Buffalo Bills 31 - 10 Miami Dolphins summary, stats, summary and scores | NFL Week 2
This is a different kind of Buffalo Bills team, and so far it's working. Allen talked about the selflessness of each of the players on the squad, and you can see the results on the field. They are 2-0 and currently leading the AFC East as they seek a fifth straight division title.
Tua put his body on the line trying to make a play for his team, but went in head first after picking up the first down and collided with Damar Hamlin. He went down, and it immediately looked ugly, especially given Tua's concussion history. He went to the locker room on his own feet and was put in concussion protocol and didn't come back for the rest of the game.
The Dolphins got a rare stop to start the second half, and if the Dolphins were going to try to make a comeback that was going to be the moment. Instead, Ja'Marcus Ingram ended the game with this pick six as Tua had pressure in his face again and got picked for a third time. Things would get even worse for Tua.
The defense forced four turnover on downs, and had three interceptions. Technically turnover on downs don't count as turnovers, but no matter the stats, Buffalo's defense dominated the Dolphins all night. Right after the first turnover on downs, Cook took this 49 yard run to the house for his third TD of the first half. He ended the game with 78 yards and two TDs on 11 carries and one catch for 17 yards and a TD.
On the play before James Cook's second TD of the game, the Bills were facing a 3rd and 12 from the MIA 34. Josh Allen rolled to the right side and fired a perfect pass to Ty Johnson for a 33 yard gain down to the 1 yard line. Allen was great in the season opener. He didn't have to be in the game from Miami. He went 13/19 for 139 yards and a TD.
Tua might not have been at fault for the first interception, but this one was all on him. The pass to Robbie Chosen was too tall for the WR who just joined the Dolphins in late August. That would lead to a Tyler Bass field goal that put the Bills up and kept them ahead for the rest of the game.
The Dolphins got one back and tied the game up with a 70 yard, 10 play drive that turned out to be the only drive they would find the endzone. The Bills defense nullified Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle while Tua Tagovailoa dealt with pressure from the Bills front four all night. Tua went 17/25 for 145 yards and threw three picks before he exited the game in the worst possible way.
After the opening drive turnover, the Bills were faced with a 4th and short, and Josh Allen found Cook out of the backfield. The running back slipped past the blitz and raced towards the pylon to get Buffalo's night started.
The Buffalo Bills improved to 2-0 and continued their dominance over the Miami Dolphins with their fifth straight win over their AFC East rivals. James Cook had a monster first half, scoring three TDs in the 31-10 win over Miami.
It might have been Cook's night, but the defense knew they had a job to do against the Dolphins offense and they kept them quiet all night. Ja'Marcus Ingram may have been gifted this INT of the chest of Grant DuBose, but he would earn one later in the game.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Buffalo Bills go into Miami and lay a beatdown on the Dolphins for their fifth straight win in the AFC East rivalry.
Davis runs for a first down on a 9 yard carry up the middle and that's going to do it.
1st and 10 from the MIA 22.
Davis with the run to the left side for no gain and that's going to take us to the Two Minute Warning.
2nd and 10 from the BUF 11.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
Thompson looking to the corner for Chosen and that was broken up by Bishop and the Dolphins turn it over on downs for the fourth time tonight.
BUF ball from the MIA 11 and they will be able to run the clock with a first down.
Pass over the middle is broken up by Benford.
4th and 2 from the BUF 11.
Short out route to Smythe for a gain of 8 yards.
3rd and 2 from the BUF 11.
Pass to the endzone for Hill and that hit off the TEs hand and fell incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the BUF 19.
Thompson over the middle and he finds DuBose for the first down pass on a 16 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the BUF 19.
Pitch to the right side for for Wright who is bottled up for a loss of a yard.
2nd and 11 from the BUF 32.
Thompson throws it up off his back foot for Achane who goes up and snags it for a 16 yard pick up.
1st and 10 from the BUF 31.
Achane to the left side and he picks up 6 yards on first down.
2nd and 4 from the BUF 47.
Pass out of the backfield to Achane and he makes a couple of moves for a 16 yard and a first down.
1st and 10 from the MIA 47.
Pitch to Wright on the left side and he losses four yards.
3rd and 14 from the MIA 31.
After a false start Thompson finds Chosen over the middle for a gain of 5 yards.
2nd and 10 from the MIA 35.
MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!
Bass shanked that one off the inside of his foot and that's about the only thing that hasn't gone the Bills way.
MIA ball from the 35 with 8 minutes to go.
Allen rolling to the right side and let it go at the last second but that pass to Coleman was batted away.
4th and 11 from the MIA 27.
Davis is wrapped up for a loss of three yards by Sieler.
3rd and 11 from the MIA 27.
Davis with the run to the left side and he gets a couple yards on the first down run.
2nd and 8 from the MIA 24.
Allen finds Shakir on the stop route to the right side and he moves the chains with a 12 yard pick up.
1st and 10 from the MIA 26.
Davis gets the handoff agains and he's stopped at the line of scrimmage for no gain.
3rd and 7 from the MIA 38.
Davis with the handoff up the middle and he gets 3 yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the MIA 38.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
After a false start on MIA, Thompson looks to tuck it and run for the first down but he is tripped up after a gain of 4 and the Dolphins turn it over on downs for the 3rd time.
BUF ball from the 41 with under 12:00 to go.
Thompson's pass over the middle was too tall for Smith and that will bring up another 4th down.
4th and 4 from the MIA 42.
Thompson finds Smith on the left for a gain of 6 yards after he breaks a tackle.
3rd and 4 from the MIA 42.
Thompson's pass down the seam to DuBose falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the MIA 36.
Thompson goes back to Achane out of the backfield and this time he gets 15 on the catch and run.
1st and 10 from the MIA 36.
MIA take over from the 20 and Thompson finds Achane out of the backfield for a short gain of a yard.
2nd and 9 from the MIA 21.
Cooks is stopped short of the marker so the Bills will punt early in the 4th.
4th and 2 from the BUF 35.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER WITH THE BILLS IN COMMAND!!!
Allen finds Kincaid who turns up field and picks up 7 yards.
3rd and 2 from the BUF 35.
Cooks with another run up the middle and this time he's stopped for a yard.
2nd and 9 from the BUF 28.
Cooks moves the chains with another run up the middle for a 4 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the BUF 27.
Cooks up the middle and he picks up 8 yards on first down.
2nd and 2 from the BUF 23.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
Miller comes off the edge and drops Thompson on 4th down and the Bills take over from their 15 after the second turnover on downs, to go along with their two interceptions and a pick six.
BUF ball with 43 seconds to go in the 3rd.
Timeout Miami, their second ,with 2:39 to go in the third quarter.
Thompson looking to the endzone for Barrios but he slipped and that pass bounced out of bounds.
4th and Goal for the BUF 7.
Achane up the middle and he is stuffed for a loss of a yard.
3rd and Goal from the BUF 7.
Skylar Thompson in under center, and Achane gets stopped after no gain.
2nd and Goal from the BUF 6.
Tua steps up in the pocket and takes off for the first down, but he dove with his head and took a shot, and that stayed down on the field. That was ugly given Tua's concussion history.
1st and 10 from the BUF 6.
Handoff to Achane and he is swallowed up for a loss of a yard!
4th and 4 from the BUF 13.
Tua with a quick throw to Smith on the stop route that goes for 7 yards.
3rd and 3 from the BUF 11.
Tua to the endzone for Hill but that pass brushes off his fingertips and falls incomplete on the pass over the middle.
2nd and 10 from the BUF 18.
Achane breaks a couple of tackles and moves the chains for a gain of 16.
1st and 10 from the BUF 18.
Wright with a run from the left to the right side in the backfield and he cuts back at the sideline and fights for a gain of 9.
3rd and 1 from the BUF 34.
Tua looking for Hlll on the left sideline but he couldn't drag his second foot inbounds.
2nd and 10 from the BUF 43.
Tua looks off the defender and finds Waddle on the left side on the deep slant for a gain of 21.
1st and 10 from the BUF 43.
Pitch to the left side for Achane who is wrapped up for a loss of 2 yards.
3rd and 4 from the MIA 36.
MIA get the ball back from the 30 and Hlll picks up 8 yards on the pass to the flat and some yards after the catch.
2nd and 2 from the MIA 38.
The pressure got to Tua, and he wasn't even able to throw it to the sideline. Ingram caught it in stride and took it to the house to make it a three TD game. Disaster for the Dolphins.
PICK SIX!!!!
Tua had pressure in his face and tried to throw it away off his back foot, and it didn't get out of bounds. Instead it falls into the hand of Ingram for his second pick of the night!!!
It's officially a blow out here from Miami!!! BUF lead 31-10
Achane with the run to the right side and he's swallowed up after a gain of a yard.
3rd and 5 from the MIA 32.
Achane on the run to the right side for a gain of 4 on first down.
2nd and 6 from the MIA 31.
Tua swings it out to Achane in the flat and he runs out of bounds after getting a first down and a gain of 13 yards.
1st and 10 from the MIA 25.
MIA take over from the 11 and Achane is stopped after a run up the middle for a gain of 1.
2nd and 9 from the MIA 12.
Allen rushed out of the pocket and let it go down field for Valdes-Scantling who was open but that pass was aimed to far towards the sideline.
4th and 7 and the Bills will punt.
Timeout MIA less than three minutes into this second half.
Cooks got the handoff and slipped in the backfield for a loss of one.
3rd and 8 from the BUF 49.
Quick throw to Samuel on the right side and he picks up 3 yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the 50.
Cooks up the middle and he moves the chains with a 5 yard run up the middle.
1st and 10 from the BUF 47.
Allen to the right side and Kincaid makes the short catch and fight for 9 yards.
2nd and 1 from the BUF 42.
BUF take over from the 33 yard line, and they have a chance to break this game wide open.
WE ARE BACK IN MIAMI WITH THE BILLS UP BIG AND GETTING THE BALL AFTER THE HALF.
The Bills came up with a sack on 4th and short and on the very next play Cooks takes it to the house from 48 yards out. He's got a first half hat trick of touchdowns as the Bills lead 24-10 going into the break.
Allen converted a third and long on a 33 yard dime on the run to Johnson at the 1. That set up Cooks second TD, first on the ground.
It was hard to put the first INT on Tua, but the second one looks like it was more on his shoulders. The pass was clearly over thrown, even though Chosen might have pulled up. Benford didn't mind as it fell right into his hands.
The only bright spot for MIA came on their second drive where they went 70 yards in 10 plays. There has been no big plays from this explosive offense even though they have Achane in the backfield and Hill and Waddle out wide.
On fourth down, Allen finds Cook for his first of three first half TDs. This one was a perfect play call as Cook slips under the blitz and races to the endzone untouched.
It was a bad omen for the Dolphins seeing this pass picked off after it hit DuBose in the chest and got intercepted by Ingram to set up the game's first score.
WE ARE HEADED TO HALFTIME WITH THE BILLS ALL OVER THE DOLPHINS IN MIAMI!!!
FIELD GOAL!!!
Sanders hits the 34 yarder to a palpable silence around the stadium here in Miami.
BUF lead 24-10 with 4 seconds to go.
Tua steps up and just throws it away to make sure the FG unit has time to do their thing.
3rd and 3 from the BUF 16.
Tua to the outside for Smith on the sideline and he picks up 7 yards and gets out of bounds with 12 seconds left.
2nd and 3 from the BUF 16.
Timeout MIA with 16 seconds to go. That's their final one.
Hill over the middle and he moves the chains with a 6 yard pick up.
1st and 10 from the BUF 23.
Screen pass set up to Wilson and he picks up 6 yards and they take a timeout with 21 seconds left.
2nd and 4 from the BUF 29.
Tua tucks it and runs after a roll out to the left side and he runs out of bounds to stop the clock with a first down scramble.
1st and 10 from the BUF 35 with 31 on the clock.
Pitch to Achane but that play was blown up for a loss of five after an ugly play from MIA.
3rd and 11 from the BUF 45.
Short pass to Achane for a gain of 5 yards and he gets out of bounds with 57 on the clock.
2nd and 5 from the BUF 40.
Short out route to Smith for a short pick up but that will move the chains.
1st and 10 from the BUF 45.
Sweep to Achane on the left side and he gets 4 yards out of the break.
3rd and 3 from the 50.
Run to the right side and it's Achane who gets 3 yards as we go to the Two Minute Warning here from Miami.
2nd and 7 from the MIA 46 when we come back.
Screen set up for Achane and he takes it down field for a gain of 13 to move the chains.
1st and 10 from the MIA 43.
MIA take over from the 30 with 3:36 to go in the half and and Waddle is chopped down for no gain after a pass to the flat.
2nd and 10 from the MIA 30.
The onslaught continues in South Beach. Cook made this look easy from 48 yards out for his second TD of the quarter.
TOUCHDOWN BILLS!!!
On the first play after the turnover on downs it's Cook up the middle and he bursts into the secondary and outruns everyone to the endzone for the 49 yard TD run!!!
It's a bloodbath here from MIA!!! BUF lead 24-7!
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
The offense stays on the field and Tua is dropped by Oliver and the boo birds are starting to sound in South Beach.
1st and 10 Bills from the MIA 48.
Handoff to the full back and this time it's Ingold who is stuffed for a loss of a yard!
4th and 2 from the BUF 45.
Achane gets it again and he is cut down just short of the marker.
3rd and 1 from the BUF 44.
Achane up the middle again and he picks up 5 yards on first down.
2nd and 5 from the BUF 48.
MIA start the drive from the 30 and Achane breaks a big run for 17 yards and a rare cheer rings around Hard Rock Stadium.
1st and 10 from the MIA 47.
The Bills are all over the Dolphins a quarter and a half into this game. Allen has been on the money, while Tua has thrown two picks. It was Cook punching it in to stretch the lead to 10.
TOUCHDOWN BILLS!!!
Cook gets the handoff and he punches it in from a yard out after the long third down coversion!
BUF are all over MIA, 17-7 with 6:25 to go.
On 3rd and long Allen rolls to the right side and fires a strike to Johnson for a 33 yard completion inside the five yard line!
1st and Goal from the 1.
After a false start backs the Bills up 5 yards, Allen goes over the middle on a short pass to Shakir for a gain of 3 yards.
3rd and 13 from the MIA 35.
Handoff to the right side for Davis and he is brought down for a loss of 1.
2nd and 11 from the MIA 33.
Davis gets it back up the middle and he weaves his way through traffic for another 1st down.
1st and 10 from the MIA 32.
Davis gets the handoff up the middle and he gets 8 yards up the middle.
2nd and 2 from the MIA 42.
Allen over the middle for Shakir who makes the catch for a gain of 21 yards and tack on another 15 after a hit to the head on Poyer.
1st and 10 from the 50.
BUF take over from their 15 and Allen finds Davis on the pass out of the backfield but he's chased down for a loss of a yard.
2nd and 11 from the BUF 14.
Tua was looking for Hill on the deep slant, and that pass was just a yard too far out in front of him and the Fins will punt.
4th and 2 from the MIA 28.
A little pitch screen pass set up for Smith who follows his defenders for a 14 yard gain. Nice play call there to set up 3rd and short.
3rd and 2 from the MIA 28.
Wright up the middle and he finds a hole for a first down, but a holding call is going to bring that run back.
2nd and 16 from the MIA 24.
Wright in the backfield and he gets the handoff to the left side, picking up 4 yards on first down.
2nd and 6 from the MIA 34.
MIA get the ball back from the 30 looking to respond again after a second turnover leads to points.
FIELD GOAL!!!
The Bills retake the lead with a Bass FG that splits the uprights from 43 yards out.
BUF lead 10-7 with 12:41 to go.
Allen had time in the pocket but felt it running out and skipped his pass to Johnson off the grass.
4th and 7 from the BUF 25.
Allen takes a shot to the end zone for Samuel but the coverage was fantastic and the Bills are facing 3rd and long.
3rd and 7 from the BUF 25.
Cook was tripped up in the backfield but kept his feet and fights for a gain of 3.
2nd and 7 from the MIA 25.
Allen over the middle for Shakir who moves the chains with an 11 yard pitch and catch.
1st and 10 from the MIA 28.
Allen tucks and runs to the right side and slides down for a three yard gain.
3rd and 5 from the MIA 39.
The first pick was all on the WR, but Tua looks like he and Chosen just weren't on the same page here because that fell right into the hands of Benford.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER HERE FROM MIAMI!!!
End around for Shakir on the left side and he picks up 2 yards.
2nd and 8 from the MIA 42.
INTERCEPTION!!!
The Bills pick off Tua for the second time in the first quarter!!! He was looking for Chosen on pass down the left sideline and that was over thrown and falls right into the hands of Benford!
1st and 10 from the MIA 44.
Hill with the end around and he speeds down the field for a first down and a gain of 12.
1st and 10 from the BUF 27.
MIA take over from the 14 and Achane gets a yard on a run up the middle.
2nd and 1 from the MIA 15.
Allen fumbled the snap out of the shotgun, picked it up, rolled out of the pocket but his pass was batted down by Campbell and the Bills will punt.
4th and 1 from the BUF 39.
Allen looking over the middle for Shakir who makes the catch short of the first down marker.
3rd and 1 from the BUF 39.
Here comes BUF starting their second drive from the 30.
Cook gets the handoff up the middle and he picks up 2 yards on first down.
2nd and 8 from the BUF 32.
The Dolphins respond after an opening possession turnover, and it's Achane with the 5 yard catch and walk into the endzone after a 10 play, 70 yard drive.
TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS!!!
Tua went through his progressions and finds Achane in the flat and he walks into the endzone from five yards out!
MIA tie it up with 3:00 to go in the first quarter.
After a false start on the 1, Achane gets the handoff up the middle and he is stopped after maybe a gain of a yard.
2nd and Goal from the 5.
Tua steps up in the pocket and hits Waddle over the middle while on the move and he gets down to the one yard line!
1st and Goal from the BUF 1.
Tua checks down to Wilson on a pass to the short left and he picks up 6 yards to bring up 3rd and short.
3rd and 4 from the BUF 18.
Achane gets the handoff out of the shotgun again, and he is dropped at the line of scrimmage.
2nd and 10 from the BUF 24.
Achane gets the handoff up the middle and he picks up the first down with a 8 yard run.
1st and 10 from the BUF 24.
After a false start on MIA, Achane gets the handoff gets the pitch to the right side and he turns on the jets with a group of blockers ahead of him for a gain of 14.
2nd and 1 from the BUF 32.
Tua with a little touch pass to Hill in the backfield and he races for a gain of 10 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the BUF 41.
Waddle on the end around from left to right and he is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 5.
2nd and 5 from the 50.
MIA will try it again from their own 30 and Tus finds Smith on the screen and he follows his defenders down field for a gain of 15 yards.
1st and 10 from the MIA 45.
On 4th and 3 the Bills come up with the perfect play call, as Cook slips behind the blitz ad had nothing but open field for the 17 yard TD.
Hard to blame the QB when the throw hits a WR in the numbers, luckily for BUF DuBose wasn't ready and Ingram was.
TOUCHDOWN BILLS!!!
On fouth down, the Dolphins bring the blitz off the left side and that's exactly where Cook slipped out of the backfield for a short pass. He turns up field and sprints to the pylon for the game's opening score!
BUF strike first. They are up 7-0 five minutes into this game. The Dolphins have to be thinking, "here we go again."
Allen has to take the Bills first timeout with the clock winding down.
Johnson gets the handoff up the middle out of the shotgun and he is blow up in the backfield for a loss of two yards.
4th and 3 from the MIA 17 and the offense is staying on the field.
Allen pushed out of the pocket and just throws it away with nothing open downfield.
3rd and 1 from the MIA 15.
Quick pass to the right side for Kincaid who picks up another 9 yards on first down.
2nd and 1 from the MIA 15.
Cook up the middle and he shuffles past a couple defenders for a gain of 4 and a first down.
1st and 10 from the MIA 24.
Allen looks left for Kincaid who takes it for 9 yard catch and run.
2nd and 1 from the MIA 28.
INTERCEPTION!!!
Tua laid a dime right on the chest of DuBose who wasn't ready for the pass, and it bounces off this pads and into the hands of Ingram who takes it all the way back to the MIA 37.
1st and 10 BUF!
Tua goes deep down the field for Hill but the pass was over thrown and well covered by the Bills.
3rd and 13 from the MIA 39.
Pitch to Achane on the right side but Douglas comes streaking in and drags him down for a loss of three.
2nd and 13 from the MIA 39.
Handoff to the full back Ingold and he moves the chains with a gain of thee.
1st and 10 from the MIA 42.
First handoff to Achane up the middle, and he picks up 6 yards for the man who was listed as questionable coming into the night.
3rd and 1 from the MIA 39.
The Dolphins start the game off with the ball, so here comes Tua and the offense from their own 30.
Short pass to the left side for Waddle for a pickup of 3 yards.
2nd and 7 from the MIA 33.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM MIAMI!!!
Tonight's odds
The Dolphins are still favored in this game despite their injury problems in the backfield. They are a 2.5 point favorite with the Over/Under set at 48.5. For a run down of the history and a prediction of tonight’s Thursday Night game click the link below.
Throwbacks in the 305
The Dolphins are bringing out the big guns for this huge early season matchup with the Bills. They will be wearing their throw back jerseys as they pay homage to some of the great Dolphin teams of the past. This brings back undefeated season vibes, and Dan Marino vibes, and if recent history gives us any idea of how this game will go, they Dolphins will need all the vibes they can get.
MVP odds
Patrick Mahomes came in to the season as the favorite to win the MVP for a third time in his short career, and didn’t do much to lose his position at the top of the leaderboard. Josh Allen wasn’t far behind to start the season and after his heroics against Arizona, his has jumped up to second in on the betting boards. He is now +550 sitting right behind Mahomes as +400. If your looking for a list of top favorites coming into Week 2, we’ve got you covered.
Super Bowl odds
Coming into the season, neither of these two teams were in the top five favorites to win the Super Bowl in the eyes of the MGM odds makers. The Bills were seventh on the list at +1600, and the Dolphins didn’t even crack the top 10. After Week 1, those lines have change quite a bit, with the biggest losers being the Cincinnati Bengals who went from +1300 to +2000.
Chiefs +450
Niners +550
Lions +1000
Eagles +1000
Ravens +1200
Cowboys +1400
Texans +1400
Bills +1600
Dolphins +2000
Bills Mafia represent
It wouldn’t be a Bills game with out a little Bills Mafia. You can be sure that some of the biggest and most faithful fans will have made the trip down to Miami to cheer on their team and smash a few plastic tables along the way.
Allen vs. Dolphins
Josh Allen and the Bills barley know what it’s like to lose to the Miami Dolphins. Since he was drafted six seasons ago, Allen has won 11 of 12 games against the Dolphins where Tua is just 1-6 against his division rivals. The Bills have won four straight including a Wild Card round playoff game in 2023, but there are a lot of people saying that this is the Dolphins year. This game could be an indication that there is a change of wind coming in the division, or if the Bills still have the Dolphins number.
Hill speaks out after incident
It was the off the field headline of Week 1. Tyreek Hill in a dust up with Dade County police right outside of the Dolphins Stadium. Since the incident, players, coaches, and the police department have sounded off on what has been portrayed as excessive force on the star WR after not fully cooperating with the officers involves. Hill has admitted he could have handled the incident differently but feels that the officer who was the principal culprit of the acts of excess should be fired.
“I will say I could have been better,” Hill said. “I could have let down my window in that instant. But the thing about me is, I don’t want attention. I don’t want to be cameras-out, phones-on-you in that moment. But at the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve got to follow rules. I’ve got to do what everyone else would do.
“Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not,” Hill continued. “But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.”
How and where to watch
We might have changed things up starting the coverage of the Thursday Night Game a bit earlier than usual, but don’t worry the broadcast of the game is set for the same time as always. We will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET with the game being broadcasted on Amazon Prime Video in the US. Here’s my guy Andy Restrepo with a full run down on how and where to watch.
Hamlin back in starting unit
One of the biggest bits of news, that transcends just sports is the return of Damar Hamlin to the Bills starting unit on defense. He nearly died on the football field in January of 2023 in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and less than a two years later he is fully back. Last year he played mostly on special teams, but in Week 1 he returned as a starter, 611 days after he was brought back to life on that winter night in Cincy.
Bills last year
The Bills got off to a bumpy start to the season after losing to the Jets in the famous Aaron Rodgers Achilles game. A Jets punt return would down them and they hovered around .500 until their BYE Week in Week 13. The rest did them well and they came out on fire during the final stretch, winning their final five games, against teams like KC, Dallas and Miami. They won the division for a fourth straight time and met the Steelers in the playoffs. With no TJ Watt and no offense, Pittsburgh struggled against the Bills who advanced to take on the Chiefs in the next round, this time in Buffalo. Two TD catches from Travis Kelce and an early fourth quarter TD run from Isiah Pacheco was enough to eliminate the Bills who once again fell short to the Chiefs.
Last year: Dolphins
Miami swept through the the first three games of the season last year, scoring a total of 120 points over the course of those games, and everyone was going wild in South Beach as title talk stirred the shores of the Ocean Drive. That talk was shut down quickly by this very Bills team who beat them 48-20 in Orchard Park the next week, but the Dolphins would bounce back and have a great rest of the season. Their only trouble came when they played good teams. Only one of their 11 wins came against a team with a winning record, and on the final week of the season they had a chance to win the division, with a win at home over the Bills, but again they fell short. They would meet the Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs and the Chiefs would hold this offense to just 7 points in the 26–7 loss from a frigid Arrowhead.
Allen at risk this season
We have already talked about how just how much weight Josh Allen carries on his shoulders after the organization put their trust in rookies to come to Buffalo and take the place of seasoned WRs like Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. That means he has the green light to throw when he wants and run when he wants. He took an awkward fall in the season opener and had to wear a protective glove in practice this week, but he is ready to go tonight and the Bills Mafia will be praying that he can stay healthy for the rest of the season.
Injury report
We have talked about the headline injuries for the Dolphins who will have to dig deep down their RB room. The Bills on the other hand are banged up on the other side of the ball. If neither Dawuane Smoot and Javon Solomon don’t play at DE, then that means Tua Tagovailoa will have much more time to operate from the pocket. Our Jennifer Bubel has more.
Tale of the tape
Aside from being division rivals and meeting twice a year, these two teams have grown even more familiar considering they had a playoff matchup in January of 2023 so this is their fourth game in the last 20 month. The Dolphins hold the historical advantage with a record of 62-58-1 coming into tonight, but it’s the Bills who have won the last four games, and have won the last four AFC East titles since Tom Brady left New England and the Patriots dynasty came to an end. The Dolphins should be sensing that this will be their best chance at winning the division, but the Bills will have other ideas. Tonight’s game should go a long way in determining how the rest of the season plays out in the division.
Dolphins troublesome RB situation
Miami’s running game was essentially non existent against the Jags front four. It was a RB by committee as Jeff Wilson led the team in rushing with 26 yards, while Achane had the most carries with 24 yards on 10 carries. Raheem Mostert struggled with his six carried, gaining only 9 yards. Tonight it looks like it could to be all up to Jeff Wilson Jr. seeing as Mostert has been ruled out with a chest injury while Achane is a game-time decision with an ankle injury. Wilson has been a part of the Dolphins for the las couple years, but has played second fiddle to Mostert and Achane for most of that time. Tonight could be his time to shine against a Bills defense that gave up over 120 yards rushing last week.
Star watch: Bills
With all of Josh Allen’s favorite weapons from the last few seasons departing during summer, the Bills QB knows that he has even more responsibility resting on his shoulders this year. If the first game of the season told us anything, it’s that Allen is ready for the burden of putting this team on his shoulders and carrying them to the finish line like he did against the Cardinals. He’s got Khalil Shakir back from last season, but he’s had to make do with two rookies Mack Hollins and Keon Coleman who are looking to fill the vacancy left by Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis who left during the summer.
Star watch: Dolphins
Miami’s offense has been one of the best in the biz over the last couple years. That’s why it was so strange to see them struggle to move the ball on the Jaguars last week. It would be shocking to see them go through those same struggles for a second straight week. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had 240 of the Dolphins 338 receiving yards against the Jags. This is the Dolphins secret to success, but it’s not secret at all. You know what’s coming and Miami comes out and says stop us if you can.
Last game: Bills
The Bills came out of the gate slow to start their season, allowing the Cardinals to jump out to a 10 point lead, but Josh Allen and Buffalo came roaring back. Once Allen found the end zone with 19 seconds to go in the first half, the home team went into the halftime break with all the momentum from Orchard Park. They would score a TD to tie the game up on the open drive of second half, with the first of Allen’s two TD passes in the 3rd quarter. The first was to new target Mack Hollins, the second to Khalil Shakir on an 11 yard TD pass late in the 3rd quarter as the Bills took their first lead of the day. Allen would extend the lead with his second rushing TD of the day, and secure the first win of the season from Highmark Stadium.
Must see matchups this week
This is the first of a handful of can’t miss matchups this week. The Bills and Dolphins kick off a busy week with an AFC East rivalry, but there will be plenty of mouthwatering games coming up this week. We have the Saints and the Cowboys on FOX’s Game of the Week. We have the Jags and Browns playing after both teams came out and laid duds in Week 1. The Bengals and Chiefs will face off from Arrowhead as Cincy looks to get back on track against the two time defending champions following their disastrous start to the season.
Allen’s boo
Josh Allen has enjoyed a career full of success on the field, and off the field he hasn’t been doing too bad either. Although there are claims that the Bills QB and Hailee Steinfeld have been dating since May of last year, it hasn’t been made public until over recently. Here’s more on the two lovebirds relationship thanks to Jen Bubel.
Last game: Dolphins
Miami had a first half to forget in their Week 1 game against the Jags. They went down by two touchdowns before De’Von Achane’s one yard TD run late in the second quarter. The Jags were still in control of the game, and could have taken a commanding lead over the Fins but Travis Etienne fumbled right before the goal line and a play later Tyreek Hill took an 80 yard catch and run to the house to cut the lead to three points. The Miami defense came up with a few massive stops to give Jason Sanders a chance to tie the game up 4:22 to go and win the game with a 52 yard field goal as the clock ran out.
We are live from Hard Rock Stadium
Hello everyone and welcome to South Beach where the Miami Dolphins are back home for a second straight week looking to stretch their record to 2-0. They had a sluggish start to their opening game of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Tyreek Hill and the offense ignited in the second half. The Bills had a similar start to the game, and needed a heroic effort from their QB/Superhero Josh Allen who led his team to a spectacular comeback over the Arizona Cardinals. Tonight one team will take an early lead in the division, and even though it’s Week 2, tonight’s game could go a long way in determining who wins the AFC East in a few months time.
Bills vs. Dolphins
It’s an AFC East battle from South Beach as two teams looking for the early edge in the division lock horns on Thursday Night Football. Both teams are coming off of narrow Week 1 wins and only one team will come out of tonight undefeated. It’s the Buffalo Bill taking on the Miami Dolphins from Hard Rock Stadium and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of this divisional battle from Miami.