevon Holland, tracked and closed down the Bills receivers when they caught the ball, which stifled any yards after catch (YAC) opportunities.
In fact, none of Buffalo’s WRs or TEs went for over 100 yards, though 9 receivers/Tes had double-digit receiving yard totals. That’s an impressive defensive feat against such a high-powered offense.
Nevertheless, Tua Tagovailoa may not have had a monstruous 6 TD game today, though he was accurate and efficient enough to drive the Dolphins down the field when it mattered. Finishing with 13/18 (72%), 186 yards, and 1 TD, Tua guided this team past an elite, albeit injury-hampered, defense that everyone predicted would stop them.
Everyone on this Miami team did their jobs today and did them well.
Though, if I had to pick out one person to highlight, it would have to be Jaylen Waddle. Ending the game with 4 RECs and 102 yards (the only WR in the game to break the 100-yard mark), his connection with Tua is just simply fantastic.
And this connection showcased itself as they connected on the biggest (and most consequential) play of the day as Tua hit Waddle for a 65-yard pass right down the middle of the field, which would eventually lead to the winning Chase Emmonds TD.
Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa is probably going to get most of the credit with the success of this Dolphins offense so far, but Jaylen Waddle shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s been an integral part of this Dolphins offense for the past two season now and will continue to be long into the future.
He really is one of the best wide receivers in the game today and help bring January football down to Miami this season.
So, where does this loss leave Buffalo? Well, they’re still in the same position we all thought they were at the start of this game: they’re the most dominating team in the NFL.
If this game gets played another ten times, the Bills win each and every single time. And they should have won today if Josh Allen made that 4th and goal throw with a minute and a half to go.
The Miami Dolphins and their fans were fired up from the first minute to the last minute of this game, with the fans chanting the final few seconds of the game with glee. To be honest, I’ve never seen the Miami faithful so happy and cheerful in my life.
This was just a ‘perfect Miami storm’ that caught Buffalo up in the whirlwind.
Still, the Bills may be a game behind the Dolphins now, but I don’t see it finishing that way by the end of the year. The Bills WILL win the AFC East and reign at the top of the AFC come the conclusion of Week 17, though the Dolphins will make it as difficult for the Bills as humanly possible.
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