Tag: Bills Dolphins

Bills’ Sean McDermott on Dolphins win: ‘It took everything we had’

#Bills’ Sean McDermott on Dolphins win: ‘It took everything we had’

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins in a tough 32-29 contest on a cold and snowy Sunday at home in Orchard Park in Week 15. 

It avenged a road loss earlier this season that they deemed a “learning experience.”

The win marks the Bills’ third straight against an AFC East rival, strengthening their position atop their division and hold on the No. 1 seed in the conference overall. It also clinched a playoff spot.

But it didn’t come easily. After Buffalo went into the half with a good offensive rhythm and a 21-13 lead, Miami would find a rhythm of their own and take an eight-point lead while limiting quarterback Josh Allen and company from any scoring.

Until late in the fourth quarter, that is.

Right as snow began to fall from the sky, it was the Bills who brought the rain, fighting back on both sides of the ball to gut out a win on a Tyler Bass field goal.

Head coach Sean McDermott knew both what went into a game like this one, as well as the value it carried for the team and their fans.

“It took everything we had to pull this one out tonight,” McDermott said after the game. “It just makes it special. … You know, like I said, humbling. Really, that’s how I feel about it. Humbled to be a part of it in this great town that doesn’t get as much credit as it deserves, honestly. And the fans, I mean, this place is unique. So, just awesome. Awesome.”

The Bills now sit atop the AFC at 11-3 with road games against the Bears and Bengals and a season finale at home against the Patriots ahead of them.

And with a playoff spot secured, the team is turning their focus to their final regular season goal, as they prepare for a run at the postseason and a championship.

“That’s the No. 1 thing Coach McDermott preaches, is playoff-caliber; can’t win the Super Bowl unless you make the playoffs,” Allen added. “So that’s goal No. 1 down. Goal No. 2 now is to clinch the division. That’s how we’ll take it. We’ll take it one game at a time. Be ready for next week.”

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How the Bills’ defense can still be great despite Micah Hyde’s season-ending injury

Bills cornerback Micah Hyde is out for the rest of the 2022 season with a neck injury. Here’s why Buffalo’s defense should still be okay.

The Buffalo Bills were already coming into their game-of-the-week matchup against the Miami Dolphins and their explosive passing game lighter than they’d like on defense. Cornerbacks Tre’Davious White (ACL) and Dane Jackson (neck) are out, as is defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (hamstring) and safety Micah Hyde (neck).

On Saturday morning, the news went from bad to worse when Jack Bechta, Hyde’s agent, revealed that Hyde’s neck injury, which he suffered in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, will cause him to miss the rest of the 2022 season.

This is obviously a major blow to Buffalo’s league-best defense, as Hyde and Jordan Poyer have comprised the NFL’s best safety duo for a few years now. By the way, Poyer will probably be a game-time decision with a foot injury. So, ouch.

Beyond whatever happens against the Dolphins, how do the Bills get past this? They are viewed as the prohibitive Super Bowl favorites in the AFC, and for good reason, but as much as they’ll miss Hyde, head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier must adopt the “Next Man Up” philosophy as they go.

“I know we have a number of injuries here, but I remain very confident in our football team, and very confident in the back end,” Sean McDermott said this week.

That was more about rookie cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford, who will be on the field in place of White and Jackson, but it now must apply to Hyde’s position.

Could the Bills-Dolphins rivalry be sparked again soon?

NFL.com on Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins rivalry.

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With the current league landscape in mind, NFL.com recently pegged some potential “rivalries” that could be brewing in 2021. In this case, it’d be a case of bringing one back.

The Bills-Dolphins showdowns of the early 90s are a long ways in the past… but will they be back? A case was made recently:

I know a lot of you kids have spent the vast majority of your lives with a Patriots-centric AFC East. But this rivalry, Bills v. Dolphins, was a highlight of my football-watching youth. And now, like every show I watched as a kid, it’s been rebooted — and might even be better than the original. Kind of like Cobra Kai.

Fresh off a 13-3 season that ended in the AFC title game, the Josh Allen-led Bills will enter the 2021 campaign with legit Super Bowl aspirations. So, this rivalry’s ultimate juiciness more likely depends on the Dolphins, who just missed last season’s playoffs at 10-6 and have been quite active this offseason. If Tua Tagovailoa becomes the player the Fins envisioned when they took him at No. 5 overall last year, this could become the it rivalry.

Since posting this concept last week via analyst Adam Rank, the Dolphins’ “quite active” offseason was flipped on its head once again. Miami made two top-10 draft pick trades in a matter of minutes on Friday.

The Dolphins went from the No. 3 pick, to 12 to six at the upcoming draft. In doing so, they also added future first-round picks from the 49ers. As suggested, this potential Bills-Dolphins feud being reignited depends on Miami more than the already established Bills, but the pieces are there…

But on the massive bright side for the Bills, Allen has consistently saved some of his best football for games against the Dolphins. He’s 5-1 overall in his career against the fish and has multiple AFC Offensive Player of the Week Awards for his performances against the Dolphins.

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AFC East news: Dolphins send first-round picks all over & have a QB now

Buffalo Bills’ AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins, trade first-round picks from 2021 NFL Draft.

The Miami Dolphins took all the AFC East and NFL headlines on Friday. Originally slated to pick at third overall at the 2021 NFL Draft since they held the Houston Texans’ first rounder, the Dolphins will pick at 12th overall.

Wait, now sixth?

The Dolphins did a lot of moving around the first round of the upcoming draft, pretty much in a matter of minutes.

Here’s the full rundown:

First, Miami traded the No. 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 12 pick, a 2021 third-round pick, and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. A huge haul by Miami general manager Chris Grier.

But Grier & Co. weren’t done there.

Enter: The Philadelphia Eagles.

Legitimately moments later, according the Dolphins Wire, a second deal went down.

That No. 12 overall pick via the 49ers then went to Eagles, along with a 2022 first-round pick for the Eagles’ first rounder (sixth-overall.) In addition, the Dolphins sent the Eagles a fourth-round pick (No. 123) for a fifth-rounder (No. 156).

At the end of all of this, the Dolphins still hold a ton of draft capital, including the No. 6 pick and No. 18 pick in the first round of the 2021 draft. In addition, Miami also has two picks in Round 2 and Round 3.

Hard to find a team sitting in a better draft position after a 10-6 season than the Dolphins currently.

But the other thing that’s important to note here: Tua Tagovailoa. Moving down from third to sixth means the Dolphins were not interested in drafting another quarterback at the 2021 NFL Draft. Some NFL Draft experts predict this upcoming draft could be the first time in league history that QBs are selected with the first four picks.

Because of that, it’ll likely be Tagovailoa’s show next season in South Beach.

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AFC East news: Former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson was traded

Miami Dolphins traded Shaq Lawson to Houston Texans for Benardrick McKinney.

Not that there ever was a reason to dislike former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson, but now there really isn’t. He’s no long with the Fish.

Last offseason, the Bills opted not to re-sign him. Lawson went on to sign with Buffalo’s AFC East rivals, the Dolphins. Now Miami has traded him.

Over the weekend prior to free agency opening, Lawson, 26, was sent to the Houston Texans, per Dolphins Wire.

In exchange for him, the Dolphins landed linebacker Benardrick McKinney, and the deal also included a swap of late-round draft picks.

Lawson was Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2016. In 2020, he notched 32 tackles, four sacks and scored on a fumble recovery in 14 games played with the Dolphins.

McKinney, a linebacker, was a 2015 second-round pick for the Texans. He only played in four games last season and Pro Football Focus graded him a 58.2 overall mark in those combined outings.

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AFC East news: Former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson was traded

Miami Dolphins traded Shaq Lawson to Houston Texans for Benardrick McKinney.

Not that there ever was a reason to dislike former Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson, but now there really isn’t. He’s no long with the Fish.

Last offseason, the Bills opted not to re-sign him. Lawson went on to sign with Buffalo’s AFC East rivals, the Dolphins. Now Miami has traded him.

Over the weekend prior to free agency opening, Lawson, 26, was sent to the Houston Texans, per Dolphins Wire.

In exchange for him, the Dolphins landed linebacker Benardrick McKinney, and the deal also included a swap of late-round draft picks.

Lawson was Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2016. In 2020, he notched 32 tackles, four sacks and scored on a fumble recovery in 14 games played with the Dolphins.

McKinney, a linebacker, was a 2015 second-round pick for the Texans. He only played in four games last season and Pro Football Focus graded him a 58.2 overall mark in those combined outings.

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Conflicting reports on future for former Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick might retire.

Former Bills quarterback, and all-time fan favorite, Ryan Fitzpatrick, might call it a career soon… or will he?

According to John Clayton via Dolphins Wire, Fitzpatrick, one of Miami’s pending free agents, could be retiring soon:

“Ryan Fitzpatrick looks like he’s going to retire. The Broncos did make some contact with him. He’s been with eight teams and played a long time. But it looks like he’s going to be out of the mix.” – John Clayton, 104.3 The Fan

While that report surfaced last weekend, another via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport rebutted that:

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1369010754226167815?s=20

Fitzpatrick, 38, hasn’t played with the Bills since 2012, but always has folks rooting for him in western New York. Fitzpatrick always found a way to get a pass from Bills Mafia despite having played on other AFC East teams since leaving the Bills.

The QB often touts Buffalo as the favorite place he’s played in his extensive career which has spanned eight different franchises. That helps.

Fitz has yet to officially retire just yet, so maybe he will change his mind as Rap Sheet suggests. In 2020, he did have a 4-3 overall record with the Dolphins and put together some impressive performances. He was benched despite being a big part in the Dolphins’ postseason push, so one could figure that there would be interest in him.

Fitzpatrick’s season ended on the COVID-19 list, though. He had the designation placed on him and did not play in Miami’s season finale vs. the Bills. That loss without him kept the Dolphins out of the postseason.

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Conflicting reports on future for former Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick might retire.

Former Bills quarterback, and all-time fan favorite, Ryan Fitzpatrick, might call it a career soon… or will he?

According to John Clayton via Dolphins Wire, Fitzpatrick, one of Miami’s pending free agents, could be retiring soon:

“Ryan Fitzpatrick looks like he’s going to retire. The Broncos did make some contact with him. He’s been with eight teams and played a long time. But it looks like he’s going to be out of the mix.” – John Clayton, 104.3 The Fan

While that report surfaced last weekend, another via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport rebutted that:

Fitzpatrick, 38, hasn’t played with the Bills since 2012, but always has folks rooting for him in western New York. Fitzpatrick always found a way to get a pass from Bills Mafia despite having played on other AFC East teams since leaving the Bills.

The QB often touts Buffalo as the favorite place he’s played in his extensive career which has spanned eight different franchises. That helps.

Fitz has yet to officially retire just yet, so maybe he will change his mind as Rap Sheet suggests. In 2020, he did have a 4-3 overall record with the Dolphins and put together some impressive performances. He was benched despite being a big part in the Dolphins’ postseason push, so one could figure that there would be interest in him.

Fitzpatrick’s season ended on the COVID-19 list, though. He had the designation placed on him and did not play in Miami’s season finale vs. the Bills. That loss without him kept the Dolphins out of the postseason.

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AFC East news: Dolphins moving on from LB Kyle Van Noy

Buffalo Bills AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins, are moving on from LB Kyle Van Noy.

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy, formerly of the New England Patriots, skipped town to Miami last offseason.

Now he’s soon going to be a former Dolphins player as well in a bit of a shocker.

According to Dolphins Wire on Tuesday, Miami will move on from the 29-year-old only one year into a four-year deal worth $51 million. Unless the Dolphins find a trade partner, Van Noy will be released per the report.

Playing in 14 games last season, Van Noy had solid numbers, including 69 tackles, 10 for loss, six passes defended and two forced fumbles. Coming off of the edge, Pro Football Focus also graded him a 61.6 overall mark in 2020, the 26th best player at his position.

In his contract, Van Noy was essentially paid $15M in guarantees for last year, but will now save the Dolphins near $10M against the salary cap in 2021. Due to COVID-19 last season, the upcoming salary cap is projected to drop to somewhere between $180-185M.

Touch decisions such as this might be en route for other NFL clubs as well in order for them to get into a more comfortable spot in terms of the salary cap. The Bills won’t be a stranger to such things as well.

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ESPN predicts Bills do not defend AFC East title in 2021

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell says Miami Dolphins, not Buffalo Bills, will win AFC East in 2021.

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The Buffalo Bills won their first AFC East title in 25 years this past season. In regard to the division, ESPN predicts they’ll one and done.

The world-wide leader recently penned extremely early 2021 NFL playoff predictions and how the 14-seed postseason will look. Now, the expectation is still that the Bills will be in the dance… but not as divisional winners.

In the estimations, the Miami Dolphins land as the No. 3 seed as AFC East title winners while the Bills slot in at No. 5.

Here’s part of analyst Bill Barnwell’s predicted step back from the Bills next season:

I’m expecting a small step backward for the Bills for a couple of reasons. One is that they went 13-3 with the point differential of a 10.6-win team. They went 4-1 in games decided by seven points or fewer and got to that point differential only after finishing the season by winning three consecutive games by 29-plus points. They have one of the league’s deepest lineups, but they’re basically at the cap line for 2021 before giving Allen a lucrative extension.

The Bills taking a step back could be possible in 2021. The 13 wins Buffalo nabbed last season was a franchise record… so dropping one or two more games next year is fair. However, the Dolphins failed to make the postseason this past season in general…

No playoffs to divisional winner in general is bold, but the added reasoning is an expected step forward, and a big one in that by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa:

Brian Flores’ team probably won’t have Ryan Fitzpatrick back, but it seems fair to suggest that Tua Tagovailoa will be better with a true offseason in his first full year as Miami’s starting quarterback.

We still have a long ways to go until the 2021 season, but as things currently sit, Buffalo is the clear-cut favorite in the AFC East despite ESPN’s prediction. Tagovailoa has a lot to prove and in order to edge out the Bills… he would have to have a Josh Allen type of breakout from this past season. Imagining that happening is very unlikely.

Additionally, the Dolphins had their defense carry them to a 10-6 record this season. Everyone just assumed the Bills defense would just keep churning out productivity this past season as well. Remember how that went?

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