‘Time after time, the Bills found a way to shoot themselves in the foot in the first half against the Miami Dolphins, but found a way to overcome all those mistakes and earn a 21-14 victory. In so doing, the Bills secured their fourth consecutive AFC East title and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference playoffs. They will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. Sunday in the wild-card round.’
Archives for January 8, 2024
Ryan O’Halloran: Take a bow, Bills defense – Sunday night was your finest three hours
‘“It’s awesome,” said middle linebacker Terrell Bernard, who made nine tackles. “It goes back to what we talk about – (after the Philadelphia game), we knew we had everything in front of us and we just had to take it one day, one moment and one week at a time.”’
‘That was like the spark’: Deonte Harty sets Bills record with 96-yard punt return TD
‘Harty caught the ball at the 4 and made a quick cut to blow past Justin Bethel, the first Dolphins coverage man in his face. Harty didn’t realize how deep he was. “I didn’t,” he said. “I could hear people saying no. But I was in my zone. … I knew he kind of outkicked his coverage a little bit. I kind of like took a peek, and (there) wasn’t really nobody in front of me for like 10 yards, 15 yards. So, once I seen that, I knew it was go time.”’
Three questions: Why Josh Allen rules Miami; where Deonte Harty’s TD ranks
‘This is not complicated. Miami’s defense has not been good during most of Allen’s career. Here are the Dolphins’ defensive rankings in yards allowed from 2018 to 2022: 29th, 30th, 20th, 15th and 18th.’
How It Happened: Top plays, standout players from Bills’ 21-14 win over Miami
‘A thunderbolt of a play with 13:42 remaining tied the score at 14-14 on a 96-yard punt return touchdown by the Bills’ Harty, the longest in franchise history. It was the Bills’ first punt return touchdown since Isaiah McKenzie in 2020 (84 yards).’
Plays that shaped the game: Josh Allen channels Jim Kelly in fourth quarter vs. Miami
‘Allen saw that and took off to his right. Linebacker Jerome Baker dove and grabbed Allen by the waist at the 39. Allen ran through his arms. Then 310-pound defensive tackle Christian Wilkins dove and collided with Allen’s hip at the 43. Allen bounced off him and dove forward through the arms of cornerback Kader Kohou, landing at the Miami 46.’
Report Card: Coaching staff deserves a shout-out after Bills’ win over Dolphins
The Bills piled up 473 yards on offense, which goes to show interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s plan was working. They simply needed to stop shooting themselves in the foot.’
Division champs: Bills defeat Dolphins for AFC East title to complete improbable turnaround
‘They may have already punched their ticket to the postseason when the Jaguars found a way to lose to the Titans earlier in the day, but with the big prize on the line – the AFC East division title and the No. 2 seed – the Bills drove their fans absolutely nuts for 60 minutes before somehow, despite a litany of missteps and mistakes, pulling out a tension-packed 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins.’
Bills report card: Buffalo’s depth fuels title over Dolphins, could lead to deep playoff run
‘Harty, who has basically been a free agent bust, certainly saved his biggest play of the season for the most opportune moment, the fourth quarter of the final game as he broke a stunning 96-yard punt return that tied matters at 14-14. Harty clearly has game-breaking speed, but the Bills never found a way to use it on offense, and he hasn’t really given them anything in the return game, until Sunday.’
Buffalo Bills claim 4th straight AFC East in comeback win over Dolphins (Observations)
‘The Bills offense was humming for most of the first half, totaling 286 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes. The big problem was that Josh Allen was playing crazy ball. Bills fans have seen it over and over for years. It’s an experience with the elite quarterback who can make all the throws and sometimes forgets the situation may not call for some of them.’
Bills’ Stefon Diggs had this 2 word message for Josh Allen following win over Dolphins
‘Four more.’
When will the Buffalo Bills be playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Super Wild Card Weekend?
‘Buffalo will be hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, January 14 at 1 p.m.’
Bills outlast Dolphins in sloppy Sunday night affair, earn AFC East title with Week 18 victory
‘The Bills had an opportunity to seal the game with 1:53 remaining, but a quarterback sneak failed, turning the ball over to the Dolphins on downs. But Buffalo’s defense came up with one last stop to cap a remarkable four-quarter effort, securing a game-sealing stop with safety Taylor Rapp recording Buffalo’s second interception of the game with 1:17 remaining.’
Seven Takeaways: McDermott’s ‘D,’ contributions from unlikely sources key Bills division-clinching win over Dolphins; Buffalo headed to playoffs for 5th straight season
‘Buffalo, which lost two defensive starters during the win — linebacker Tyrel Dodson and cornerback Rasul Douglas — limited Miami to just 275 yards of total offense and 4 of 10 conversions on third down, while quarterback Tua Tagavailoa finished an uninspiring performance 17 of 27 passing for 173 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Miami’s leading receiver was Tyreek Hill, who finished with a solid performance consisting of 7 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. But Miami’s running game, which was red-hot in the early going, gaining 100 yards on its first 16 carries, faded as the game progressed and finished with a total of 108 yards rushing on 20 attempts. Miami gained just 57 total yards of offense over the final two quarters.’
Bills show their mettle in comeback win over Dolphins to clinch fourth-straight AFC East title
‘They are maddening. They are inconsistent. They can be downright baffling. They are also perseverant.’