Here is a quarter-by-quarter look at the Buffalo Bills' win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
First quarter
Hot start: The Bills got going with two sacks in the first three plays, forcing a three-and-out on the Dolphins’ opening drive. Cornerback Taron Johnson got the pass rush going immediately, with a seven-yard sack on the first play from scrimmage.
Singletary zips one in: Buffalo’s first drive of the game took all of 12 seconds. After Josh Allen was unable to connect with Stefon Diggs, the Bills took to the ground. On their second play, Devin Singletary ran 46 yards to the end zone for an early lead. Buffalo scored on its next drive as well.
QB1 carted off: Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was injured early in the game after a hit from A.J. Epenesa. He was eventually able to walk off, but was then carted to the locker room with a rib injury. Jacoby Brissett played the remainder of the game for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa was 1-for-4 for 13 yards.
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Homecoming: The Bills’ 2021 first-round pick Greg Rousseau is from Miami and played his college days in Hard Rock Stadium with the University of Miami. In the familiar setting, he notched his first sack in the pros in the first quarter, bringing Brissett to the ground for a loss of four yards.
Second quarter
Takeaways, part one: The Bills and Dolphins traded takeaways in the first quarter, and they did so again in the second. First, Dolphins wide receiver Jakeem Grant fumbled. Bills cornerback Taron Johnson forced it, and linebacker Matt Milano recovered.
Takeaways, part two: Just five plays after that, on second and 15, Allen was intercepted by cornerback Xavien Howard, who ran it back one yard. It was Allen’s lone interception of the game, though Howard came close again later in the day.
Can’t capitalize: The Bills punted with 38 seconds left in the half, and the muffed catch gave them the ball right back on the Miami 42-yard line. With Allen throwing three plays in a row and incomplete twice, the Bills picked up just seven yards. Then, kicker Tyler Bass was wide right from 53 yards out, leaving Buffalo unable to tack on any points from the fumble.
External factors: It started pouring midway through the game, and the heat in Miami may have been a factor. Two Bills players, Levi Wallace and Tremaine Edmunds, left the game with cramps. Wallace left first in the second quarter.
Third quarter
Scored again: Even jumping to a 14-0 lead, McDermott said the Bills offense had a lot to tweak at the half. On their first drive after the break, the Bills went 75 yards in eight plays to show that those halftime adjustments worked. An eight-yard catch by Dawson Knox sealed it, putting Buffalo up 21-0.
Allen sack on third: Allen was sacked just once Sunday, a solid contrast from the Bills defense tallying six sacks between two Dolphins quarterbacks. But the eight-yard sack by way of Emmanuel Ogbah and Andrew Van Ginkel came on third-and-10, as the two brought Allen to the ground.
Turnover on downs: Trailing by three scores in the third, the Dolphins went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 41. Brissett threw a pass intended for Preston Williams, but Bills cornerback Taron Johnson was all over it. It was the third turnover on downs of the day at that point, and the Dolphins finished 0-for-4 on fourth down.
Fourth quarter
More sacks: Brissett was sacked on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, first by Justin Zimmer for a loss of 10, and then by Rousseau for a loss of one. On Rousseau’s second sack of the day, Epenesa nearly got Brissett first.
Second chance: Allen first thought he had a touchdown on a nine-yard run, but the play was reviewed and called back. That didn’t slow the Bills much; Moss punched it in the next play on a one-yard run, his second touchdown of the day. It extended the lead to 35-0.
Climbing on up: Allen hit Diggs for a 41-yard pass that not only moved the Bills down the field, but also moved Allen up the record book. With that throw, he passed Drew Bledsoe (10,151) for the fifth-most passing yards in team history.
Zero: The shutout meant that through two games, the Bills defense has only allowed one touchdown. Week 1 against the Steelers, a blocked punt and a few field goals contributed to the loss.
