Bills vs. Dolphins Notebook: 3 Takeaways From AFC East-Clinching Win
At 6-6, the Buffalo Bills had no margin for error with five games left in the season. Every game, Buffalo for its playoff lives as they looked to make their fifth straight playoff appearance.
Five games later, the Bills are AFC East champions and the No. 2 seed entering the playoffs.
It was far from pretty, but Buffalo overcame many self-inflicted wounds in a 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The Bills' (11-6) resilience shined through much like it has throughout their five-game winning streak. And when they needed quarterback Josh Allen and the defense to step up, they were there when it mattered most to lead Buffalo to its fourth-straight division title.
Here are three takeaways from the Bills' AFC East-clinching victory.
Josh Allen had 426 total yards against the Dolphins.
© Sam Navarro, USA TODAY
Josh Allen Experience In Full Swing:
Few players epitomize living and dying by the sword like Allen.
On one hand, you get two interceptions in the end zone and a fumble in the red zone. On the other hand, you get Allen making multiple big throws and runs in the fourth quarter to lead Buffalo's offense on a game-winning drive.
The Bills quarterback completed 30 of 38 passes for 359 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also the team's leading rusher, running for 67 yards on 15 carries.
It's not an overstatement to say Buffalo could have blown Miami out had Allen taken better care of the ball. He turned the ball over three times inside the red zone and made a huge mistake throwing a pass to running back Ty Johnson short of the end zone at the end of the first half with no timeouts. But the same recklessness that can lead to big mistakes is also what makes him so good.
Allen ran for three first downs in the fourth quarter, including one where he broke multiple tackles for a 15-yard run on 3rd and 13 with just over three minutes left in the game that forced Miami to use all three of its timeouts. He also found Dawson Knox for the four-yard touchdown that put Buffalo up by the final score with 7:16 left in the game.
The Josh Allen experience is a tumultuous one and one that will leave Bills coaches and fans on the edge of their seats with bated breath every time he drops back to pass or tucks the ball to run. But at the end of the day, when all the chips are on the table, and you need a drive to win the game, there aren't many players you'd prefer over Allen to lead the offense.
Deonte Harty Jump-Starts Bills:
After Buffalo's offense couldn't capitalize on two trips into Miami territory to begin the second half, the Bills needed a spark if they were going to escape Miami with a win.
Enter Deonte Harty.
The Bills receiver fielded Jake Bailey's punt at the Bills' 5-yard line, where most punt returners opt to see if the ball will bounce into the end zone for a touchback. Not only did Harty choose to return it, he found a seam and ran right through the Dolphins' special teams unit en route to a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown to tie the game 14-14 with 13:42 left in the fourth quarter.
Harty's touchdown was the longest in franchise history on a punt return.
After Harty's touchdown, the Bills' defense got a three-and-out, and the offense went on a game-winning drive to give Buffalo its first lead, and it was never relinquished.
Special teams often go unsung unless they make a mistake that costs the team. In this case, Harty's punt return gave Buffalo the life it needed to make one final run to pull ahead of Miami and win the division.
Defense Pitches 2nd Half Shutout:
Even with all of the injuries Miami has had to deal with, it still poses one of the most prolific offenses with its speed and scheme.
For the second straight meeting, Buffalo's defense had all of the answers, holding a Dolphins offense that was second in points per game to just 14 and shut them out in the second half. Miami's 14 points were tied for its lowest this season.
The Dolphins averaged an NFL-best 409.19 yards per game heading into Sunday, and the Bills held them to 275 yards. They were also the first team to hold the Dolphins to no points in the second half this season.
Buffalo contained Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to 17 of 27 for 173 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Even when he had a chance to lead Miami on a potential game-tying drive in the final two minutes, a Taylor Rapp interception sealed the game and a stellar outing for the Bills' defense.
If the Bills defense can carry this momentum into the postseason and Allen and the offense can make timely plays, this could be their best chance to make a run after riding a five-game winning streak into the playoffs.
