Buffalo Bills overwhelm Dolphins for the fifth time in a row to beat Miami

The Bills beat over the Dolphins this week, however Miami’s worries go beyond the disappointing loss following the quarterback’s concussion.

By Alaina Getzenberg, Marcel Louis-Jacques

Sep 12, 2024, 11:29 PM ET

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Buffalo Bills rolled to yet another win against Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins on Thursday night by scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter runs from James Cook and two interceptions by Ja’Marcus Ince to thrash Miami Dolphins 31-10 on the field at Hard Rock Stadium.

The loss was not Miami’s primary issue, however, as the quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was struck with an injury to his head late into the final quarter. Tagovailoa was immediately dismissed after a night when there were three interceptions that he made – in one case, Ingram recovered for a third quarter touchdown. Now, the Dolphins are in limbo when they decide to evaluate Tagovailoa who has experienced concussion problems before.

These are some of the key information to remember on Thursday night on both sides:

Buffalo Bills (2-0)

For the majority throughout Josh Allen‘s career it has been his primary source of Bills scoring touchdowns on the rushing field. This wasn’t the case Thursday night, in a dramatic AFC East victory.

As Allen suffered an injury in his hand that he sustained during a touchdown run or leap, specifically during the first week of the season, Cook was a star in the game. The three touchdowns he scored assisted the Bills to a decisive win against the Dolphins. In the same match, Cook matched his rushing touchdowns from last season and the previous season (two for each).

Cook’s first touchdown occurred during the opening drive of the game after one of the two interception attempts made by Ingram on a 17-yard touchdown catch by Allen. The second score was a one-yard scoring rushing play during the second quarter. And the third was scored in the very the next play of offense. Cook ran 49 yards unaffected in the final yard, putting the Bills ahead 24-7. From the time ESPN started tracking yards prior the 2006 season, Cook has become the 7th player who has never rushed a touchdown that is at least 49 yards.

The team came away with 108 yards of ground as well as Cook scoring the most, with 11 attempts, resulting in 78 yards and a reception.

Offense coordinator Joe Brady continues to put an emphasis on the running game while Allen was able to complete thirteen of his 19 throws, which gave him 139 yards and a touchdown.

There’s a new group of characters that revolve around Allen within the receivers’ room The offense has already shown that it is able to score points and make the most of opportunities.

The most surprising performances: The Bills have had success using defense-minded backups before, however Ingram has made a definite declaration in the first two games. Head coach Sean McDermott said Ingram would be an appropriate scratch for the first week if defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot was not injured, but Ingram took part in the dime option following the the nickel corner Taron Johnson injured his forearm. Cam Lewis shifted to nickel and played defense on the game-winning play. When playing against The Dolphins, Ingram — an undrafted free-agent from The University of Buffalo in 2022 who had spent the prior two seasons on the practice squadshowed off with two interceptions, which included the pick-six. In the event that Johnson comes back Ingram is likely to get many more opportunities.

Pivotal game:Up 10-7, on third-and-12 close to the Miami 34-yard line Allen stood in the pocket, and then went to his right and made an impressive 33-yard pass over the body of the running back Ty Johnson. The spectacular throw led to an en route touchdown of one yard by Cook in the following play, which gave the Bills an advantage of double digits that they didn’t relinquish.

The game can be described using two terms: The statement-maker. If there was doubt that the AFC East still runs through Buffalo, New York, it was eliminated by this crucial win at home. The Bills are currently 20-5 in a row vs. their division in 2020, and Allen’s record in vs. Dolphins is 12-2. Dolphins has been 12-2. Thursday was also the day that saw the Bills five straight wins and, in addition to the postseason, beating Miami.

Positive trend: The defense limited major plays. Tagovailoa was 0-of-4 with passes 15 yards or more and 2-of-8 for throws of 10 yards downfield. In the first week of the season, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was 0-of-6 when throwing passes that were greater than 10 yards of air. — Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 23)

Miami Dolphins (1-1)

A nightmare.

There’s only one method to explain the Dolphins defeat against the Bills.

They not only lost at least 10 times in their previous 11 games against them AFC East rival, but they could lose their quarterback for a speculative length of time. Tagovailoa was hit with a concussion during the 3rd quarter following a blow to the helmet left him on the ground for a few minutes as players sat around him.

He was able walk off the field and later to the locker room with his own efforts. There was a collective gasp of relief as Tagovailoa struggled to get up following the collision, Dolphins and Bills fans alike were stunned at the quiet of Hard Rock Stadium.

Tagovailoa’s past concussion history that includes two suspected concussions in 2022’s seasonit is likely that the team and him will be monitored for the course of 10 days, under an intense focus. How will it go if the player is cleared of the NFL’s concussion protocols in time for Miami’s game against Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. Will 10 days suffice time for the Dolphins to be able to play their quarterback of the franchise after an injury to the head?

Maybe the Dolphins put him on the block for a longer period, maybe an injury reserve stint? Perhaps even longer? The risk is that it sounds excessively dramatic, nothing is out of the question as the Dolphins twenty-four season is taking an unexpected turn.

The troubling pattern:For the second time in the span of a few weeks the Dolphins offense was a mess in the first quarter. Tagovailoa made his first intercept of the year on Miami’s first drive, and then threw the second one two drives after. This could be one of the biggest holes in the Dolphins game plan due to the fact that the interceptions were both thrown by Tagovailoa who was throwing at receivers he’s not typically throwing tofor example, Grant DuBose and Robbie Chosen. The only thing that prevented the crowd from leaving at the half was a 78-yard run by Running forward De’Von Achane. Miami was able to do all the wrong things it could have done in a game with an opponent that it couldn’t afford to be a victim of.

The game can be described with two sentences: Utter disaster. The loss in the blowout was a stinging enough for Dolphins to endure, however Tagovailoa’s third concussion in his career could put the remainder of the season in doubt. With regard to the circumstances of the 2022 season the team is likely to be scrutinized when it determines how it will handle the franchise quarterback.

The prediction for the coming week: The lone bright aspect of Thursday’s defeat was the performance of Achane. He was a key player when Raheem Mostert‘s absence, accumulating the 96-yard mark on just 22 carries. Miami scored its only touchdown. No matter how healthy Mostert is this week, expect Achane to play a significant role during Week 3 against the Seahawks — particularly in the event that Tagovailoa does not play. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Game to follow: against the Seattle Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)