Dion Dawkins was discussing how the Buffalo Bills overcame their slow start against the lowly Miami Dolphins when a door swung open and Josh Allen strode into the room dressed like PGA star Phil Mickelson.
The Bills quarterback’s Halloween costume featured a light blue Bills golf shirt, mirrored sunglasses and a visor from the 103rd PGA Championship, where Mickelson, then 50 years old, became the oldest to win a major championship in May on the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C.
Report Card: Defense once again easily passes test against Miami's woeful offense
“It just shows a lot of resiliency on our side of the football,” Allen said, echoing Dawkins’ remarks and channeling his inner Lefty. “We know the first half, that’s not up to our standard.”
Allen and the Bills’ offense showed up for less than a half against the worst defense in the NFL, in a frightful performance that was nevertheless enough to deliver a decisive 26-11 victory against the Dolphins on a windy and overcast Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
The game was tied 3-3 at halftime, thanks to the Dolphins missing a short field goal in the first quarter and fumbling a snap in the red zone in the final minute of the second quarter. But the Bills took control midway through the third and scored on their final four possessions – touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown – to win their franchise record seventh consecutive game against Miami and improve to 5-0 under coach Sean McDermott in the first game following a bye week.
Allen credited Mickelson for the turnaround, recalling the golfer’s message to the team during a video call in training camp about finding your inner Zen and calmness in the midst of competition.
“It was right after he won the PGA and he was right there with his trophy and the golf cart,” Allen said. “He was on the golf course, and he took about 30 minutes to talk to the team and it was really cool. I think it’s just self-knowledge, understanding who you are. I know I don’t play well when I’m frustrated, and again, hearing that from a Hall of Fame golfer, one of the best of all time, to say that type of thing, that resonated well with me, because that’s exactly kind of how I feel, too. It helped me today and hopefully it’ll help me in the future, too.”
The Dolphins (1-7) flummoxed the Bills (5-2) throughout the first half, despite entering the game with the worst defense in the league in total yards allowed (414.9 yards per game) and the second-worst scoring defense (29.6 points per game).
Miami’s leading tackler, linebacker Jerome Baker, was inactive with a knee injury.
And its secondary was ravaged by injuries. Starting cornerbacks Xavien Howard (shoulder/groin) and Byron Jones (Achilles/groin) were limited in practice earlier in the week and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene missed the game with knee and ankle injuries.
But Allen mustered just one passing yard in the first quarter. He had 80 yards by halftime, when running back Zack Moss led the team with two catches for 23 yards. Moss and Devin Singletary had combined for nine rushing yards on five carries.
The Bills’ three points at halftime marked their fewest since the meaningless 2019 regular season finale against the New York Jets, when they trailed 3-0 at intermission.
The biggest halftime adjustment Sunday? Intensity.
“Playing with a little bit more energy and passion and just showing that we’re not lax,” Dawkins said. “Honestly, we call it just having our (urine) hot. Just playing with that urgency. Not moseying and not just jogging. Nah, we’re flying around, flying to the football and just being us.”
It’s easy to get hyped for games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans, among the top contenders in the conference.
But human nature, the Bills’ lackluster first-half performance and Dawkins’ explanation indicate it’s more difficult to get motivated to face an overmatched opponent – albeit a division rival – on a rainy afternoon, after a week off and with a 35-0 blowout victory in Week 2 in Miami fresh in their minds.
“You always worry about that, coming off a bye with the time off, time away,” McDermott said, “and probably the biggest thing I worry about is the game speed, because it’s hard to replicate that in practice.”
After Isaiah McKenzie muffed a punt and Jake Kumerow averted disaster by hopping on the loose ball for a touchback, Allen and the offense went to work.
Gabriel Davis caught an 8-yard touchdown to cap a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.
Stefon Diggs caught a 19-yard touchdown to finish 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 3½ minutes to play.
“You don’t want to have games like this,” said Cole Beasley, who finished with a game-high 10 catches for 110 yards, “but I think you need them to grow. We didn’t play our best first half, but it showed a lot about the guys in the locker room and who we have. Nobody gave up. It wasn’t too big for them. Just stayed with it, came out and executed like we know how in the second half. And how we played in the second half is what we want to do for all four quarters.”
Jordan Poyer’s interception in Miami territory set up another quick score, a seven-yard rushing touchdown by Allen, whose final statistics belie his early struggles.
Allen completed 29 of 42 pass attempts for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished as the Bills’ leading rusher, with 55 yards and a score on eight carries.
He said he doesn’t play well when frustrated.
“I think maybe that was kind of causing some issues early on,” Allen said, with a nod to Mickelson’s advice. “And to that second half, just trying to find that inner peace where I can just kind of go out and relax, and that’s what we did and we did well.”
Mickelson retweeted a video of Allen in costume before the game.
“I find this new version of Josh Allen so seductive and yet I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly it is,” Mickelson wrote. “Go Bills.”
Afterward, the golfer replied to videos of postgame comments by Allen:
“What really nice words and I’m so happy for his success.”
And McDermott, who called the virtual visit in training camp an honor and awesome opportunity:
“Thank you coach for your kind words. So happy for your success and pulling for you from across the country.”
McDermott said Allen and the offense settling down and finding a rhythm after the anemic first half was “the biggest takeaway from this game.”
“You’re not always going to come out and score, score, score and you’re in a one-dimensional game.” McDermott said. “So, this game was like most games in the NFL. It comes down to the fourth quarter. And I thought that was good for us as a team. Now we’ve got to build on it.”
