Entering Sunday’s game against the Bills, the Miami Dolphins held their playoff fate in their own hands. With a win, the Dolphins would enter the playoffs for the first time in 18 years. However, a loss would leave them on the outside looking in with a Colts win. In a game which saw Bills quarterback only play one half of football, the Miami Dolphins fell short of their playoff goal losing to the Bills 56-26.
McKenzie, Allen Lead Bills HUGE Second Quarter
USA Today Sports
On the Dolphins side of the ball, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggled mightily, throwing three interceptions during the game. “That’s not the way we wanted to go down. There are a lot of things to learn from. All I can do is continue to grow, continue to get better,” Tagovailoa stated after the loss. After the first quarter, the Dolphins held the lead 3-0. In reality, this would be the best point of the game for the Dolphins. The Bills and Josh Allen went a tear during the second quarter, finding the end zone four times in the quarter. Three of those scores in the second quarter came from Isaiah McKenzie, who caught two touchdown passes from Josh Allen. His third score came on a 84 yard punt return.
Williams Shines on Debut
With Buffalo choosing to rest some starters after the first half, the Bills padded their lead with the help of second string players. Matt Barkley took over the reigns at quarterback, 6 of 13 passes for 164 yards, a touchdown and an interception. However, the most impressive performance on the Bills squad came from rookie running back Antonio Williams. On just twelve carries in the second half, Williams rushed the ball for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Williams was called up from the practice squad earlier this week and made his NFL debut with the playoff bound Bills in impressive fashion.
Reich Returns to Buffalo
AP Photo
With the win, and a Colts win, the Bills will host the Frank Reich led Indianapolis Colts. Reich has a storied history with the Bills franchise, as the current head coach of the Colts was the Bills quarterback 28 years ago. Reich led the Bills to the largest comeback in NFL history, overcoming a 32 point deficit to defeat the Houston Oilers 41-38. He will now have a chance to lead the Colts to a win in the playoffs against his former team. On the other hand, the Miami Dolphins will look to continue to improve on a season which saw them score double digit wins. With the blossoming talent that is Tua Tagovailoa, among other young talent, the future for the Florida team looks bright after such a successful season.
Bills Offensive Stats
| Player | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | 18/25 | 224 | 3 | 1 |
| Matt Barkley | 6/13 | 164 | 1 | 1 |
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Williams | 12 | 63 | 2 | 5.3 |
| Zack Moss | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2.7 |
| Devin Singletary | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2.3 |
| Josh Allen | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1.5 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Barkley | 3 | -3 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Davis | 2 | 107 | 1 | 5 |
| Stefon Diggs | 7 | 76 | 0 | 8 |
| John Brown | 4 | 72 | 1 | 4 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | 6 | 65 | 2 | 9 |
| Dawson Knox | 2 | 29 | 0 | 8 |
| Antonio Williams | 1 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| Zack Moss | 1 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Devin Singletary | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Dolphins Offensive Stats
| Player | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa | 35/58 | 361 | 1 | 3 |
| Lynn Bowden | 1/1 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
USHING
| Player | CAR | YDS | TD | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salvon Ahmed | 6 | 29 | 1 | 4.8 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 6 | 28 | 0 | 4.7 |
| Myles Gaskin | 7 | 20 | 1 | 2.9 |
| Lynn Bowden | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
| Player | REC | YDS | TD | TGTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVante Parker | 7 | 116 | 0 | 14 |
| Myles Gaskin | 4 | 57 | 0 | 5 |
| Mike Gesicki | 5 | 47 | 0 | 10 |
| Lynn Bowden | 8 | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| Isaiah Ford | 3 | 37 | 0 | 7 |
| Malcolm Perry | 1 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| Durham Smythe | 3 | 23 | 0 | 3 |
| Adam Shaheen | 1 | 22 | 0 | 3 |
| Salvon Ahmed | 3 | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| Mack Hollins | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Featured Image Credit: USA Today Sports
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