Bills at Dolphins Recap
The Bills enter their mini-bye 2-0 after a resounding 31-10 victory over the Dolphins on Thursday night. They jumped out front early with their first interception of the evening on the Dolphins’ opening drive after a deflected pass bounced in the air for Ja’Marcus Ingram’s first of two interceptions. The offense took advantage of the short field, and six plays later, Josh Allen found James Cook wide-open on a perfectly executed fourth down play for an early lead and the beginning of Cook’s career night.
The Dolphins responded on the following series with a ten-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a De’Von Achane touchdown. The Dolphins' offense looked more in sync on this drive, but you could see that the offensive line was struggling against the Bills’ pass rush. Tua Tagovaiola relied on quick throws to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle or check-downs to the running backs and tight end. At 7-7, the game appeared to be headed to a potential back-and-forth matchup but changed relatively quickly after the Bills' defense forced their second interception and a three-and-out on the Dolphins’ following two drives. The Bills offense took advantage of the opportunities, resulting in a 43-yard field goal for Tyler Bass and James Cook’s second touchdown capping off an eight-play, 85-yard drive. At 17-7, you could see the pressure mounting on the Dolphins as the Bills’ defense seemed to have an answer for everything they were trying. The Dolphins started their next drive with an Achane 17-yard run followed by three running plays and a 4th and 2 attempt that Ed Oliver snuffed out with the first sack of the game, leading to a turnover on downs. On the first play of the ensuing Bills’ drive, James Cook broke through a massive hole and outraced Jordan Poyer to the sideline for a 49-yard touchdown and his third of the game. At 24-7 with three and a half minutes remaining, the Dolphins appeared content on heading into halftime and trying to regroup. They showed little urgency and moved the ball 16 yards before the 2-minute warning. After getting to the Bills’ 46-yard line, they called their first timeout with only 33 seconds remaining on the clock. They moved to the Bills’ 16-yard line before kicking a 34-yard field goal to make it 24-10. The clock management and play calling was out of character for a usually explosive offense.
The Bills received the ball to start the second half, but it stalled after five plays. After getting a stop they desperately needed, the Dolphins’ offense had a chance to make it a one-score game. The Bills’ pash rush showed up again, with A.J. Epenesa forcing what at first appeared to be a harmless throwaway to the sidelines, instead get intercepted by Ja’Marcus Ingram and returned 31 yards for a touchdown to put the Bills up 31-10. With 9:27 remaining in the third quarter, the game was over. On the Dolphins' next drive, Tagovaiola was knocked out of the game with a concussion resulting from a fourth-down scramble while getting tackled by Damar Hamlin. The Dolphins failed to convert on an ensuing fourth down play and ended the game with three consecutive drives where they turned the ball over on downs.
The flow of the game was disrupted by the turnovers and the short fields that the Bills started with on offense. They ran 25 plays in the first half and had 24 points before their kneel-down to end the half. Outside of Cook, Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, and one big play to Ty Johnson, nobody else on the offense had much chance to get into the mix. I had Achane and Cook as players to watch for each team, and neither of them disappointed. Otherwise, it was a pretty boring game for the offenses. The Bills defense showed up and showed out Thursday night and will be recognized in the five things I liked from this game.
Five Things I Liked
James Cook - Cook had the best game of his career Thursday night. He had the longest run of his career (49 yards), the most touchdowns in a single game (3), and has tied his career high for rushing touchdowns in a season with 2 in this game alone. Credit to the offensive line and playcalling, but Cook is confirming his status as an elite running back in the NFL.
Bobby Babich - Babich had the defense prepared and they executed the game plan to perfection. The Bills’ defense locked down Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle while forcing 3 turnovers, 2 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, 4 passes defended, and 1 touchdown.
Ja'Marcus Ingram - Ingram has stepped up in the absence of Taron Johnson and has shown he is capable of playing at the NFL level. His two interceptions and touchdown were the definition of a prepared player making a play because he was in the right position. The Bills continue to develop unknown defensive backs.
Penalties - the Bills had one penalty for 5 yards.
No Turnovers - a turnover was the only thing that would have allowed the Dolphins to get back into this game. The Bills’ offense shut down the possibility of one with how they handled the second half.
Five Things I Didnt Like
Injuries - Terrel Bernard’s strained pectoral muscle will keep him sidelined for a few weeks. Tua’s head injury has a more complicated timeline. Hopefully, he can recover and decide on his future when the time is right. Suffering four documented concussions in five years is something that has to make you consider your long-term health and quality of life.
Second-Half Offense - The Bills’ offense in the second half was hard to watch. They called plays to run the clock and not extend an already sizeable lead. After two games, we still haven't seen what this offense is capable of.
Tyler Bass Missed FG - I have not had the chance to see the kick again, but it looked ugly seeing it live. I’ve seen reports that the field goal was blocked, but Bass needs to figure this out. With his leg strength at that distance, the ball should not be low enough to be blocked.
Defending RBs - Achane had a massive game in a losing effort. I know the defense did a great job taking Hill and Waddle out of the game, so this isn't as big of a deal because the production will come from somewhere. The Bills will be facing a lot of talented running backs this season, so it is something to be mindful of.
Curtis Samuel Usage - I am nitpicking some, but I was expecting to see more from Samuel in this offense by now. I felt he was a player who would hit the ground running, and it's been far from that. Maybe the time off will help the offense work on some things now that they have two games under their belt.
Next Up: Buffalo vs Jacksonville - Monday, September 23rd, 7:30 PM
