The Miami Dolphins hosted the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. We react to everything that happened.
The Miami Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night in the kickoff to Week 2, but the story of the game is not the Dolphins losing their fifth-straight game to the Bills. Miami’s Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in the third quarter of the game. After he sustained three concussions during the 2022 season, another head injury for Miami’s quarterback is more than worrisome.
Miami will try to figure out what went wrong during the game, with stupid mistakes and unfortunate luck putting the team behind the Bills and never giving them a chance to make an impact on the game. They have 10 days until the Dolphins head across the country to face the Seattle Seahawks. Besides the injury to Tagovailoa, the team also had left guard Robert Jones and left tackle Terron Armstead leave the game early due to injuries. The Dolphins have to get healthy in a hurry if they are going to rebound from another beatdown at the hands of the Bills.
Final Score
Bills 31 – 10 Dolphins
Immediate Reactions
1. What an incredibly unlucky start to the game. The Dolphins opened with the ball, then on the fifth play of the possession, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw a pass targeting wide receiver Grant DuBose, but the receiver was not ready for the pass. The ball bounced off DuBose’s shoulder pads and was picked off. Six plays, 37 yards later, Bills quarterback Josh Allen found running back James Cook in the flat and he turned up field to score a touchdown. Bills 7-0.
2. Great answer by the Dolphins. They were systematic. They were even, with five passes and five runs. Running back De’Von Achane looked like the 2023 version of himself, breaking runs for five, six, or seven yards at a time. The Dolphins tied the game with a five-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Achane. Tied 7-7.
3. Another pick. That was some combination of an overthrow, a slip by wide receiver Robbie Chosen, and/or the wrong route being run. Unlucky couple of throws for Tagovailoa. Miami cannot make mistakes like this and is hoping to beat this team. Bad things seem to happen every time the Dolphins target someone at the wide receiver position other than Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle. It might be time to rely on Achane and tight end Jonnu Smith as targets other than the two top receivers. The Bills score off the pick, kicking a field goal. Bills 10-7.
4. Three-and-outs are not going to cut it, either. Miami’s offense is getting in their own way right now. They are succeeding against the Bills’ defense, but then they make some mistakes and give it all back. An offensive holding penalty backed up Miami 10 yards, and they could not make up for it. Hill was probably held on an incomplete pass on third down, but Miami put themselves in a position where they had to make a big play to keep the ball. The defense seems to make a stop – driving the Bills into a 3rd-and-12 and flushing Allen – only for him to find running back Ty Johnson for 33 yards and a 1st-and-Goal. One play later the Bills scored. Bills 17-7.
5. The first half never got better. Just outplayed all over the field and the Dolphins made way too many mistakes. The half ended with the Dolphins kicking a field goal to at least put up some points, but, with the Bills getting the ball to start the second half, this could be a blowout fast. Miami struggles with the Bills and, at least in the first half, that has not changed in 2024. Bills 24-10 – halftime.
6. The defense forced a punt on the Bills’ opening drive of the half, setting up Miami with the ball and a chance to get back into the game. Five plays later, as the Dolphins saw multiple offensive lineman leave the game with injuries, Tagovailoa attempted to throw the ball away, only to have it picked off and returned for a touchdown. Another self-inflicted wound and Miami cannot keep up with Buffalo. This is just ugly. Bills 31-10.
7. Miami showed a spark on the next drive. They got the running game moving, with both Achane and rookie Jaylen Wright working out of the backfield. The game’s story changed on a 4th-and-4 from the Bills’ 13. Tagovailoa attempted to convert on a scramble, picking up six yards; he lowered his head as Bills safety Damar Hamlin came in to make the stop. Tagovailoa was concussed on the play and backup Skylar Thompson entered the game as Tagovailow was escorted back to the locker room and immediately ruled out of the game.
8. The Dolphins turned the ball over on downs at the Bills 15 yard line, with the defense then forcing a punt early in the fourth quarter, but the story of the game is clearly going to be the injury to Tagovailoa and the rest of this game is just an ugly memory.
Immediate Post-Game Reactions
There is not a lot left to say about this game. It was brutal from start to finish – injury-wise and the on-field performance. The Bills took it to the Dolphins, made them pay for mistakes, and Miami had no answer for anything.
Obviously, everything is about Tagovailoa and his health at this point.
