Dolphins Drop Heartbreaker To Bills In Orchard Park

Orchard Park, NY — I didn’t expect this game to be competitive, but the Miami Dolphins held their own and ALMOST beat the Buffalo Bills, losing a heartbreaker by 30-27.

If you thought last week’s game-winning field goal for Arizona was heartbreaking, this was elevated because it was a divisional rival. With 10 seconds to go, Tyler Bass nailed a 61-yard field goal to take the lead. Bass had missed a pair of extra points before that make, but he came up clutch for Buffalo when it mattered the most.

The optimistic reaction is that Miami went toe-to-toe with a playoff contender despite the numerous injuries on defense. The pessimistic reaction is that the Dolphins are now 2-6 and approaching the bottom of the barrel of the AFC.

Can’t Blame It On Uce

Tua Tagovailoa played a fine game last week; today was no exception. He looked sharp, throwing for 25 completions, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Tyreek Hill was utilized for a good chunk of the game, recording 80 yards in the process.

The real star of the show, however, has to be De’Von Achane. The workhorse of this offense did everything you could think of. He racked up 63 rushing yards, 58 receiving yards, and two touchdowns by the air and the ground. It’s becoming increasingly clear to me who the MVP of this team should be.

De’Von Achane is doing it all for the Dolphins today 🐬 pic.twitter.com/42ajx9JTua

— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) November 3, 2024

A disappointing player in this game has to be Raheem Mostert. To clarify, he had a solid game with 88 all-purpose yards, but he coughed up a crucial fumble to start the second half. Miami was poised to score but instead, gave up a touchdown to Buffalo right after. It’s likely the turning point of this game, and the Dolphins continue to struggle to hold on to the ball.

All-in-all, one thing the offense did today was establish the run early. They maintained that as the game continued. This was a well-balanced offense that had the best-looking performance this season for Miami. Just about everyone, from the playmakers to the offensive line, contributed today.

Bruised Up In Buffalo

Miami’s defense came into this game injured from top to bottom, and they certainly played like it. Their defensive line was unable to perform against one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. Josh Allen had ample time to throw the ball all day, though their running game was mediocre at best with 94 total yards.

The Dolphins’ secondary was put to the test and gave up 235 passing yards and three touchdowns. Jalen Ramsey was solid at locking up the receivers he was matched up with, and even snagged an interception off Allen early in the game. Still, Buffalo avoided Ramsey like the plague, and they were successful at that.

A thing of beauty. 🤩@jalenramsey really said GIMME THAT!! pic.twitter.com/R7e06HWBrV

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 3, 2024

I believed that Jordan Poyer would have a solid game today in his return to Buffalo. Instead, he committed a crucial personal foul penalty on Buffalo’s final drive of the game that moved them to midfield. It helped set up their game-winning field goal.

Overall, Miami looked great in this game statistically. They racked up more total yards, more first downs, and led the time of possession. However, costly penalties and an injured defense led to yet another loss to Buffalo. Should it even be considered a rivalry at this point? Rivalries need to be competitive, which hasn’t been the case for this matchup since Allen became the quarterback of the Bills.

The Dolphins will have an extra day to recover as they head to Sofi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, November 11th at 8:15 pm.