Bills at Dolphins Recap, Highlights, Final Score, More

The Miami Dolphins rode the wave of momentum from the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday in a big way. Running back Jay Ajayi ran his way into the record book as the Dolphins ran all over the Buffalo Bills to a 28-25 victory.

The Buffalo Bills came into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins looking to take the driver’s seat for second place in the AFC East. They rode into South Beach on a four-game winning streak, looking to make it five straight in their pursuit for the team’s first playoff appearance in more than a decade.

The Miami Dolphins had other ideas, however. Miami had some momentum of their own heading into the always hard-fought matchup with the Bills. Last Sunday the Dolphins finally turned things around and put up a dominating performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The game was true to form, being a hard-fought, physical game for the majority. When all was said and done, the Dolphins come out with a tough, three-point victory thanks in large part to another exceptional performance from Jay Ajayi and the offensive line. With the 28-25 victory, the Dolphins head into their bye week on a two-game winning streak and seem poised to make some noise in the division.

Three Stars

Jay Ajayi – If last week’s performance didn’t get Jay Ajayi out of the doghouse, he’s firmly out after this week. For the second week in a row, Ajayi ate the opposing defense alive. The Dolphins running back becomes only the fourth running back in NFL history to have back-to-back 200+ yard performances, joining former Dolphin Ricky Williams, and all-time greats Earl Campbell and O.J. Simpson.

With two consecutive 200+ yard games, Ajayi has more than doubled his career rushing numbers. In turn, he has solidified his position as the lead back in the Dolphins offense.

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Miami Dolphins Offensive Line – You don’t have back-to-back 200+ yard performances without some stellar blocking up front. What a difference two weeks makes. Before the Pittsburgh game, the Dolphins offensive line looked like one of the worst in the NFL. So bad, in fact, that Adam Gase felt compelled to release three players on the unit.

Now that the line is healthy and has the combination the front office envisioned from the start, we can now see the potential in Miami. The line is blowing people off the ball, giving Jay Ajayi huge holes to burst through. Perhaps the more important aspect of their play, however, is the pass protection. After back-to-back weeks of taking a beating, Ryan Tannehill has been relatively clean the last two games. The passing attack wasn’t on its game today. But it’s only a matter of time if the protection continues to hold up.

Ndamukong Suh and Mario Williams – The Dolphins front four had a quiet first half against the Buffalo offensive line, but they showed up in a big way in the second half. In particular Mario Williams and Ndamukong Suh. They were all over the field in the second half, pressuring Tyrod Taylor and causing chaos for the Bills offense.

All told, the Dolphins front four sacked Tyrod Taylor four times and pressured him more than 10 times. On the ground, the Dolphins front four did an exceptional job. They managed to hold the Bills to less than 75 yards rushing for the entire game. The defense was helped significantly by the lack of a healthy LeSean McCoy, but they did their job today.

Highlights

Next Week

The Buffalo Bills have to put this loss behind them quickly. Next week they have a pivotal matchup against the division-leading New England Patriots. A win over Tom Brady and the Patriots would go a long way towards convincing fans and media alike that the Bills are for real this year and could be well on their way to at least a Wild Card berth.

The Miami Dolphins are off next week, getting to roll into their bye week on a two-game winning streak after what looked like another failed season. Depending on the outcome of the Bills/Patriots game, the Dolphins could find themselves in an excellent position to make a second-half run and a surprise trip to the playoffs.