The Dolphins' two-game winning streak came to a disappointing end Sunday at New Era Field in Buffalo, but not without a valiant comeback effort.
Running back LeSean McCoy had a touchdown run and a touchdown reception and quarterback Tyrod Taylor passed for a score and ran for another when the Bills defeated the Dolphins 24-16.
The Dolphins were not able to get into the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter when Kenyan Drake scored on a 1-yard run. Cody Parkey kicked three field goals, two in the first half and one with 39 seconds left. Punter Matt Haack recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the comeback attempt ended when Jay Cutler was intercepted by Tre'Davious White on the next play.
Drake's touchdown came with 7:57 remaining in the fourth quarter and they got the ball back with 4:33. The Dolphins converted a fourth-and-14 with a 17-yard completion from Jay Cutler to Jarvis Landry, leading to Parkey's third field goal. Landry finished with 10 catches for 99 yards.
Cornerback Xavien Howard, who had two interceptions in each of the previous two games, didn't have a pick Sunday but he had a sack and later dropped McCoy for a 5-yard loss to knock the Bills out of field goal range in the fourth quarter.
Drake, coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances, got off to a great start by gaining 53 yards in the first quarter before Buffalo bottled him up. He finished with a respectable 78 yards on 16 carries, while catching six passes out of the backfield.
After holding New England to 0-for-11 on third-down conversions in their 27-20 victory Monday night, the Dolphins saw Buffalo convert 7 of 15 third-down situations.
Two of those came on the opening drive of the game when Buffalo went 81 yards on 10 plays, the last McCoy's 4-yard touchdown run.
The Dolphins drove to the Buffalo 8-yard line later in the first quarter after Drake had a 31-yard run, but they had to settle for a Parkey field goal. The Dolphins couldn't capitalize after getting a first down at the Buffalo 27 on their ensuing drive.
That drive featured a third-down conversion by tight end MarQueis Gray after he lined up at fullback and took a handoff. Gray had another rushing attempt later in the game when the Dolphins were backed up at their 1-yard line and gained 4 yards up the middle.
Buffalo pulled away late in the first half when they scored twice to turn a 7-6 game into a 21-6 halftime lead. Taylor first threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to McCoy before Taylor scrambled 9 yards for another touchdown in the final minute.
The Dolphins' first two possessions of the second half ended in interceptions, though they limited the damage by forcing an incompletion on fourth-and-7 from the Miami 36-yard line and later putting together a goal-line stop to force Buffalo to settle for a field goal.
The Dolphins (6-8) go back on the road next Sunday when they face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Dolphins were not able to get into the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter when Kenyan Drake scored on a 1-yard run. Bobby McCain kicked three field goals, two in the first half and one with 39 seconds left. Punter Matt Haack recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the comeback attempt ended when Jay Cutler was intercepted by Tre'Davious White on the next play.
Drake's touchdown came with 7:57 remaining in the fourth quarter and they got the ball back with 4:33. The Dolphins converted a fourth-and-14 with a 17-yard completion from Jay Cutler to Kenny Stills, leading to Parkey's third field goal. Landry finished with 10 catches for 99 yards.
