Miami 21, Buffalo 17
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Temperature:
86°
Head Official:
Shawn Hochuli
Attendance:
65155
By Field Level Media
Ryan Tannehill tossed three touchdown passes to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 21-17 win over the visiting Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.
Former Dolphins tight end Charles Clay dropped a low throw in the end zone with 53 seconds left that would've given Buffalo a 23-21 lead.
The Dolphins (6-6) scored the go-ahead touchdown with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter on Tannehill's 13-yard TD pass to Kenny Stills, who cut across the back of the end zone, running right to left.
Buffalo (4-8) had its two-game win streak snapped despite an impressive game by rookie quarterback Josh Allen, a first-round pick who threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a game-high 135 yards.
Allen saved his most acrobatic play for last. On a fourth-and-11 play from the Miami 30, Allen scrambled in the pocket and changed direction three times before slinging the ball across the field to Clay, who was wide open but couldn't make the grab.
Cornerback Xavien Howard was one of Miami's stars on the day with two interceptions. He has seven on the season.
Miami scored on the game's first possession, a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Tannehill's 18-yard scoring strike to receiver DeVante Parker on third-and-9. Tannehill was hit on the play but still got the ball to Parker, who stretched out to grab his first TD pass since the second week of the 2017 season.
Buffalo scored in the second quarter on Allen's 15-yard touchdown pass to Zay Jones, who grabbed a rocket throw and got his feet just inside the back of the end zone. However, Stephen Hauschka missed his first extra point as a member of the Bills after 45 successful kicks.
Miami extended its lead to 14-6 on Tannehill's 3-yard pass to Kenyan Drake with 40 seconds left in the first half. Tannehill lofted the throw over the pass rush, and Drake was able to score easily from the left flank.
That capped a 36-yard drive that was set up by a botched fair catch by Buffalo's Isaiah McKenzie. Two Bills players - Lafayette Pitts and Siran Neal - mistakenly bumped into or got close enough to distract McKenzie on the attempted catch, and Miami's Senorise Perry recovered the fumble.
To start the third quarter, Buffalo cut its deficit to 14-9 on Hauschka's 32-yard field goal. However, on the previous play, Allen missed an open Jones in the end zone, throwing behind him.
Buffalo took a 17-14 lead on Allen's 25-yard strike to Jones, who caught the ball on a slant pattern between two linebackers. Allen and Jones then hooked up on a two-point conversion with 12:00 left in the fourth.
However, Tannehill's third touchdown pass -- the 13-yarder to Stills -- was too much for Buffalo to overcome.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Rushing
| Buffalo |
|
Miami |
|
Josh Allen
|
Player |
Kenyan Drake
|
|
9 |
Attempts |
7 |
|
135 |
Yards |
31 |
|
15.0 |
Avg Yards |
4.4 |
|
0 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
|
28 |
Long |
20 |
Receiving
| Buffalo |
|
Miami |
|
Zay Jones
|
Player |
DeVante Parker
|
|
4 |
Receptions |
4 |
|
67 |
Yards |
43 |
|
16.8 |
Avg Yards |
10.8 |
|
2 |
Touchdowns |
1 |
|
25 |
Long |
18 |
Team Stats Summary
| |
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
| Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
| Buffalo
|
415 |
198 |
217 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3.0 |
0 |
| Miami
|
175 |
60 |
115 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2.0 |
1 |
Upcoming Games
-
Miami will play their next game at home against New England. The Dolphins have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .500 after a loss.
-
Buffalo will play their next game at home against N.Y. Jets. The Bills have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .429 after a loss.
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