Two Bad Plays Give Bills the Win Over the Dolphins

BUFFALO, NY – To the surprise of everyone, this was a competitive game till almost the very end. The Buffalo Bills were heavy favorites in this game, and the Miami Dolphins were considered to have no chance at all to win. Both teams kept the game within a touchdown well into the 4th quarter.

Defensively, the Dolphins were at their best in the 4th quarter in a tied 21-21 game. For Miami, this was their moment on national TV to prove the naysayers wrong and retake the lead. The Dolphins committed two costly plays, which ultimately handed the Bills a 31-21 victory.

Two Bad Moments Gave Away the Game

Buffalo was all set to punt for the third consecutive drive. Neither team had punted more than twice in a row up to this point. Sadly, Zach Sieler committed a costly roughing the kicker penalty. This gave the Bills the automatic 1st down and an additional 15 yards at their 49-yard line.

Buffalo Bills before Zach Sieler's roughing the punter penalty:

➖ Punt
➖ Punt
➖ Punt

Buffalo Bills following Zach Sieler's roughing the punter penalty:

➖ Touchdown
➖ Interception
➖ Field Goal

Game changer. #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/enVfaDB3qh

— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 19, 2025

At this point, the Dolphins seemed to have kept the Josh Allen-led offense in check. However, they ran five successful plays in a row, starting with three rush plays and finishing it off with two pass plays. James Cook had a solid night with 19 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. He got the best of Miami’s defense at times, including his two runs on this drive.

Josh Allen came through as well. He showed why he’s a solid quarterback in the league, capping off the drive with the go-ahead 15-yard touchdown. Allen finished the night completing 22/28 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. When you’re tied in this situation, these are the moments that define your fate, and he passed the test once again.

.@king_khalil2 first TD of the season ‼️

📺: @nflonprime pic.twitter.com/qeYfBGlvCA

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 19, 2025

Tua Tagovailoa, on the other hand, has yet to prove himself as that QB that can be relied on to make an impactful drive late in the 4th quarter. Down by just a score, with seven minutes remaining, he had his opportunity. Honestly, it was looking really good for his offense. His drive had two great passes to Jaylen Waddle. Suddenly, it was 1st down at the Buffalo 21. It seemed like he was going to throw it to Waddle for a third time. Well, he missed badly and got picked off.

There are a handful of quarterbacks in the National Football League who take this opportunity to drive down the field and win the football game for their team.

And then, there’s Tua Tagovailoa.pic.twitter.com/tldpLYzImr

— Don Shula Corleone (@DonShulaCorleon) September 19, 2025

The Bills ultimately settled for three points afterwards.

Impressions

Despite the horrible ending, this was the best game the Dolphins had played so far this season. The Bills were 12.5-point favorites coming into the game. Buffalo had moments where they were shut down on offense and couldn’t read Miami’s defense. The Dolphins finished the game with two more plays on offense and were great on 3rd down, going 10/15.

The play calling could’ve featured a bit more running. The Dolphins had 25 carries for 130 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per run. They were on par with the Bills run game and probably would’ve outplayed them in that department had there been more attempts. Ollie Gordon II was solid with nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Mike McDaniel’s job is safe for now. They only lost to the Bills because of two bad plays, and now they face some winnable opponents. The Jets (0-2), Panthers (0-2), Chargers (2-0), Browns (0-2), and Falcons (1-1) are all next on the schedule. I expect the Dolphins to at least go 3-2 in this stretch. He has over a week to shake things up and keep the morale at a high in the locker room.

Depending on how the next five games go, the Ravens’ game in Miami is the next big test for the team and McDaniel’s job security.

An 0-3 record in the NFL is essentially a death sentence. Since the NFL’s expansion to 12 playoff teams in 1990, 165 teams started the season 0-3. Only four of those ended up playing past the first week of January. No team since the league’s playoff expansion to 14 teams in 2020 has made the postseason after starting 0-3.

About Post Author

Ricardo Urrusuno

He’s a diehard 305 native who roots for his hometown teams in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Recently, he graduated from FIU with an MBA, but now he’s a Lemonhead covering UM basketball. Known to be anywhere and everywhere, you may catch him at a Miami sporting event.

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