Big sport. Big end. Big assertion by the Miami Dolphins, too.
The Dolphins beat the Bills, 21-19, in one other dramatic end to go 3-0 and — sure, it’s early — take first place within the AFC East.
Here are 10 ideas on Sunday’s sport:
1. Play of the sport I: Fourth-and-goal on the 2. A minute, 49 seconds to play. Bills’ Josh Allen has Isaiah McKenzie open within the nook and throws brief — and this Dolphins protection completes one other goal-line stand to go along with their work at Baltimore. This one provides the Dolphins the ball at their 2 and …
Play of the Game II: Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead is in the back of the top zone with the ball on the 1-yard line and punts into the again of blocker Trent Sherfield. Safety. It’s now Miami 21-19 and a discipline objective can win it. Buffalo acquired the ball with 1:25 left, Allen getting a second likelihood and …
Play of the Game III: Allen, working to get his offense below middle on the on the Dolphins 44-yard line, can’t do it shortly sufficient and time runs out. You needed to look ahead to the ref to say, “That’s the end of the game,” to make certain.
2. Tua Tagovailoa eluded a blitz, accomplished a pleasant third-down go within the second quarter after which acquired a shove from Bills linebacker Matt Milano that warranted a roughing penalty. In falling, Tua’s head bounced exhausting off the turf and he appeared to come back up woozy. He instantly was taken out of the sport and went to the locker room. The upshot? The Dolphins mentioned he was “questionable” with a head harm. Both coach Mike McDaniel and Tagovailoa mentioned after the sport the issue was a again harm. Tua’s first play again within the second half was a 22-yard go. For the day, Tagovailoa accomplished 13-of-18 passes for 186 yards and the landing. Postscript: The NFLPA is reportedly investigating the concussion protocol round Tua to see if it was correctly adopted.
3. Stat of the sport: Buffalo ran 90 performs to the Dolphins 39. That’s nuts. It’s mirrored within the time of possession, too, because the Dolphins solely had the ball for 19:20. The sport started with harm points particularly to the Bills protection. As it went on either side misplaced gamers to the warmth, however Buffalo misplaced extra. Buffalo media counted the Bills dropping 13 gamers as the sport performed out, most to the warmth. On a 20-play, 87-yard drive within the third quarter, the Bills ate up 9:22 and gamers from either side dropped out (Xavien Howard was affected by cramping for the Dolphins). But the variety of performs and time of possession in Buffalo’s favor was staggering — and people are normally successful numbers.
4. Give this Dolphins protection full credit score. Buffalo had scored 31 and 41 factors its first two video games. It was up towards a quarterback in Allen that appears like he’s one of the best within the sport proper now. Allen threw 63 passes and had 400 yards passing and two touchdowns Sunday. He ran for one more 47 yards. This protection not solely successfully acquired a turnover off Allen to make it a 7-7 sport, however made him earn every thing. Everything. The Buffalo scoring drives have been 10, 14 and 20 performs — and a 17-play drive ended within the protection stopping Buffalo after first-and-goal from the two. The Bills are a tricky staff, and provides Allen particularly credit score for changing 10 of 16 third downs. But this protection held as much as maybe the league’s greatest offense early this 12 months with large performs of its personal and that’s mark for what’s coming.
5. Buffalo was with out its complete beginning secondary Sunday. The two rookie cornerbacks and two safeties who started the sport had a complete of three begins between them. So it’s no surprise the query was how this Dolphins passing sport would assault them. And? Well, for a lot of three quarters the Bills needed to be completely satisfied in solely actually giving up one landing drive (the second got here after the protection acquired the ball on the Bills’ 6). But then within the fourth quarter Tua and the deep passing sport went to work. He threw 32 yards to an open Jayen Waddle to begin the drive. Then, on third-and-22, Waddle acquired behind the Bills protection for a 45-yard acquire to the Buffalo 6-yard line to arrange the go-ahead landing at 21-17. Buffalo was paying particular consideration to Hill as he solely had 4 targets and two receptions. Waddle had 4 catches for 102 yards.
6. Left deal with Terron Armstead retains displaying his price. Von Miller had two sacks within the first two video games and disrupted play in every of the Bills wins. Miller wasn’t heard from Sunday. He lined up reverse Armstead all day. And all day Armstead stymied him. Midway by means of the fourth quarter, Miller had no tackles, no quarterback pressures and was solely on the stat sheet due to a go defensed. That’s what a star left deal with does.
7. Jevon Holland blitzed off the left facet of the Bills line, sidestepped a block try by Devin Singletary and created the most recent game-changing play by the protection. In the opener, it was a Brandon Jones sack towards New England’s Mac Jones that induced a fumble which bounced into Melvin Ingram’s arms for a landing. This time it was Holland’s blindside hit of Allen that allowed Ingram to recuperate the fumble on the Bills’ 6-yard line. Three gamers later, it was a 7-7 sport.
8. Second-year participant Jaelan Phillips grew to become a goal of questions and pass-rush issues this previous week when it ought to have been a problem for the entire protection. There hadn’t been many Emmanuel Ogbah or Ingram sightings, both. Well Ingram modified that Sunday. He stopped a scrambling Allen in need of the objective line to be credited with one sack, after which sacked him once more within the first half to trigger a fumble that the Bills recovered. Throw in that fumble restoration on Holland’s sack and Ingram had an impactful first half. As for Phillips, you want extra from him, however let’s bear in mind it’s not a straight-line development for many go rushers or edge gamers. In his third 12 months, Jason Taylor had a half-sack by means of eight video games. If that doesn’t inform you to show down the quantity on the second-year Phillips, nothing will.
9. Quick hits:
A. What was Buffalo doing simply earlier than halftime? With 6 seconds left on the Dolphins 34-yard line, Allen appeared like he may have spiked the ball and let Tyler Bass try a 51-yard discipline objective (his lengthy the previous two years was 58 and 57 yards). Instead, Allen threw a brief go to Stefon Diggs and the clock ran out. Why? Allen bobbled the snap and there’s a rule if you happen to bobble a snap you may’t spike the ball. So he needed to undergo with the play;
B. Cornerback Keion Crossen knocked the ball free of Bills receiver Gabe Davis to show a landing into an incompletion. The Bills needed to take a third-quarter discipline objective;
C. Ingram can anticipate a effective for kicking/leg-whipping Allen within the groin.
D. Morstead’s 74-yard punt after the security is a type of under-the-radar performs that gained the sport. Even given the 12 yards punters stand behind the road, it’s an enormous punt. Buffalo began their last-gasp drive on the 23 quite than near the 40 in the way in which many groups do after a security.
10. Next sport: Dolphins at Cincinnati. The dreaded Thursday night time away sport. Actually, there’s no statistical proof displaying any undue bias for information on Thursday night time, residence or away (although Dolphins did lose, 22-7, on Thursday in Cincinnati within the 2016 season). Cincinnati may need had a Super Bowl hangover in beginning 0-2 earlier than beating the Jets on Sunday. Or perhaps it was Joe Burrow lacking the preseason after appendix surgical procedure. Or perhaps they have been simply lucky to make the Super Bowl?
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Source: www.bostonherald.com