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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 400 yards and two scores in a loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo courtesy of the Miami Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Sept. 25 (UPI) — The Miami Dolphins were out-gained by nearly 300 yards and held a time of possession deficit of 20 minutes, but pulled off a win over the Buffalo Bills with a clutch defensive finish Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“I learned a lot about their resolve,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said at a postgame news conference. “You don’t know until you have it happen.”
The Dolphins (3-0) are now the lone undefeated team in the AFC. The Bills dropped to 2-1 and are now second to the first-place Dolphins in the AFC East division standings.
Dolphins linebacker Melvin Ingram logged two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the 21-19 victory.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 186 yards and one score. Running back Chase Edmonds scored two rushing touchdowns in front of the crowd of 66,206 at Hard Rock Stadium.
“We never knew when our next opportunity would be,” Tagovailoa said. “We rallied. If you look at it, the defense came through.
“It tells a story of what our team is capable of.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 400 yards and two scores in the loss.
“This is one game,” Allen said. “We’ll learn from this one tomorrow, take it on the chin and prepare for next week. That’s all we can do.”
The Bills marched 75 yards down the field for a score on the game’s first possession. Allen tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Devin Singletary to end the drive.
The Bills forced a Dolphins punt, but then fumbled on their second possession. Edmonds ran for a 1-yard score three plays later, which tied the game.
Allen connected with wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie for an 8-yard touchdown 3 minutes into the second quarter to give the Bills a 14-7 edge.
Tagovailoa responded with an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver River Cracraft on the next drive.
Tagovailoa sustained a head injury later in the quarter and briefly left the game. He returned to start the second half.
Kicker Tyler Bass gave the lead back to the Bills with a 30-yard kick with 3: 40 remaining in the third quarter.
The Dolphins pulled ahead for good on a 3-yard Edmonds touchdown run with 10: 05 remaining. The Bills then marched to the Dolphins’ 1-yard line, but the defense held strong on and denied a fourth-down conversion.
Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead kicked an attempt off the back of teammate Trent Sherfield and the ball went out of the end zone for a safety on the next possession, cutting the Bills deficit to two points. The Bills then took over with a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal, but ran out of time near midfield, resulting in the Dolphins’ victory.
Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught four passes for a game-high 102 yards. Safety Jevon Holland logged 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the victory.
The Dolphins will face the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) at 8: 15 p.m. EDT Thursday in Cincinnati. The Bills will battle the Baltimore Ravens (2-1) on Oct. 2 in Baltimore.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Damarion Williams deflects a touchdown pass intended for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle during the second half of an NFL game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on September 18, 2022. Miami won 42-38 after scoring four touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo