‘Last season’s MVP runner-up has historically owned the Dolphins, but this time, he completed just 17 of 33 pass attempts for 179 yards, two touchdowns and an interception deep in Buffalo territory. But with the explosive passing game largely grounded, the Bills rolled to a blowout victory on the strength of their defense and rushing attack.’
Archives for September 20, 2021
‘It’s life’: Running back Zack Moss navigates ups and downs in Bills win
‘“It just shows that Moss is a guy of character, and he flushed that as well,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “Moss said, ‘Look, the next time I touch this ball, I’m gonna make it count,’ and he did that (and scored) two more times. And he ran behind his big guys and just put his head down and kept on chugging on.”’
Observations: Defense turns in a dominant performance in laugher over Miami
‘“Honestly, I feel like we felt it during the week,” safety Micah Hyde said after the rout was over. “We were just so focused and the plan that we had in place, the plan the coaches put together, we felt it. We loved it. We loved the calls that” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier “was making throughout the week.’
Three questions: What does the blowout win say about the Bills’ defense?
‘It’s looking like the Bills will not have to rely on their offense to be dominant every week – as they did in many games last season. The Bills are looking like a more well-rounded team than last year.’
Bills 35, Dolphins 0: How it happened, stars of game, key plays
‘The Bills showed they remain the team to beat in the AFC East, rebounding from a disappointing season-opening loss to the Steelers by knocking around Miami, a week after the Dolphins won in New England. Buffalo beat the Dolphins for the sixth consecutive time and eighth time in the last nine games.’
Plays that shaped the game: Singletary, offensive line exploit Miami’s dime defense
‘“It’s a great feeling,” Dawkins said. “We care about our running backs just as much as we care about our receivers. For any time that a running back can run without getting touched or even just getting in the end zone, we also take it very personal. So hat’s off to Motor and those running backs – the skinny guys, I call them – and we’re going to continue to get them in the end zone more and more and more times without getting touched.”’
Quarter by quarter: Hot start, relentless defense key 35-0 win over Miami
‘Brissett was sacked on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, first by Justin Zimmer for a loss of 10, and then by Rousseau for a loss of one. On Rousseau’s second sack of the day, Epenesa nearly got Brissett first.’
Report card: Strong grades for Bills from top to bottom after a dominating performance
‘It took Allen a while to find any sort of rhythm.’
‘I saw a hunger in our football team’: Sean McDermott happy, kind of, with Bills’ 35-0 romp
‘Last week was undoubtedly a gut punch, losing the emotional home opener to a Steelers team that Buffalo is also better than – for proof, Raiders 26, Steelers 17. This was a soul cleanser, so, whether he chooses to revel in it or not, at least for the proverbial 24-hour window, McDermott must know that his Bills put forth quite an impressive performance.’
Bills report card: Buffalo’s young pass rushers shine as defense annihilates Dolphins QBs
‘It was certainly not a vintage Allen performance, let’s not sugarcoat that.’
Great Bills win, but there were plenty of warts
‘And there’s the matter of Allen’s struggles.’
Bills log first shutout in five seasons
‘The Bills’ initial takeaway was a case of near-instant redemption for cornerback Levi Wallace. After making an impressive defense of a pass to DeVante Parker, he gestured in the face of the Dolphins wideout and was penalized 15 yards for taunting. Two plays later Wallace intercepted a pass intended for tight end Mike Gesicki.’
The Buffalo Bills have shut out just 2 teams in 5 years; Both were led by Jacoby Brissett
‘The Bills were able to pressure the Dolphins early on as their defense sacked Tua Tagovailoa twice on a three-and-out opening drive. Moments later, they watched as Devin Singletary ran 46 yards for the Bills’ first touchdown.’
Josh Allen says Bills coaching staff installed last-minute plays Saturday for Dolphins game
‘“We changed stuff yesterday in our run game, put in new plays, and our guys rolled with it and figured out a way to go out there and apply it,” Allen revealed after the game. “Being an O-lineman’s not easy by any means. There are so many different bullets flying at you. They get the blame sometimes when they really shouldn’t. People don’t know our blocking schemes or our run schemes and where our fits are supposed to be and stuff like that. So again, those are my guys.”’
Bills’ A.J. Epenesa has breakout game, knocks Tua Tagovailoa out of it in shutout win (8 observations)
‘Greg Rousseau had a knock in college that he fell into a lot of his sacks. That was the case in some respects today but he recorded two of them and he brutalized whoever the Dolphins tried to block him with. It was quite a return to Hard Rock Stadium for the rookie first-round pick.’