Buffalo Bills studs and duds: Josh Allen overcomes turnovers in Wild Card win
By Randy Gurzi
Stud: Matt Milano, LB
Matt Milano has always been known for his ability to cover tight ends and running backs in the passing game but he stood out in this one for being able to get after the quarterback.
He sacked Skylar Thompson for a nine-yard loss in the first half and while the Dolphins recovered to score a field goal, his second sack was much more impactful.
Trailing 24-20 and needing to get some momentum back, Milano got Thompson again, this time on a play where it originally appeared Thompson got the pass off. Eventually, it was called a sack and on the ensuing third and 19, Thompson had an ill-advised deep pass picked off by Kaiir Elam.
The veteran linebacker ended the day with 10 tackles to go along with his two sacks as he helped lead his defense to a narrow win.
Dud: Bills Offensive Line
Buffalo got the win which is what really matters but it was much tougher than it needed to be. Josh Allen was under pressure all night and it’s hard to pinpoint just one offensive lineman.
Dion Dawkins let Bradley Chubb beat him for a strip sack late in the fourth quarter and Spencer Brown struggled with Jaelan Phillips all night. In the end, Allen was sacked seven times and it could have been much more if he wasn’t as athletic and strong as he is.