Buffalo Bills overwhelm Dolphins for five consecutive wins over Miami
The Bills defeated over the Dolphins in the game on Thursday however Miami’s worries go beyond the disappointing loss following their quarterback’s concussion.
By Alaina Getzenberg, Marcel Louis-Jacques
Sep 12, 2024, 11:29 PM ET
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Buffalo Bills rolled to yet another win against their rivals the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night with three touchdowns in the first half runs from James Cook and two interceptions by Ja’Marcus ingram to beat Dolphins 31-10. Dolphins 31-10 in Hard Rock Stadium.
The loss was not Miami’s primary problem, however, when their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was struck with concussion into the final quarter. Tagovailoa was immediately dismissed following a game in which the quarterback threw three interceptions the first of which Ingram recovered for a third quarter touchdown. Now, the Dolphins are in limbo when they decide to evaluate Tagovailoa who has experienced concussion problems previously.
These are some of the key information to take away about Thursday night’s game to both teams
Buffalo Bills (2-0)
For the majority throughout Josh Allen‘s career He has been the principal source of Bills scoring touchdowns on the rushing field. However, that wasn’t the case Thursday night during a resounding AFC East victory.
As Allen was dealing with a sprain in his hand that he sustained during a touchdown runor a leap, in more specific terms during the first week of the season, Cook enjoyed a stellar night. Three touchdowns from Cook assisted the Bills to a resounding victory against the Dolphins. In the same match, Cook matched his rushing touchdowns from last season as well as the one prior to it (two at each).
Cook’s first touchdown occurred in the opening game-winning driveafter an intercept made by Ingram -with a 17-yard touchdown catch by Allen. The second score was a one-yard rush in the second quarter, and the third was scored in the very subsequent offensive move. Cook ran 49 yards unaffected to the goal line, putting the Bills ahead 24-7. In the years since ESPN has begun tracking yards prior to Contact in the year 2006 Cook has become the 7th player who has never rushed a touchdown that is at least 49 yards.
The team was able to finish with an impressive 108 yards running and a touchdown, with Cook leading the way with 11 attempts totalling 78 yards, and one catch.
Coordinator of the offensive Joe Brady continues to put emphasis on running the ball. Allen was able to complete the game with 13 passes of 19, which gave him 139 yards and a touchdown.
There’s a new group of characters centered around Allen within the receiver’ area However, this offense has already shown that it is able to score points and make the most of opportunities.
The most surprising performances: The Bills have had success using defense-minded backups before, however Ingram has delivered a stunning assertion in the two initial games. Head coach Sean McDermott said Ingram would be a fit scratch for the first week if defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot was not injured, but Ingram took part in the dime pack following the Nickel corner Taron Johnson injured his forearm. Cam Lewis shifted to nickel and played defense on the final play of the game. In the game against The Dolphins, Ingram — an undrafted free-agent from an undrafted free agent from the University of Buffalo in 2022 who had spent the prior two seasons playing on the practice squadshowed off with two interceptions and the pick-six. In the event that Johnson is back, Ingram is likely to get many more opportunities.
Pivotal game:Up 10-7, on third-and-12 close to the Miami 34-yard line Allen stood in the pocket, and then went to his right and made an impressive 33-yard throw over the body of the running back Ty Johnson. The fantastic throw led to the first rushing touchdown of 1-yard by Cook in the following play, which gave the Bills a lead of two-digits they didn’t relinquish.
Define the game using two terms: statement maker. If there was doubt that the AFC East still runs through Buffalo, New York, it was eliminated by this decisive victory at home. The Bills are currently 20-5 in vs. their division in the year 2020, and Allen’s record in vs. Miami is 12-2. Dolphins has been 12-2. Thursday was also the Bills winning their fifth straight time and, in addition to the postseason, beating Miami.
Positive trend: The defense limited major plays. Tagovailoa was 0-of-4 when passing 15 yards or more and 2-8 for throws of 10 yards downfield. In Week 1 Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray failed to complete a pass that were at least 10 air miles. — Alaina Getzenberg
Next game: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 23)
Miami Dolphins (1-1)
A nightmare.
There’s no better method to explain the Dolphins losing in the Bills.
The team not only lost for the tenth time in their last 11 matches against the AFC East rival, but they could lose their quarterback for an unknown period of time. Tagovailoa sustained a concussion at the end of third quarter following a blow to the helmet caused him to fall to the ground for a few minutes while teammates sat on him.
He was able walk off the field, and then to the locker room with his own strength. There was a collective gasp when Tagovailoa struggled to get up after the strike, Dolphins and Bills fans alike were stunned by an almost silent Hard Rock Stadium.
Tagovailoa’s past concussion history with two concussions diagnosed in 2022’s seasonwhich is likely to mean that the team and him will be watched over in the coming 10 days, under close scrutiny. How will it go if the player passes the NFL’s concussion protocol just in time for Miami’s game against Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. Do you think 10 days would be enough time for the Dolphins to get back into the game as their own quarterback following an injury to the head?
Maybe the Dolphins have him shut down for longer, or perhaps the chance to be on injured reserve? Perhaps even longer? It’s possible to sound excessively dramatic, nothing is off the table when the Dolphins year 2024 has taken an unexpected turn.
The troubling trends:For the second time in the span of a few weeks the Dolphins offense laid eggs in the first quarter. Tagovailoa was the first to throw an intercept of the year during Miami’s opening drive. He then made his second one two drives after. This could be the biggest flaw in the Dolphins game plan due to the fact that Tagovailoa, on both interceptions was aiming receivers he’s not typically throwing tothe likes of Grant DuBose and Robbie Chosen. The only thing that prevented the crowd from leaving at the half was a 78-yard effort of the running forward De’Von Achane. Miami has done every wrong thing it could have done in a game with an opponent it could not afford to be a victim of.
The game can be described with two sentences: Utter disaster. The loss to the blowout was a stinging enough for Dolphins to bear however, the fact that Tagovailoa suffered the third concussion diagnosis of his career may put the remainder of the season in doubt. In light of the circumstances that will take place in 2022, the team is likely to be scrutinized when it determines what it will do to the franchise quarterback.
The prediction for the coming week One bright part of Thursday’s loss was the performance of Achane. He was a key player when Raheem Mostert‘s absence, and racked up an impressive 96 yards in 22 carries, and scoring Miami’s sole touchdown. No matter how healthy Mostert is the next week, look for Achane to be a major player during Week 3 against the Seahawks — particularly when Tagovailoa’s absence isn’t an issue. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
The next game is against the Seattle Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)