The Buffalo Bills knocked continued their winning ways against the Miami Dolphins, knocking off their division foes for the seventh-consecutive meeting. The time besting the Dolphins 26-11 Week 8 action.
It was a game that went far from anticipated for the Bills, as their dominance over the Dolphins came crashing down in a mistake-filled extravaganza. Buffalo squeaked out a victory in a game in which they clearly the more talented team.
Well, at least on paper.
The Bills came off their bye week with an offensive game plan that was quizzical at best. Their execution was haphazard throughout the game as well, falling short on several plays.
Buffalo’s offense, which has been humming along, especially against Miami, struggled mightily in the first half.
The Bills attempted to get their ground game moving, putting the ball in the hands of their running backs often in the first half. Buffalo’s offensive line did not handle the Miami defensive line in the trenches.
Devin Singletary and Zack Moss managed a total of nine yards rushing on five carries. Josh Allen added 33 yards on three carries. However, one of these scrambles went for 34 yards.
Moss had two catches for 23 receiving yards in the first half. Singletary added one more catch for one receiving yard.
It seemed that the Bills were trying to avoid the strength of the Miami defense. Cornerbacks Byron Jones and Xavien Howard kept the Bills wideouts in check during the first two quarters.
The decision to put the balls in the hands of other playmakers did not work well during this time, as the Bills managed only three points, five first downs, and only 122 total yards during the initial half of football.
Buffalo’s only points in the first half came off the foot of Tyler Bass: a 57-yard bomb to open the scoring.
Fortunately for the Bills, their defense kept things under wraps for Miami’s offense. Ed Oliver led the way on defense, bursting into the backfield on multiple occasions. DeVante Parker found some space, but the Bills kept him from ultimately making a big play. In addition, Buffalo only allowed 47 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Buffalo shifted focus with their offensive playcalling, as offensive coordinator Brian Daboll placed an emphasis on quick passes and the intermediate passing game. This worked in the Bills favor in multiple ways.
First, it neutralized the Miami defensive front, which won the battle of the trenches throughout the afternoon. Second, it made Cole Beasley a focal point of the offensive attack.
The decision to make Beasley a greater priority in the passing game worked well, the veteran wideout scorched the Dolphins secondary. Beasley ended the afternoon with 10 receptions for 110 receiving yards.
Josh Allen avoids the pressure and hits a wide open Gabriel Davis for a much needed TD. #Bills take the 10-3 lead. pic.twitter.com/hmeXivtztw
— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) October 31, 2021
Gabriel Davis and Stefon Diggs were on the receiving end of Allen touchdown passes. Diggs’ 19-yard touchdown reception gave the Bills the breathing room they needed to give the sellout crown at Highmark Stadium some relief.
Say hello to the end zone and goodbye to $15,000 Stefon Diggs pic.twitter.com/OeyeMWV5nL
— Nate Mendelson (@NateMendelson) October 31, 2021
Buffalo’s defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs for each of the Dolphins offensive possessions to start the second half. Miami managed to score on their next possession, as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa scored on a one-yard dive.
The Bills defense came up big late in the fourth quarter, as Jordan Poyer intercepted Tagovailoa just ahead of the two-minute warning.
It’s a win for Buffalo and obviously, all wins count the same, no matter how pretty or chaotic. This contest fell on the latter, as the Bills, coming off a bye week and dominating the Dolphins in recent memory, played a game that for the most part, was too close for comfort. The first-half offensive playcalling was concerning. The slow burn of the game leaves the Bills with some things that need to be cleaned up moving forward.
Still, Buffalo’s 5-2 record atop the AFC East is a nice place to be as the league nears the middle point of his schedule. The Bills travel to Jacksonville next week to take on another struggling team, as the Jaguars were 1-5 entering this week’s action.
[lawrence-related id=90807,90750,90744]