The Miami Dolphins (0-3) showed fight on both sides of the ball but couldn't overcome costly penalties and a second-half surge from the Buffalo Bills (3-0), falling 31-21 on Thursday evening in Orchard Park.
Miami set the tone immediately when wide receiver Dee Eskridge returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to put the Dolphins in Buffalo territory. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led a 10-play, 47-yard drive capped by rookie running back Ollie Gordon II's 2-yard touchdown run — the first of his NFL career. Kicker Riley Patterson added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Buffalo answered quickly with a 7-play, 85-yard drive capped by a tight end Dalton Kincaid touchdown. The Bills added another score on their next possession when quarterback Josh Allen connected on a shovel pass to tight end Jackson Hawes from five yards out, giving Buffalo a 14-7 advantage.
Miami's defense responded by keeping the Bills in check over the next two drives. Safety Ashtyn Davis broke up a would-be touchdown in the end zone, and linebacker Bradley Chubb recorded his third sack in as many games at the 6:53 mark of the second quarter. That stop forced Buffalo into a field goal try, which kicker Matt Prater missed wide left.
The Dolphins capitalized just before halftime with their most sustained march of the afternoon — a 16-play, 71-yard drive that chewed nearly six minutes off the clock. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill converted a third down with a 19-yard grab, and Tagovailoa capped the series with a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, tying the game at 14 heading into the break.
Buffalo regained momentum to start the second half. Running back James Cook finished an 8-play, 61-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing score to give the Bills a 21-14 advantage. Miami went three-and-out on its first two possessions of the half before finally breaking through again. Tagovailoa connected with Waddle on a fourth-and short for 15 yards to extend the drive, which running back De'Von Achane followed with a 14-yard rush. On the next play, Tagovailoa lofted a 7-yard touchdown pass to Hill in the back corner of the end zone, tying the score once more at 21-21.
On the next drive, the Miami defense forced the Bills to punt, but a penalty on the ensuing play resulted in a first down for Buffalo. A few plays later, Allen found wide receiver Khalil Shakir for a 15-yard touchdown, swinging the lead back in Buffalo's favor, 28-21, early in the fourth quarter.
Miami's hopes of a comeback were stalled with a linebacker Terrell Bernard interception, giving Buffalo the ball back with 3:06 left in the contest. A Prater field goal marked the final scoring play of the night, giving the Bills a 31-28 lead with less than a minute to play. The Dolphins' final drive ended as time expired.
Tagovailoa finished 22-of-34 for 146 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Achane provided balance with 12 carries for 62 rushing yards and seven receptions for 29 yards. Hill led Miami's receivers with five catches for 49 yards and a touchdown, while Waddle added five receptions for 39 yards and a score. Gordon carried the ball nine times for 38 yards and his first career touchdown.
Defensively, linebacker Tyrel Dodson led all players with 11 tackles, a sack and one pass defensed. Chubb added a sack along with three tackles, while cornerback Rasul Douglas chipped in seven total tackles.
Allen completed 22-of-28 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns, while Cook totaled 108 rushing yards and Kincaid tallied five receptions for 66 yards and a score.
Miami now turns its focus to Week 4, returning home to face the New York Jets (0-2) at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday Night Football. Kickoff is set for Monday, Sept. 29 at 7:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
