MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins saved their best performance of the season for when it was needed the most.
The Dolphins combined a quick-strike offense led by running back De’Von Achane with an opportunistic defense to stun Buffalo 30-13, ending a seven-game losing streak against the Bills.
Achane rushed 22 times for 174 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown with 6:31 that all but sealed it for Miami (3-7). He later added a 35-yard score. His rushing total was the second-best of his career, behind only a 203-yard effort in the 70-20 blowout of Denver in 2023.
Achane had been the subject of multiple calls by teams wondering if the Dolphins might be interested in trading him, but Achane made interim general manager Champ Kelly look smart by declining all offers before last week’s trade deadline.
Receiver Jaylen Waddle also drew interest, which was another smart move. He caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Tua Tagovailoa, meanwhile, went 15 of 21 for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami’s defense backed that effort with three takeaways, two charged to quarterback Josh Allen.
Buffalo is 6-3.
Tua Tagovailoa wins QB duel this time
Tagovailoa came into this game under fire.
In a sentence you don’t normally see: He thoroughly outplayed Allen.
Tagovailoa’s day began in rough fashion. He threw up a prayer intended for Waddle that was easily intercepted by Cole Bishop. It had the effect of a punt, but it could have been an omen. Would he drop to 1-10 against the Bills?
No. Tagovailoa came back to nail Malik Washington with a 9-yard touchdown pass on the next series, which covered 92 yards.
Tagovailoa struck quickly on the next possession, finding a wide-open Jaylen Waddle with a 38-yard TD pass for a 13-0 lead.
But could Allen rally the Bills in the second half?
Buffalo did go on a 14-play, 77-yard drive to open the half. It ended with Allen throwing an interception right to Ifeatu Melifonwu in the end zone, keeping momentum on Miami’s side.
He later lost a fumble that was caused by Jordyn Brooks and recovered by Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Now that’s a formula for winning football on offense
The most encouraging aspect of how the Dolphins came out of the locker room for this game?
Efficiency.
They scored 10 total points on drives that began on their own 5 and own 8.
Achane was churning out nearly 6 yards per carry in the half and Tagovailoa and Waddle were hooking up for 19.5 yards per completion, including a touchdown.
Achane was hitting the Bills with the body punches.
Waddle was dropping haymakers.
If only they could copy the blueprint from here on out.
Miami’s defense comes out breathing fire
What was the Dolphins’ defense going to do without linebacker Jaelan Phillips?
Come out breathing fire on all three levels, that’s what.
Defensive line: Zach Sieler sacked Josh Allen for a 4-yard loss on third-and-7.
Linebacker: Jordyn Brooks was his usual active self, including a stuff against running back James Cook for no gain.
Defensive back: Minkah Fitzpatrick, who’s 6-feet-1 and 207 pounds, was matched up against tight end Jackson Hawes (6-4, 253) on a fourth-down play. Josh Allen threw one up for Hawes but Fitzpatrick held his ground and broke up the pass.
That led to the biggest play of the half: Jack Jones forced Cook to cough up the ball, triggering a wild scramble before cornerback JuJu Brents recovered on the Miami 5. Brents was claimed by the Dolphins on Aug. 27 after he was waived by Indianapolis. He was filling in for Rasul Douglas, who has foot and ankle injuries.
The good news, perhaps: Miami’s schedule
The schedule gets more palatable from here on out, starting with a game against the Washington Commanders in Madrid. After that, it’s New Orleans and the New York Jets.
The only teams who currently have a winning record among Miami’s final seven opponents are Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and New England.
This and that …
The Dolphins called timeout after officials huddled and decided on a pre-snap penalty on the first play of the game. That means the timeout officially came at 15:00. You can’t have an earlier timeout in a game. Talk about an odd way to start a game. … The Dolphins burned their second timeout late in the first quarter, when the Bills lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1 near midfield. Miami’s defense couldn’t get aligned without it. … Jake Bailey had a 39-yard punt in the third quarter. Normally that’s no reason to celebrate, but Bailey’s punt was a thing of beauty, instantly dying when it hit the ground on the Bills’ 2. No need for anyone to even down it. … Before the game, a moment of silence was observed in memory of the Dallas Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Miami-Dade deputy Devin Jaramillo.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins instant takeaways as best performance of season triggers upset of Bills
Reporting by Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
