ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. —
Here are my five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 34-31 wild-card playoff victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Highmark Stadium:
1. The Bills let the Dolphins hang around far too long, but ultimately played to the level of the superior team in the second half.
Josh Allen was right when he said after the game, “All that matters is surviving and advancing. It doesn’t matter how you win; it’s if you win.”
The Bills won despite three Allen turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown — that caused the Dolphins to roar back from an early 17-0 deficit. He did redeem himself with three touchdown passes and 352 passing yards, but for much of the game he looked uncomfortable trying to solve the variety of pressure packages and coverages the Dolphins used.
It was similar to the two regular-season games the teams split, with Miami’s defense causing considerable frustration for Buffalo’s offense. Allen and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey were guilty of repeatedly forcing plays rather than being more methodical and patient.
One of the major aspects of Miami’s defensive effectiveness was minimizing the production of Stefon Diggs, who caught seven passes (on nine targets) for 114 yards. He did have a 52-yard reception, but was generally held in check throughout the game.
2. Hello Gabe Davis and Cole Beasley!
With Diggs being mainly smothered by the Dolphins’ coverage, Davis and Beasley were able to step up and make plays. Each had a touchdown reception (Beasley’s career first in the postseason) and other clutch catches.
The same was true for rookie Khalil Shakir, who had a massive catch on third-and-10 late in the game.
“It’s been a ride for sure,” Beasley said of his 2022 season, leaving the Bills after the 2021 campaign, signing briefly with Tampa, retiring and then returning to Buffalo. “It’s been a tough year for me being at home and watching, and then coming back and then I got to play a little bit the three games this season. It wasn’t as much as maybe I’d like, but I still feel like I’m kind of getting in the groove, but I’m just trying to enjoy it.”
3. Give Skylar Thompson credit for showing impressive grit under extremely tough circumstances.
The Dolphins had hoped it wouldn’t be this way, but they had no choice but to start the rookie quarterback with starter Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol and veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater injured.
Oddsmakers installing the Bills as a nearly two-touchdown favorite did so largely because Thompson, who had started two regular-season games, was behind center for Miami. He did throw two interceptions, but also delivered a TD throw and maintained decent composure under the din of a raucous sellout crowd.
4. Kaiir Elam stepped up in a big way with an interception at the Dolphins’ 33 with 7:29 left in the third quarter to set up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Beasley to give the Bills a 27-24 lead with 5:18 left in the third quarter.
The Bills needed to see the rookie show he can respond under postseason pressure, especially on a day when their offense was struggling for much of the game.
“Our team is led by our defense,” said safety Dean Marlowe, who also had an interception.
On Sunday, and in multiple other games this season, that has been true.
5. The Bills can’t expect to go far with the offensive inconsistency they showed against the Dolphins.
If they face the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round and play the way they did for the better part of three quarters Sunday, they will likely lose. Though Allen wouldn’t harp on what went wrong, he did talk about the halftime discussion in the locker room where the team was “just trying to reset and refocus.”
A better effort is needed, though it’s fair to say the Bills have the right mentality to push forward.
“We set goals at the beginning of the year,” Allen said. “And we’ve got one goal and that’s to win a world championship. And to do that, you’ve got to win in the playoffs, so we’re looking forward to our next match."