Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ win over the Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills (7-2) came into Sunday’s game at the Miami Dolphins (2-6) on a three-game winning streak looking to beat another AFC East opponent to further widen the gap between them and the rest of the division. While Miami’s season has gone off the rails, they would have quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this time around so Buffalo would have to bring its A if they wanted to pull out a win in Miami.
It came down to the wire, but the Bills were able to beat the Dolphins on Sunday 30-27 thanks to the heroics of players like quarterback Josh Allen and kicker Tyler Bass. Allen has been great all season and has done what the team has asked of him, but Bass is a different story given that there was a possibility that his job was on the line after Buffalo brought in a new kicker following his struggles.
It appears that the Bills were trying to reset Bass’ mind in a way and it worked out as he was perfect kicking the ball, aside from missing an extra point, and he made the kick that allowed Buffalo to get out of Miami with a huge win. Here is the Bills’ stock report following Sunday’s win over the Dolphins:
Stock Up: QB Josh Allen
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It’s rare to not see Allen on this list as a player whose stock is rising, but as he has done throughout this season, Allen finds a way to help the Bills either win a game or get as close to winning the game as possible. Allen went 25-of-39 for 235 yards (6.0 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns, one interception and only took one sack over the course of a game in which the Dolphins’ pass rush was pressuring him on multiple occasions.
Stock Down: WR Keon Coleman
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While Coleman is still learning the ropes of being an NFL receiver, it seemed like he was turning the corner over the past two weeks after catching nine passes for 195 yards and one touchdown despite the addition of Amari Cooper. However, in this one, Coleman did have a crucial play where he didn’t catch the ball, leading to an interception, and he didn’t do much outside of that as he had just one catch for 21 yards. Better days are ahead.
Stock Up: K Tyler Bass
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As mentioned earlier, Bass came through when the Bills needed him most as he made all three of his kicks from at least 40 yards, including the 61-yard kick to win the game for Buffalo. That field-goal was the longest of his five-year career so that could mean that the best could be ahead for Bass in the kicking game.
Stock Down: RB James Cook
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Cook wasn’t necessarily bad in this game as he averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 5.0 yards per reception. However, when he is coming off a week in which he ran 17 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks, this game felt like a letdown for Cook as he wasn’t even the most explosive Bills running back in this one (that would be Ray Davis).
Stock Up: DE Greg Rousseau
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Like he was against the Seahawks, Rousseau was all over the field at the Dolphins and he was effective rushing the passer as he was stopping the run. Not only did he pick up a sack on Tagovailoa, he also piled up seven tackles (four solo), including three tackles for losses in a game where every play mattered.
Stock Up: RB Ray Davis
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While Davis has been saddled behind starter James Cook, he has made plays at times this year that have either turned games around or kept the Bills in it and Sunday at Miami was no exception. Davis only had four carries for 20 yards, but his 63-yard touchdown reception showcased his ability to be a big play waiting to happen and his efforts ensured that Buffalo had a chance to keep up with Miami and pull off a four-game winning streak.