Payments prevail in shut win in opposition to Miami

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Excessive expectations had been placed on the Buffalo Payments coming in to yet one more divisional matchup.

However the Miami Dolphins gave the Payments their finest shot and stored the double-digit favorites shut a lot of the approach.

With simply over three minutes remaining within the sport and the Payments holding a 28-21 lead, Miami drove downfield to Buffalo’s 21-yard line. Then, the Payments’ protection did what it does finest and got here away with an opportune takeaway.

Simply as he jumped on a fumble late within the Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens, on first-and-10, linebacker Terrel Bernard picked off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a cross supposed for extensive receiver Jaylen Waddle. The stadium erupted as Bernard returned the interception 24 yards, organising the Payments’ offense to shut out the sport, which it promptly did, ending the following drive with a 48-yard subject objective. The Payments beat the Dolphins 31-21 and improved to 3-0.

The win marks the twenty fifth consecutive sport for the Payments with out dropping the turnover battle (together with playoffs), the longest streak in NFL historical past.

The Payments now have 11 straight division wins at dwelling — the longest streak because the New England Patriots gained 17 straight from 2009 to 2014.

Listed below are an important issues to know from Thursday night time for each groups:

Buffalo Payments (3-0)

What to make of QB efficiency: General, Allen had a powerful day, not turning the ball over and orchestrating spectacular drives — along with throwing three landing passes to get 200 on his profession.

The Dolphins, nonetheless, took away the Payments’ capacity to get the ball downfield. Allen didn’t full a cross thrown greater than 10 yards down the sector (0-1). That is the primary time in his profession he has failed to finish one in a sport (min. 10 whole cross makes an attempt), and the dearth of downfield passing assault hampered the offense at instances.

Pattern to observe: Third-down protection. The Payments completed the primary two weeks of the season with the very best third-down protection within the league (6-22, 27.3%). That completely evaporated vs. the Dolphins.

The Payments struggled to get off the sector as Miami transformed 10 of 15 third-down alternatives, together with a wide range of third-and-longs, and one fourth down. It performed a big position within the Dolphins staying within the sport.

Turning level: The roughing the kicker penalty on the Dolphins with 10:20 remaining within the fourth quarter. The Payments’ Cameron Johnston bought able to punt on what seemed to be a 3rd consecutive drive ending in a punt for the Buffalo offense, however he was hit as he accomplished the kick by the Dolphins’ Zach Sieler (it was really punt that landed on the Miami 2-yard line).

A penalty was known as that prolonged the Payments’ possession, and so they took the chance to place collectively a drive and retake the lead on 15-yard landing cross from Allen to extensive receiver Khalil Shakir.

Subsequent sport: vs. New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Miami Dolphins (0-3)

This was not a group that has give up on its coach, or its season.

The Miami Dolphins entered Thursday night time’s sport in opposition to the Buffalo Payments on a three-game dropping streak relationship again to final season, and coach Mike McDaniel confronted intense scrutiny and hypothesis about his job safety all through the week. Followers will not be any happier after yet one more loss to the Payments, nevertheless it was a gutsy efficiency for a Dolphins group that entered the sport as a 12.5-point underdog.

There aren’t any ethical victories within the NFL, particularly not whenever you’re 0-3 with two losses to division opponents. However McDaniel’s job is protected for one more week — and it is a huge one. A loss to the New York Jets on “Monday Night time Soccer” might be an excessive amount of for the Dolphins to beat in what must be a decent AFC wild-card race; it might additionally mark the top of group proprietor Stephen Ross’ endurance with the present regime.

What to make of the QB efficiency: Tagovailoa performed risk-averse soccer for probably the most half, however he had his shining moments. He led a 16-play drive to tie the sport simply earlier than halftime, changing three third downs within the course of.

His second landing cross was anticipation at its best, as Tyreek Hill hadn’t even damaged free earlier than Tagovailoa floated the ball to a spot in the long run zone. It wasn’t typically probably the most aesthetically pleasing soccer from a $51 million quarterback, however he took care of the ball and did not give away possessions to a Payments group that made Miami pay for turnovers final season.

Pattern to observe: Rookie operating again Ollie Gordon II was a coaching camp darling and the group’s clear main rusher this preseason — however he logged solely three carries in Miami’s first two video games.

Gordon surpassed that with 4 carries on the opening drive Thursday and completed with a comparable workload to starter De’Von Achane. With their newfound thunder to Achane’s lightning, the Dolphins rushed for a season-high 116 yards.

Gordon’s utilization has to grow to be a recurring theme for a Dolphins offense that struggled mightily to run the ball in Weeks 1 and a couple of.

Most shocking efficiency: The Dolphins’ protection really bought some stops! It entered Thursday’s sport having allowed factors on 13 of 15 possessions to start out the season. Miami almost surpassed that within the second half alone.

The Dolphins appeared to document stops on three straight possessions within the third and fourth quarters however gave the ball proper again to Buffalo after a roughing penalty on the following punt. Bradley Chubb is quietly off to a powerful begin this season after lacking all of 2024 — he has recorded sacks in three consecutive video games.

Subsequent sport: vs. New York Jets (Monday, 7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)