Scooter & Hum: Day 1,698, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Bills Game 8 Review

Miami did a lot of good things at Buffalo: they racked up more first downs, more yards, and more time of possession, while being more efficient in the red zone.

They also lost.

While some bad luck happened, the Dolphins committed eight penalties and offered little resistance defensively. The teams combined for 41 points -- and zero punts -- in the second half, imbuing this one with the sense that the team with the ball last would win. That team was the Bills, on the strength of a highly unlikely 61-yard field goal.

On to the progress-doesn't-count-at-this-point recap ...

Offense

The 'Fins collected 26 first downs and 373 total yards, showing excellent balance with 6.2 yards per play. Miami converted four of eight third downs and its lone fourth-down attempt, while turning four red-zone trips into three touchdowns. This side of the ball carried the day and deserved a better outcome.
Limited to a short passing game by Buffalo's defensive approach, Tua Tagovailoa was patient and efficient, completing 25 of 28 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 7.7 yards per pass and took a single sack, while carrying twice for three yards. His 76.7 grade from Pro Football Focus was indicative of his focus on taking what the "D" gave him.
DeVon Achane topped 100 all-purpose yards again, rushing 12 times for 63 yards and a score and snaring all eight targets for 58 yards and another touchdown in 42 snaps. Raheem Mostert posted 88 total yards in just 12 touches and 14 plays, but lost a crucial fumble for the second time in three games. Rookie Jaylen Wright carried six times for 18 yards in his nine plays, while Alec Ingold was limited to 19 snaps due to a calf injury. The backs played a huge role in another strong ground performance, but the turnover was incredibly costly.
At wideout, Tyreek Hill caught four of five targets for 80 yards in 59 snaps, with a long of 28, while Jaylen Waddle somehow managed to lose four yards on his two catches in 42 snaps, according to all the game box scores. However, he had catches of 12 and seven yards (the latter for a touchdown that tied the score late in the game), and despite having little desire to investigate, I realized that the final-play loss of 23 yards on a lateral was taken from his receiving total. For Odell Beckham, the good news was that he caught his first three passes as a Dolphin. The bad news is that they covered just 15 yards and he saw just 12 snaps. Malik Washington's burgeoning blocking ability allowed him to nearly double Beckham's snaps (23), with Dee Eskridge getting two snaps in reserve. The corps is still missing a physical presence that can make contested catches.
Jonnu Smith paced the tight ends as usual, reeling in five of six targets for 46 yards in 42 snaps. Durham Smythe had a four-yard catch in his 26 snaps, though he was called for a false start and was put in a difficult position on a failed 3rd & 1 blocking responsibility. With Julian Hill sidelined, Tanner Conner got seven snaps, notable only for a crucial offensive pass interference penalty. The 'Fins remain thin and one-dimensional at this position.
In easily the best performance of the season by the offensive line, Miami pushed around a stout Buffalo front. Center Aaron Brewer (88.9 PFF grade) and left tackle Terron Armstead (76.2) were the standouts, but the entire unit was tremendous, offset only by false starts on right tackle Austin Jackson and right guard Liam Eichenberg. On a disappointing afternoon, the offensive front offered hope and optimism for the remainder of the campaign.

Defense

The "D" limited Dolphin-killer Josh Allen to just seven rushing yards, managed to force a rare turnover, and held the Bills to two touchdowns in five red-zone visits. Thus ends the bright spots.
With Zach Sieler out again, Calais Campbell played 50 snaps, posting six solo tackles. Da'Shawn Hand notched three tackles, two solos, one stop for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hit in 57 plays, while Benito Jones did not record a statistic in his 35 snaps. Neil Farrell contributed a solo tackle in his 15 snaps, while Brandon Pili was quiet in his 10 plays off the bench.
On the edge, rookie Chop Robinson started fast, with three pressures in his first five rushes, and ended up with one solo tackle, a sack, a stop for loss, and two quarterback hits in 33 snaps. Playing through a biceps injury, Emmanuel Ogbah had a solo tackle and a stop for a loss in 49 snaps. Tyus Bowser was largely a non-factor yet again, recording an assisted tackle in 32 snaps, while reserves Mo Kamara (five snaps) and Quinten Bell (one) saw limited time. The 'Fins have been decimated at this spot, but desperately need to help Robinson diversify his pass-rush moves.
David Long was sidelined at inside linebacker, so Jordyn Brooks and Anthony Walker played every snap. Walker registered 10 tackles and four solos, while Brooks tallied seven tackles and four solos. Duke Riley got a single snap from scrimmage.
At cornerback, Jalen Ramsey had one solo tackle, a pass breakup, and a key interception in his 66 snaps, good for a sterling 90.2 mark from PFF. On the other side, Kendall Fuller racked up five tackles and three solos in 65 snaps, but lost his man in coverage on a fourth-down touchdown pass. Cam Smith continued to struggle, offsetting four solo tackles with pass interference and defensive holding flags in 29 snaps, while Siran Neal played a season-high 13 snaps from scrimmage, notching three tackles and two solos against his former team. Unfortunately, he was called for holding on a third-and-goal stop to give the Bills renewed life. Starting nickel Kader Kohou and reserve Storm Duck were out for this contest, which played a role in some of the secondary issues.
With Jevon Holland injured, the safeties were borderline dreadful. Marcus Maye had six tackles, three solos, and one tackle for loss in 66 snaps, but missed a number of tackles. Jordan Poyer also played all 66 snaps, pitching in with five tackles, three solos, and a brutal unnecessary roughness penalty that led directly to the winning field goal. Elijah Campbell got a single snap for scrimmage for a position group that was noticeably deficient all game long.

Special teams

Jason Sanders hit both field goals and all three extra points.
Jake Bailey punted once for 37 yards and was forced to make the tackle on a strong return, resulting in a net boot of eight yards.
Eskridge had 22- and 33-yard kickoff returns, while Washington lost a yard on his only punt return when he inexplicably caught the punt and started immediately running backwards.
Neil and Bell led the way with 20 special-teams snaps, with Riley seeing 19 snaps in the third phase.

Momentum plays

The Dolphins forced a three-and-out but an initial first down was followed by a Buffalo sack caused by Tua dropping a snap that put the 'Fins behind the chains. A poor punt by Bailey covered just 37 yards and was returned for 29, setting up the home team at Miami's 37-yard line.
The Bills converted a 3rd & 6 with an 11-yard pass, but Ogbah dropped Allen for a seven-yard loss on the ensuing 3rd & 3. Tyler Bass hit a 40-yard field goal for the first points of the game and a 3-0 Buffalo lead.
Miami converted a 3rd & 11 with a 17-yard Mostert catch and run, with 15 yards tacked on due to an unnecessary roughness call. Two touches for Achane earned another first down, but Mostert was stuffed and lost a yard on 3rd & 1. Sanders drilled a 39-yard field goal to knot the score at 3.
A mix of short passes and runs moved the Bills deep into visiting territory, but a slant pass from Miami's 11-yard line was behind receiver Keon Coleman, and Ramsey was able to make a tremendous, falling interception.
Buoyed by an incredibly rare forced turnover, the 'Fins went to the ground game, with Mostert carrying four straight times for 27 yards. Achane earned a first down with a 10-yard jaunt on 3rd & 1, and the Dolphins continued to keep Buffalo off balance with a good blend of runs and passes. Achane churned for five yards to convert a 3rd & 2, then took a well-executed screen 14 yards for a touchdown. The drive was Miami's best of the year, covering 97 yards in 14 plays, and staked the visitors to a 10-3 lead.
The Bills responded with a 12-play possession that covered 39 yards. Aided by two defensive penalties on Miami, the home team faced a 3rd & 13, but an Allen scramble covered 14 yards for a painful first down. Back-to-back holding calls on Buffalo nullified an Allen touchdown romp, and three straight incompletions created a field-goal opportunity on 4th & 30. Bass connected from 49 yards away with two second remaining to trim the halftime advantage to 10-6.
The 'Fins went to Mostert on three straight plays to start the second half, covering 29 yards -- but resulting in a fumble on a tremendous punchout and recovery by Buffalo.
The home team continued with short passes until Ty Johnson ripped off a 17-yard run and Khalil Shakir reeled in a 13-yard pass. The Dolphins stiffened from there, forcing a 4th & goal from the one-yard line. Allen got little to no pressure and Fuller lost Mack Hollins in the back corner of the end zone for an easy touchdown. The extra point was missed, making the Buffalo lead 12-10.
Tua found Smith for 15 yards, then an offsides call converted a 3rd & 3 for the 'Fins. The signal-caller found Hill on the sideline for a 28-yard pickup, but a third-down pass to Smith came up short and would have been wiped out by a Conner penalty anyway. Miami settled for a 23-yard field goal and a 13-12 advantage.
Two plays later, another defensive breakdown led to a relatively easy 63-yard touchdown on a basic swing pass to running back Ray Davis, who had a ton of room and easily eluded Maye for the score. Allen found Coleman to convert the two-point try, making the score 20-13, Bills.
A pair of Wright carries covered 12 yards to get Miami going on the following possession, then Tua found Hill for 27 yards. The quarterback then scrambled for exactly four yards on 4th & 4, with the spot of a first down upheld on a replay challenge. Tua connected with Smith for 13, then Achane took it in from eight yards out, knotting the score at 20.
Buffalo countered again, with Allen finding James Cook for 11, Coleman for 21, and Shakir for 14 on three straight plays that saw Miami's defense on skates. The Bills converted the next two third downs -- including one on a defensive holding by Neal on an incompletion -- then Allen found a reserve tight end on a two-yard Hail Mary that was an awful decision by the quarterback and incredibly fortunate to find Buffalo hands. Bass's extra point caromed in off the right upright (27-20), serving up back-to-back plays that symbolized much of the Dolphins' season.
The 'Fins answered yet again, powered by a 12-yard Achane run and a 19-yard Hill reception. Tua hooked up with Waddle for his first catch, covering 12 yards on a 3rd & 7. An Achane 18-yard catch and run set up Miami in a goal-to-go scenario, and Tua found Waddle again two plays later for a seven-yard touchdown to tie the score at 27 after Miami passed up an opportunity to go for two.
The Bills set out on their fifth straight scoring drive, converting a 3rd & 14 after a Robinson offsides call and an unnecessary roughness call on Poyer on an incomplete deep ball. Buffalo converted a 3rd & 3, but three straight incompletions by Allen forced a 61-yard field goal attempt into the wind by a shaky Bass. Predictably for the 'Fins, Bass made it easily to push Beefalo ahead, 30-27.
With five seconds remaining, the Dolphins tried a lateral play, but Waddle somehow managed to lose 23 yards after getting a toss from Achane, ending another heart-breaking loss for Miami.