A matchup between inner-division rivals saw the Buffalo Bills falling at the hands of the Miami Dolphins by a score of 28-25. The Bills following the game fall to 4-3 while the Miami Dolphins improve to 3-4, as only one game separates the two teams for second place in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots. A revenge game of sorts for the Miami Dolphins as they have swept a season ago in their two games against the Buffalo Bills. The loss snaps the Bills season-high four game win streak while it gives the Dolphins their first pair of consecutive wins of the season after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers a season ago.
A Bills team that has been hampered by injuries all season long seemingly ran out of juice in this one as they just didn’t have enough to get past this Dolphins team. The Bills were without top wideout Robert Woods as well offensive workhorse LeSean McCoy for most of this game as he left the game with a hamstring injury after running for only eleven yards on the ground. The Bills entered the game ranked first in the league in rushing yards per game having averaged 167 yards per game while the Dolphins run defense was giving up astronomical 147 yards on the ground per game, nearly dead last in the league. From the looks of this one, you would have figured the teams switched places as the Bills managed to pick up only 67-yards on the ground as quarterback Tyrod Taylor led the way with 35-yards of his own.
A game that saw the Bills on top until late in the fourth quarter as the Dolphins took advantage of a Bills team that was running out of steam. Through the first half, a pair of field goals exchanged and a 10-yard touchdown run for Tyrod Taylor saw the Bills up 10-6 going into the half. A long touchdown reception by Marquis Goodwin who took over the role of the number once receiver in this one, reeled in a 67-yard pass to give the Bills their biggest lead of the day. A lead that would quickly be relinquished as a Jay Ajayi touchdown in the last seconds of the third quarter saw the Dolphins go on a 21-0 scoring run from where they never looked back. A late score by the Bills and a failed onside kick saw the Dolphins hold on to this one in a complete comeback performance as the Dolphins used the Bills own gameplan against them as they relied on the run game and the defensive side of the ball.
The real story in this one was the run game of the Miami Dolphins, in particular, the play of Jay Ajayi who ran wild on the Bills defense. Ajayi would run for over 200-yards on the ground with a score in his second straight game becoming only the fourth player ever to do so. His day would end with 214 yards on the ground with his longest run of the day going for 53-yards. With the way, their offensive line played the Dolphins have to be happy with their performance. Allowing only one sack and running for over 250 yards the Dolphins line made the Bills defense, a unit that had been one of the best in the league look downright average at best. One of the lone highlights defensively in this one was once again the play of Lorenzo Alexander who picked up another sack in this one giving him eight now on the season.
Following this one, the Bills will head home and await their second matchup of the season with Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Dolphins will take on the Jets next week in another divisional matchup as they look to gain ground within the division and build on their season long two game win-streak.
