Tag: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ed Oliver still looking for first ‘real’ sack

Buffalo Bills DT Ed Oliver on sack of Ryan Fitzpatrick, pass rush, in 37-20 win vs. Miami Dolphins in Week 11.

Ed Oliver’s rookie season for the Bills is 11 games in. But he’s still searching for his first “real” sack, he said following Buffalo’s 37-20 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Technically, Oliver has two sacks to his name this season, both have come against the Dolphins. His first came in Week 7 against receiver Albert Wilson on a trick play, so a bit of an asterisk there.

Oliver did take down Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 11, but he’s still not counting it. Why? Because it was too easy, he said.

“Still not [a] legitimate [sack]. The O-line was confused. I don’t know what they was doing,” Oliver said. “I just said, they got the ball, hit the dude with the ball so that’s what I did.

“It’s not really nothing I did, besides tackle the quarterback. They messed up and I capitalized on it,” Oliver added.

To the rookie’s point, it looked like a miscommunication on the play as Oliver went in untouched and tackled Fitzpatrick for an easy sack, almost immediately after the snap.

However, the Bills’ pass rush didn’t stop there on the day. Against the Dolphins, just about everyone on the defensive line, including every interior lineman such as Oliver, Star Lotulelei, Jordan Phillips and newcomer Corey Liuget, had a sack. Buffalo totaled seven by the final whistle.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott credited an aggressive gameplan which was clearly successful for the reason why the Bills got into the backfield so often.

“They were aggressive, they were aggressive,” McDermott said. “Just the overall aggressiveness, I think overall, was there … was where it needed to be.”

But Oliver actually didn’t compliment anything on defense when giving his take on the pass rush’s success. Instead, Oliver gave the credit to a complement. The one provided from a 37-point outing from the Bills offense.

“When you get up, it opens up the game for the pass rush,” Oliver said. “Complementary football, the offense and defense working together.”

“Everybody was eating today,” Oliver added on the pass rush.

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Report card: Bills win 37-20 vs. Dolphins

The Bills came out swinging against the Dolphins, who took an early lead and never looked back.

The Buffalo Bills continued their strong road performances this season with 37-20 win over the Miami Dolphins. The Bills are now 7-3, sitting pretty for a wild card spot.

After their loss against the Browns, the Bills offense was called into question by both their fans and the media. The Bills responded by pouring on 37 points against a poor Miami defense.

The Bills defense also came out and stopped the run, as well as getting pressure to the quarterback. It wasn’t a perfect game from Buffalo, but a step in the right direction after the disappointing loss to Cleveland.

After the victory in Miami, here’s how the Bills graded in this week’s report card:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Quarterback: A-

This was possibly the best performance by Josh Allen in his young career. Allen started the game strong, but on the first two drives he couldn’t create touchdowns, only field goals. On the third drive Allen found receiver John Brown for a 40-yard touchdown strike. Allen hit Brown who was streaking down the sideline, and Brown bumped off a defender before heading into the end zone.

After a drive that led to just a field goal, Allen worked some red zone magic and found tight end Dawson Knox who shrugged off a defender after the catch to walk in for the score on an all-out blitz from the Dolphins defense. In the third quarter Allen had an eight-yard scramble where he used his speed to reach the outside and hurdle for the score.

It wasn’t a perfect game for Allen, he didn’t complete many deep shots, and had some head scratching throws. Ultimately, Allen had one of the best games of his career. He completed 21 out of his 33 passes, a 63.6 completion percentage, he threw for 256 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

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PODCAST: Has the Bills offense made a turnaround?

Bills Wire Buffalo Bills podcast recap of the team’s Week 11 win over the Miami Dolphins.

The Buffalo Bills went down to Miami and took care of the business, squishing the “fish”(mammals) in their second encounter of the season with a score of 37-20. It was the most points accrued by this Bills offense all season, and they shined in all aspects. Mustached Buffalo offense coordinator Brian Daboll got it done.

Despite what their record may say, Mimai was a valiant team, and had been riding high on a two-game win streak, but the Bills slowed them down. There were a few moments where the Dolphins had opportunities to take over the game, but they could not capitalize.

Miami only attempted to rush a mere 13 attempts for 23 yards, a questionable decision since rushing up the middle worked to their advantage in the first encounter.

The offense for Buffalo was essentially fan service against Miami, and the Bills social media crowd got their way. Devin Singletary was the primary running back, getting key downs and leading the rushing yardage. Quarterback Josh Allen heaved the ball around, hitting wideout John Brown for two touchdown passes, further cementing Brown’s roster spot for years to come. Brown, who many have only viewed as “just a deep ball guy” has shown that he can be the No. 1 receiver that the team has desperately needed for a long time.

Billswire Podcast Hosts Matt Johnson and Jeremy Juhasz explore the big win in Miami, and look ahead ahead toward Denver next week:

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Instant analysis: Bills offense dominant in sweep of Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills got back on the right side of the win column with a convincing 37-20 win Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

The Buffalo Bills got back on the right side of the win column with a convincing 37-20 win Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills allowed Miami to stay within a reasonable distance throughout the afternoon but in reality, the game was in Buffalo’s grasp all day.

It was a solid day for Josh Allen, who just seems to thrive when facing Miami. He accounted for four touchdowns on the day–three through the air and one on the ground.

Each of the aerial scores were impressive plays. John Brown found a space along the sideline against the Dolphins’ cover-two defense and beat the safety for a 40-yard touchdown reception. Dawson Knox displayed his power on a 23-yard touchdown reception, breaking a tackle and rumbling between the center of the field to score on a play where the Dolphins sent an all-out blitz.

To seal the deal, Allen rolled to his right and found Brown for a nine-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a three-score lead in the final frame.

Allen ended the day 21-of-33 for 256 yards through the air. He also added 57 yards on the ground prior to the team’s victory formation.

John Brown was the big winner out wide, as he led the Bills with 137 yards receiving on nine catches. He found space all afternoon in Miami’s secondary, and Allen was decisive in getting the ball in his wideouts hands.

Buffalo’s brass made a concerted effort to get the ball in the hands of Devin Singletary. The rookie shouldered the load throughout the game and helped close out the game in the fourth quarter. Singletary ran 15 times for 75 rushing yards. It’s apparent that he will be the focal point of Buffalo’s ground attack going forward. He did fumble twice, but the Bills recovered both miscues. Still, it’s something that the Florida Atlantic product will need to clean up going forward.

Defensively, Buffalo was in Fitzpatrick’s face all afternoon. The Bills tallied seven sacks. Shaq Lawson, Jordan Phillips, Ed Oliver, Star Lotulelei, Jerry Hughes, and Corey Liuget registered sacks, while Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds split a sack.

Outside of a Devante Parker 50-yard reception, the Dolphins did not produce much on offense. Miami put up some numbers in the fourth quarter after the game was in hand, so the 323 yards allowed through the air is a bit deceiving

Parker ended up with a nice stat line, but he, along with Miami, had little to show for it. Parker reeled in seven catches for 135 yards on the day.

The Bills run defense, which was gouged the past few weeks, made progress this week. Buffalo finished with nine tackles for loss on the day, allowing only 23 yards on the ground.

Buffalo benefited from Maimi’s mistakes. The Dolphins were guilty for six accepted penalties, thwarting progress on several occasions. In addition, wide receiver Allen Hurns fumbled a reception on his own, which Jordan Poyer recovered.

The only concern on the day was the special teams unit. Jakeem Grant ran a kickoff back 101 yards at the end of the first half, a play that he outran the entire coverage unit moving from left to right. There were several players on the Bills unit who were merely diving at air. Grant would average 39.6 yards per kick return.

The unit was out-smarted on an onside kick, one in which Miami kicker Jason Sanders recovered a ground kick by himself.

While the coverage units left a little bit to be desired, the Bills had a sign of relief as Stephen Hauschka returned to form, connecting on all three of his field goal attempts in addition to four successful extra-point tries.

This was the type of game that Buffalo needed. They were the superior team on paper, and they showed it on the field. The Bills’ offensive and defensive units played an ideal game. Buffalo looks to build upon this victory next week, as they take on the Denver Broncos Sunday at New Era Field.

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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.

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WATCH: Bills’ Ed Oliver gets first sack on QB

Ed Oliver sack video on Ryan Fitzpatrick.

So far in his brief NFL career, defensive lineman Ed Oliver only has two sacks. Both have come against the Miami Dolphins.

But finally in Week 11, the rookie notched his first sack… against a quarterback.

In Buffalo’s first meeting with the Dolphins this year, Oliver’s first sack came against wide receiver Albert Wilson on a trick play. On Sunday, he finally pulled a QB down and it was Ryan Fitzpatrick, nonetheless.

Check out Oliver’s first quarterback sack here:

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Bills-Dolphins odds: Buffalo enters as huge road favorite

Previewing Sunday’s Bills at Dolphins NFL matchup with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Buffalo Bills (6-3) travel to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., for an AFC East tilt with the Miami Dolphins (2-7). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. We analyze the Bills-Dolphins sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 11 matchup.

Bills-Dolphins: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.

  • The Bills are coming off a loss in Cleveland in Week 10, while the Dolphins surprised the Colts in Indianapolis last week.
  • Buffalo topped Miami 31-21 on Oct. 20 in Western New York, although the Dolphins did cover.
  • The Bills are 5-2-1 against the spread in their last eight against AFC foes, while the Dolphins are a perfect 4-0 ATS in their past four vs. AFC.
  • Buffalo has posted a 4-0-1 ATS in the past five road games, but is 1-6-1 ATS in its past eight on the road against teams with a losing home mark.
  • The Buffalo defense ranks third in total yards allowed (304.2), passing yards allowed (188.7) and points allowed (16.7) per game.
  • The Dolphins rank 31st in scoring (13.2 points per game), but they are averaging 18.7 PPG across the past four.
  • Miami enters on a 5-0 ATS streak, too.

Bills at Dolphins: Key injuries

Bills: DE Jerry Hughes (groin) did not practice Friday and is considered questionable, while TE Dawson Knox (knee) practiced in full Friday and is off the injury report.

Dolphins: DE Taco Charlton (elbow), S Reshad Jones (chest), LB Raekwon McMillan (knee) and DE Avery Moss (ankle) are questionable, while CB Ken Webster (ankle) is out.

Bills at Dolphins: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 1 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bills 21, Dolphins 17

Moneyline (?)

The Bills (-295) should be able to ease by the Dolphins in South Florida, but a few things concern me about this game. One, the Bills will be playing in the heat and humidity of Miami, although it won’t be blazing hot. And, the Dolphins (+240) suddenly have a belief in themselves after two straight wins against the Jets and Colts.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Bills to win outright returns a $3.40 profit.

Against the Spread (?)

The DOLPHINS (+6.5, -110) were the laughingstock of the league earlier this season, getting their doors blown off in two straight games to open the season. However, they’re 5-0 ATS across the past five and look like an NFL-caliber team again with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. The Bills (-6.5, -110) are a risky play on the road against a team which covered against them in Buffalo in October.

Over/Under (?)

The UNDER 40.5 (-106) is the way to go, although I’d go super light on this one. Miami’s defense is still not a juggernaut, and the Bills are much stronger running the football than slinging it around. As such, running teams equal under results.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Dolphins Dive: Storylines for Week 11 versus the Bills

What are the key storylines to watch this week for the Miami Dolphins in Week 11?

The Miami Dolphins have gone from a winless tank job (or so many would have you believe) to holding back-to-back victories. And if the Dolphins can come back home this week and prevail in their second matchup of the year against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins will officially be streaking with three straight wins for the first time since the beginning of the 2018 season.

The Bills represent a winnable game for Miami, based on each team’s play at this time. In fact, in the 31-21 decision on October 20th earlier this year in Buffalo, they played each other fairly close. The Dolphins were better on third down with fewer penalties. But unfortunately, the Bills didn’t give the ball away — while Miami had two turnovers. Step one to achieving streaking status will be protecting the football.

Ball security will be something to watch — but here are three more storylines in this week’s Dolphins Dive for NFL Week 11.

Mike Gesicki heating up

While critics have called tight end Mike Gesicki a late bloomer, since the departure of running back Kenyan Drake the second year tight end has become more involved when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick needs to check down from a primary target.

In this past two games, Gesicki has caught 9 passes for 123 yards — but he also logged a fumble against the Colts. Can we see Gesicki log a touchdown next?

 Jerome Baker has been on a roll

There have been signs of improvement from the Miami Dolphins as the year has gone on. This is in part thanks to the consistency of linebacker Jerome Baker.

Turning in eight tackles and a forced fumble last week against the Colts, Baker recorded his third straight contest with seven or more tackles posted. His communication and versatility are proving to be key as the Dolphins bank on him to cover a lot of ground and fill a lot of roles. Continuing this pattern would be helpful in securing the ‘W’ over Buffalo.

 Frank Gore needs 73 more

 In addition to facing his former team for the second time this season, future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore is close to beefing up his resume for gold jacket glory. Should he gain 73 yards on Sunday in South Florida, Gore will have passed former Detroit Lion and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for third-highest career rushing yard total. Gore has slowly been phased out of the Bills offense in favor of Devin Singletary — but he’s one big run away from third place on the all-time rushing list.

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Bills at Dolphins: 5 matchups to watch

The Bills will travel to Miami to face the red hot Dolphins who are coming off two wins.

The Buffalo Bills are coming off a disappointing loss on Sunday to the Cleveland Browns, after a last minute touchdown from Baker Mayfield.

The Bills now face the streaking Miami Dolphins who are coming off two unexpected wins. If the Bills can pullout the victory in Miami they can help secure themselves in one of the two Wild Card positions.

That being said, the Bills must win the games within the game to defeat Miami. Here are five matchups to watch during Bills vs. Dolphins:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick 

Josh Allen has been compared to a lot of quarterbacks during his career, including two former Buffalo quarterbacks: Tyrod Taylor, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

While playing Cleveland on Sunday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw the ball 41 times, tying his career-high. He also threw for 266 yards, which is his career-high. That 41 attempts may seem like an outlier, but Allen and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll seem like they want to make that the norm. 

During the week, Allen said that he had the “green light” to take more shots down the field. This could be an excellent week to try this new approach, Miami’s secondary is one of the worst in the NFL, allowing on average 244.9 yards per game. If Allen can take advantage of this green light it may be a long day for the Miami defense. 

If there’s one quarterback in the NFL that always seems to have the green light, it’s Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bills fans remember Fitzy’s time in Buffalo, he had plenty of big moments, but just as many disappointing ones too. 

Fitzpatrick has shown that same inconsistency with the Dolphins. In his first game against Buffalo he showed off his playmaking abilities. He threw for 282 yards, one touchdown, but a crucial interception in the red zone. Fitzpatrick has led the Dolphins to two straight victories, which seemed almost impossible at the beginning of the season. 

If either of these two gunslingers can get their offenses on track early, it will be a tough outing for both defenses. 

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Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick checks in at 26 on starting QB rankings

Remember a few months ago when the Dolphins’ QB situation was the worst in the NFL? That’s not the case anymore according to NFL.com.

The Dolphins’ quarterback situation has been a roller coaster of emotions going all the way back to last March when the team first signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. There was joy that the Ryan Tannehill era was over, followed by the doubt of signing Fitzpatrick if the goal was to “tank”. And then there was the cautious optimism of trading for QB Josh Rosen, followed by the frustration of Miami’s handling of Rosen and the decision to start Fitzpatrick over him to open the season.

Fast forward a month from there and it was Rosen’s show and while things weren’t all that much better on the scoreboard, Rosen had some promising flashes and was declared the starter for the rest of the season. That declaration lasted less than three quarters and Fitzpatrick hasn’t looked back, since leading the Dolphins to two consecutive wins.

The most impressive twist to this story? Fitzpatrick has played pretty good — staying within himself, using his legs to extend plays and doing a great job of working around a balky offensive line to pick up third downs and extend drives. There isn’t the same reckless abandon to his game that NFL fans have been so accustomed to seeing. And it is getting noticed.

No one is going to confuse Ryan Fitzpatrick as a long-term answer for the Dolphins, Father Time will see to that. But getting quarterback play that’s not among the five or six worst situations in the NFL is great progress from where this team started the season in September. And that’s exactly where Fitzpatrick ranks among NFL starters according to an NFL.com panel: 26th in the league.

The “Fitzmagic” hasn’t had the peaks of recent years, but the outbursts and flurries of first downs have positioned the Dolphins to notch two straight wins — and the ranking is well deserved. Heck, Fitzpatrick probably deserves to be even higher on the list! You can make the case that he’s playing better than Daniel Jones and Jared Goff at this point in time, especially considering the supporting casts.

But for now, Dolphins fans can enjoy QB play that’s on the rise — and hope that trend continues next year with another fresh face in the room.

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