The Miami Dolphins were on top of the world after scoring 70 points against the Denver Broncos just a week ago. However, in the NFL, humble pie is served relatively quickly. The humbling came in a 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills, who are still the big bad in the AFC East. The game started well, with the Bills and Dolphins going blow for blow to reach a 14-14 tie by the start of the second quarter. After that, it quickly got out of hand. The Bills continued to score, and the Dolphins could no longer keep up. Thanks to two more touchdowns by Stefon Diggs, the Bills took a 31-14 lead into the half. The Dolphins started with the ball and cut the lead to 11 thanks to a Braxton Berrios touchdown catch. The Bills would continue to look unstoppable and would ultimately go on to win the game.
Defensive WoesÂ
Stefon Diggs is one of those wide receivers in the league that is typically difficult to cover, and based on his six-catch, 120-yard, and three-touchdown performance, I would say that’s true. Second-year corner Kader Kohou was tasked with the matchup, but it was apparent early on that wasn’t the answer. I know that Xavien Howard has struggled with Diggs, but letting him get some work in coverage might’ve softened the blow. Some crucial penalties on Kohou aided the Bills, but that’s part of the game. The defensive front, albeit sans Jaelan Phillips, failed to produce any pressure on Allen, allowing him to operate from a clean pocket and make plays as soon as coverage broke down. Vic Fangio will study this tape and figure out what adjustments need to be made to avoid these problems in the future.
Offensive StrugglesÂ
Jaylen Waddle made his return from concussion protocol after missing last week’s game, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw his stats. Waddle finished with four catches for 46 yards, and Tyreek Hill finished with three for 58 yards; both were targeted five times. Granted, Tua was playing behind backup center Liam Eichenberg, and after Terron Armstead left the game, he had Kendall Lamm protecting the left side. The Bills defensive front had no issue getting to Tua, who had entered the game being sacked only once but finished this game being sacked four times. Aside from the sacks and lack of explosives from our top two receivers, Raheem Mostert fumbled twice, losing one. It was a case of whatever could go wrong did go wrong. We also witnessed some of the same issues we saw in the playoff game last year: the offense getting to the line with under 10 seconds on the play clock. All these problems are fixable, and I trust McDaniel to do so, but it’s rough when the issues happen in a game of this magnitude.
Bright SpotsÂ
De’Von Achane may find himself as the top running back on the depth chart sooner rather than later. Achane was the most productive Dolphin on the day, finishing with 8 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Achane now has six touchdowns in two games, leading all rookie running backs. Andrew Van Ginkel might be the team’s best defensive weapon right now; he excels as a pass rusher and tackler. If you look at the team stats, the Dolphins and Bills were very close, the difference coming in sacks, turnovers, and points. The final bright spot is that it’s one game, and it’s only week four; there’s plenty of time to make corrections, and we will play the Bills again at the end of the season in Miami.
The Dolphins were riding high after three weeks and got punched in the mouth. It was a disappointing loss, but it gave the team more adversity to turn into opportunity. Next week, the Dolphins will look to bounce back against the New York Giants. The team is still 3-1 and tied for the division lead, and this season is far from over.
The offensive line deserved all the kudos and props first three games. This time, with Liam ‘Nielsen’ Eichenberg at center, then losing Armstead, it was too much on Tua to handle. The timing was all off and the Buffalo rush was on. Two turnovers led to scores for the Snow Cows, and the continuous pressure on the pass game, which was needed to try and come from behind, vs the run game was off and stayed off. It was an onslaught and it usually is in Buffalo. No worries however, 3-1 at this point is great. Maybe the Bills have a let down all the way to London and lose to a Jags team that did beat them last year. The finale in Miami will be different. It could be for the division and the Phins will have their revenge. The defense should be better by then with Ramsey. It sure couldn’t get worse.