Week 8: Bills 26, Dolphins 11
At Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park
Observations: Cole Beasley stepped up in second half when Bills needed him most
Plays of the game: Josh Allen led four consecutive second-half scoring drives to take control of what had been a snooze fest.
Gabriel Davis caught an eight-yard touchdown to give the Bills a 10-3 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter. The score capped a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.
Stefon Diggs caught a 19-yard touchdown on Buffalo’s next possession to give the Bills a 17-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. It capped a nine-play, 69-yard scoring drive.
And after the Dolphins scored to make it a one-possession game, Allen guided the Bills on a 14-play, 59-yard drive that chewed more than six minutes off the clock and re-established a two-score lead. Tyler Bass hit a 39-yard field goal for a 20-11 lead with 3 1/2 minutes to play.
Jordan Poyer’s interception in Miami territory set up another quick score, a seven-yard rushing touchdown by Allen.
Allen set a franchise record with 17 touchdowns through seven games. Allen had 16 last year, and Joe Ferguson had 16 in 1981. He also now has a touchdown pass in 15 consecutive games to tie the second-longest streak in team history. Jim Kelly had an 18-game stretch in 1986-87.
For the record: Bills 5-2, 2-0 AFC East; Dolphins 1-7, 1-2 AFC East.
The Bills’ offense struggled to get on track in the first game after the bye week, despite facing the lowly Dolphins, who entered the contest with the worst defense in the NFL in terms of total yards allowed and the second-worst scoring defense in the league.
Bass gave the Bills an early lead with a 57-yard field goal that would have been good from much farther. It was one yard short of his career long and capped a seven-play, 35-yard drive highlighted by Allen’s season-long 34-yard scramble.
The game was tied 3-3 at halftime, thanks to the Dolphins missing a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter and fumbling a snap in the red zone in the final minute of the second quarter.
The Bills nearly handed Miami a gift early in the third quarter, when Isaiah McKenzie muffed a punt that was recovered by Jake Kumerow in the end zone for a touchback.
Then the offense snapped to life, with Allen leading a pair of long touchdown drives.
The Dolphins answered with their first touchdown against the Bills all season. Tua Tagovailoa connected with Mike Gesicki for a 40-yard gain on fourth down, then scored on a quarterback sneak. He hit Gesicki on the two-point conversion to pull within 17-11 with about 9 1/2 minutes to play.
The Bills’ offense bled six minutes off the clock and kicked a field goal to secure the victory and to move to 5-0 after the bye week under Sean McDermott. The Dolphins have lost seven consecutive games.
The Bills have now beaten the Dolphins in seven consecutive games, the longest Buffalo winning streak in the long series history.
Stars of the game
• Josh Allen: 29 of 42 for 249 yards, two TDs, 100.2 rating. Also 55 rushing yards, TD on eight carries.
• Cole Beasley: 10 catches on 13 targets for 110 yards.
• Jordan Poyer: Team-high nine tackles, interception.
Allen’s rushing record: Josh Allen’s 28th career rushing touchdown tied Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 career starts in NFL history, per the Bills.
Stingy starts: The Bills have allowed only three points on opponents’ opening drives this season, tied with the New York Giants for the fewest in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Dolphins drove 56 yards in 11 plays on their opening possession Sunday but came up empty-handed when Jason Sanders missed a 36-yard field goal attempt wide left.
Shutout streak ends: The Bills’ shutout streak against the Dolphins this season ended at 81 minutes and 50 seconds, when Sanders hit a 51-yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3 with 8:10 remaining in the second quarter. The Bills won the first meeting this season 35-0 in Miami.
Boettger over Ford: Cody Ford has tumbled down the depth chart. The 2019 second round pick, who started three games at left guard before being benched, remained sidelined Sunday, when right tackle Spencer Brown missed the game with an injury. Ike Boettger, who was undrafted out of Iowa in 2018, moved into the starting lineup at left guard, which allowed Jon Feliciano to move to right guard and Daryl Williams to slide back to right tackle.
Next up: Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 7
