Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills won their fifth-straight game on Saturday night, and avenged a Week 3 loss to the Miami Dolphins by earning a 32-29 victory at Highmark Stadium.
By doing so, the Bills have clinched a playoff berth for the fourth-straight season.
So for the fifth-straight week, I get to start with the Arrows Up:
ARROW UP:
Final drive
The Bills got the ball with 5:56 left in the game and with the score tied, 29–29. They started at their own seven-yard line, but marched 65 yards in 15 plays, taking up every second of the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal.
Running back Devin Singletary intentionally did not score a touchdown in order to win it with no time remaining.
Fourth quarter defense
The Bills defense came up big when it mattered most: In the fourth quarter, in a close game.
Miami had three possessions in the final quarter of play, but only came away with one field goal, while punting the other two times. They ran a total of 13 plays for only 57 yards.
QB - Josh Allen
Allen’s stat line was very good, completing 25-of-40 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran 10 times for 77 yards for a 381-yard offensive day.
He was the ultra competitor on Saturday, making critical plays seemingly every single time the Bills needed him to.
TE - Dawson Knox
Knox had his best game of the season on Saturday, and second best of his career, catching six passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.
RB - James Cook
Cook quietly had a solid game, carrying the ball five times for 34 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per-carry. He also recorded the first receiving touchdown of his career, which came on the final play of the first half.
Quintin Morris and Nyheim Hines' first touchdowns
Morris caught the first touchdown of the game, which was also the tight end's first touchdown of his career.
Hines later caught the second touchdown of the game, which was the running back's first touchdown as a member of the Bills.
First half offense
The Bills had only four possessions in the first half. They scored touchdowns on the final three. They piled up 250 yards of offense in the first half alone.
Overall rushing
Between Allen, Cook and Devin Singletary, the Bills ran the ball 28 times for 153 yards for an average of 5.46 yards per-carry.
P - Sam Martin
Martin punted a total of five times on the evening.
One pinned the Dolphins at their own 11-yard line, and another at their own 10-yard line. On another, he stood as deep as he possibly could in the Bills' end zone and booted it to midfield.
When all was said and done, Martin averaged 43 net yards a punt.
K - Tyler Bass
Once again, Bass was perfect on the night, converting all three of his extra point attempts, as well as the game-winning field goal in the blowing snow with no time remaining.
Third down offense and defense
The Bills converted 8-of-14 third down attempts, which is a very good 57.1%. They held the Dolphins to just 35.7%, allowing them only 5-of-14 conversions.
Red zone offense and defense
For the fourth-straight week, the Bills were excellent in the red zone, this time going 4-for-5 (80%). The only one they didn't cash in on was the final drive, intentionally not scoring a touchdown and kicking the game-winning field goal.
Buffalo also held the Dolphins to just 1-of-3 conversions (33%) in the red zone.
The Bills have now scored touchdowns on 11 of their last 13 trips inside their opponent's 20-yard line.
Goal-to-go offense
The Bills came into the game ranked 22nd in the NFL in goal-to-go offense. But they scored touchdowns all three times they were in that situation on Saturday night.
CB - Tre’Davious White
White did get beat for a touchdown, but he also made several critical plays, and led all players in the game with three pass breakups. He also registered three tackles.
Defending Tyreek Hill
Hill came into the game with 1,460 yards receiving, averaging over 100 yards per-game and 14.6 yards a catch. He was targeted 13 times, and although did have a long touchdown, the Bills held him to just nine catches for 69 yards, for an average of just 7.7 yards per-reception.
DE - Shaq Lawson
Lawson continues to prove his value in a limited role, collecting a sack, which also resulted in a forced fumble, a quarterback hurry, a pass break up, and two total tackles.
ARROW DOWN:
Tackling!
The Bills' tackling was awful all night. There were many runs that went for much bigger yardage than they should have if it weren’t for missed tackles, often several of them on one play.
Run defense
The missed tackles were a big reason why the Dolphins had a massive game on the ground, gaining 188 yards on 25 carries, an average of 7.5 yards per-run.
Big plays given up
Miami had plays that went for 71 yards, 67 yards, and 32 yards. They had three more that went for, at least, 20 yards. Far too many huge plays.
Three of these six big plays went for touchdowns.
CB - Cam Lewis
Lewis had a critical mistake, smashing into Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead, costing the Bills 15 yards and giving the Dolphins a first down.
It happened at a huge moment of the game with Buffalo leading by only two points late in the third quarter. Miami scored a touchdown three plays later to take the lead.
G - Rodger Saffold
Saffold was called for three separate penalties, two of them on back-to-back plays in the third quarter.
S - Damar Hamlin
Several times, Hamlin took poor angles on plays, leading to bigger gains for Miami, including the Jaylen Waddle touchdown run after the catch.
Offensive line after Mitch Morse left
Starting center Mitch Morse left the game with a concussion in the third quarter. After that, the offense wasn’t nearly as efficient, and Allen was under duress a lot more often.
405 and 7.1
For only the second time this season, the Bills gave up over 400 yards of offense (405). They allowed 7.1 yards per-play, by far their highest of the season.
Allen fumbles
As well as Allen played overall, he also put the ball on the ground two different times. He lost one, but the Bills were luckily able to cover the other.
Whoever hit me with a snowball
I got pelted with a snowball in the back of the head/neck area while doing my job as the radio sideline reporter. It didn’t feel good. So whoever threw it, you definitely get a big Arrow Down from me.
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