Instant analysis: Bills send Dolphins packing in chaotic Wild-Card win

Instant analysis: #Bills send #Dolphins packing in chaotic Wild-Card win (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins, 34-31, in a turbulent, wild, and chaotic fashion in their Wild-Card matchup.

Turnovers, momentum swings, and aggressive play calling were three major themes of this contest.

The Bills started the game in a dominant fashion, jumping to a 17-lead in the first quarter.

Tight end Dawson Knox was on the receiving end of a stellar pass from quarterback Josh Allen to open the scoring for Buffalo. Allen extended the play, rolled out to his right, and fired a pass behind the helmet of defender Jerome Baker. Knox kept his feet in bounds, providing the game’s first big play:

Running back James Cook followed up with a touchdown on the next drive. Cook ran for 12 yards on a misdirection to give the Bills a two-score lead.

The Bills continued to move the ball at will against the Dolphins. Both teams were aggressive, with Miami playing a great deal of cover-zero and cover-one defense. Josh Allen worked to carve up the Dolphins defense. Buffalo held a massive advantage in total yards after the first quarter (172-19).

However, the aggressive nature caused problems for the Bills. However, Buffalo’s offense struggled with execution, making several mistakes. Josh Allen threw two interceptions, giving the Dolphins a chance to claw their way back into the game.

Miami chipped away at the Bills lead, as Miami kicker Jason Sanders made three consecutive field goals. Miami closed the first half with a quick four-play drive, culminating with a touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki. Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson connected with Tyreek Hill on a two-point conversion to tie the game.

Turnovers continued to be a theme for the Bills. Miami took its first lead of the game after recovering a Josh Allen fumble. The scoop-and-score put the Dolphins up 24-20 early in the third quarter.

Buffalo struggled to move the ball on their subsequent drives. The Bills continued to be aggressive with their playcalling, opting to push the ball down the field and take their shots against man coverage.

The Bills received a gift from the Dolphins, as Thompson threw and ill-guided pass on third-and-18. The pass was picked off by Kaiir Elam. Buffalo found their rhythm on offense, moving the ball efficiently and finishing the drive with a six-yard pass to Cole Beasley.

The Bills drove down on their next drive, this time completing another five-play drive. This time, Gabe Davis made a terrific catch in the end zone. The Bills once again had a 10-point lead and seemed to be in the driver seat.

Once again, Miami clawed their way back into the game. Buffalo’s defense could not get the big play to take the Dolphins off the field. Instead, the Dolphins went on an 11-play, 75-yard drive concluding with a one-yard touchdown run by Jeff Wilson.

The defenses then shut down any offensive progress for the final 11 minutes of the game. When the team needed it the most, the Bills defense held strong, stopping Miami’s late charge.

The Bills defense did a great job at holding Miami’s playmakers under control. Tyreek Hill caught seven passes for 69 yards, while Jaylen Waddle caught only three balls for 44 yards.

Buffalo gave up only 42 yards on the ground. The Bills, for the most part, made Thompson look like a third-string quarterback. Thompson ended the day 18-of-45 for 220 passing yards, a touchdown pass, and two interceptions. Still, there were moments where Thompson made good enough passes to keep the Dolphins in the game.

Buffalo’s offense was predicated on being aggressive. While the Bills had some success looking for the big play, Buffalo settled for low-percentage passes far too often. This led to turnovers and five drives ending with punts.

There were several things to love from this game for Buffalo. The team gutted out another close game. Stefon Diggs was dominant early in the game. Diggs and Gabe Davis eclipsed the 100-yard mark in receiving. Cole Beasley caught his first career playoff touchdown. Khalil Shakir made several nice grabs out of the slot. Dawson Knox found the end zone once again.

Defensively, the Bills registered four sacks. Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds were a force to be reckoned with all game. Elam and Dean Marlowe registered interceptions.

Even so, there are several things that the Bills will want to fix moving forward in the playoffs. Allen, while making several great passes, neutralized the strong performance with three fumbles and two interceptions. The offensive line gave up seven sacks. And, the playcalling abandoned the run game when it seemed necessary to revisit it.

Buffalo will know their fate after the Cincinnati-Baltimore game Sunday night. The Bills will host the game as the No. 2 seed.

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