5 takeaways from the Bills’ 37-20 win over the Dolphins

Five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 11.

There were some concerns for the Buffalo Bills heading into their Week 11 meeting with the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins entered the game on a two-game winning streak. Could the Bills make that three? Turns out, the answer is now as the Bills topped the Dolphins 37-20, earning a 7-3 record in the process with the win.

With that, here are five takeaways from the Bills’ win over the Dolphins:

Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Stephen Hauschka is back

To keep Stephen Hauschka or not keep Stephen Hauschka? That has been the question for the Bills. In Week 10, Hauschka cost the Bills. First he missed an easy kick from 34 yards in the first half against the Browns in an eventual 19-16 loss. Then the more glaring miss was a wide kick on a potential game-tying kick, but it was a hard one. It was from 53 yards. However, Hauschka missed five-straight kicks from 50-plus yards. It had started to become a concern.

Hauschka put any concerns to rest against Miami. He converted on three kicks against Miami, including his first, from 51. Hauschka also hit from 34 and 21 yards in the win. He said all week he needed to maintain his composure heading into his team’s meeting with the Dolphins after an off-week, and he certainly did.

6 storylines to watch for during Bills at Dolphins

Here are six storylines to follow entering this weekend’s divisional battle between Miami and Buffalo.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. However, the team has a great chance to rebound against its divisional rival, the Miami Dolphins.

The Bills beat the Dolphins at New Era Field only four weeks ago, with Buffalo storming back to score 22 points in the fourth quarter in a come-from-behind victory.

Even though their games are only separated by just about a month, quite a bit has changed for both teams.

Here are six storylines to follow Week 11’s Bills-Dolphins matchup:

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary. Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Can the Bills score points?

There was much to be frustrated about last week for Buffalo. Even with a struggling offense, the team still had the ball in their hands with an opportunity to tie (or even win) the game on their final drive.

There was ample criticism with how the offense has struggled to take a major step forward this season, often relying on the defense to keep them close. There’s only so long that this defense can carry the load.

Fans and analysts alike will watch closely to see if offensive coordinator Brian Daboll can put together a more imaginative plan of action for the offense. The Bills are 25th in the league in scoring offense, averaging 19.3 points per game. This slots them as the lowest-scoring offense among prospective playoff teams. That’s not a promising sign for the Bills.

Bills snap counts: Depth chart breakdown vs. Browns

Buffalo Bills snap counts vs. Cleveland Browns in Week 10, 2019.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills fell is another gross game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, 19-16.

Buffalo falls to 6-3 on the year and with the loss and news around the league, the loss looks like a big one.

Who played the biggest and smallest roles in Buffalo’s defeat?

Here’s a full depth chart break down via snap counts for the Bills vs. the Browns in Week 10:

Offense

Notes:

  • The rotation at right tackle resumed with a health Cody Ford (elbow) in the lineup. Veteran Ty Nsekhe played in 61 percent of snaps while the rookie saw 41 percent.
  • Tight end Lee Smith took two penalties in only 18 snaps played vs. the Browns.
  • Rookie running back Devin Singletary was the No. 1 in terms of snap counts playing in 67 percent of snaps as opposed to Frank Gore’s 33 percent, but Singletary only have eight carries in the game.
  • Rookie tight end Dawson Knox played more snaps than veteran Tyler Kroft for the second-straight week, 58 percent to 43 percent.
  • In terms of snap counts, Isaiah McKenzie saw another big role for the Bills. He played in 66 percent of snaps last week, second-most amongst his position. Against the Browns, he played in 54 percent, trailing Cole Beasley’s 67 percent and John Brown’s 93 percent.

Report card: Bills lose 19-16 to Browns

The Buffalo Bills fall to 6-3 after their loss to the Cleveland Browns. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will be called into question.

The Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns had a slug-fest on Sunday, where the Browns won 19-16 It was an ugly game where both defenses played physical, and forced mistakes.

Neither offense looked impressive, but the *outcome* did enough to give the Browns a victory.

The Bills fall to 6-3 on the year, and here’s how Bills Wire graded things out for Buffalo in Week 10:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

Quarterback: C-

Josh Allen had 41 passing attempts on Sunday, and completing just 53 percent of his passes. That is not very good. Allen throughout the game looked flustered, which lead to plenty of throws going over the heads of his receivers or landing at their feet.

Allen had some moments where he was elusive in the pocket making defenders miss, but he couldn’t find the right the pass in those crucial moments. Allen finished the game with a respectable 266 yards, and didn’t throw an interception but, he didn’t throw a touchdown, either. He was effective with his legs in the redzone though, scoring twice.

Ultimately, Allen had an underwhelming performance that cost Buffalo the victory in Cleveland. Bills fans will be looking for Allen to bounce back next week in Miami.