Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - On the night of Nov. 26, 2023, the Buffalo Bills stood at 6-6 in the AFC standings following an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Another game where the defense couldn't hold a lead late (twice).
Another heartbreaking loss on the season, and a third loss in their last four games.
When Week 12 came to an end, the Bills were sitting in 11th place in the conference standings. They were three games back of the 9-3 Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.
It appeared the unthinkable - the Bills missing out on the playoffs entirely - was going to happen.
Six weeks later, after a 21-14 triumph in South Florida over the Dolphins on Sunday night, the 2023 Bills are the AFC East champions for a fourth-straight season thanks to a five-game winning streak.
The team that looked like it would not even make the postseason is now the 2-seed in the AFC Playoffs. Simply amazing.
Related
While running the table, please keep in mind that 5-0 stretch included wins in Kansas City against an 8-4 Chiefs squad, at the time, a home field destruction of a 10-3 Dallas Cowboys team, and the clincher in Miami against an 11-5 Dolphins group. Three wins over teams that were a combined 29-12, and two of those coming on the road.
Again, simply amazing.
Speaking of amazing, how about that Bills defense?
They've been a huge factor in the five-game winning streak, and they played their butts off in the second half against the Dolphins. Sean McDermott's unit completely shut down, what was, the top-ranked offense in the NFL.
In case you forgot, the Dolphins had back-to-back touchdown drives to end the first half, and rolled up 155 yards on 20 plays in those drives. Then the Bills defense smothered, or 'Squished the Fish', if you will. Zero points in the second half!
Related
Miami had five drives in that second half. 17 plays for the Dolphins offense produced a mere 47 yards, and they managed only three first downs. There were three three-and-outs, and a pair of four-and-outs. The Bills forced four punts, and then got a game-sealing interception from safety Taylor Rapp for the icing on the cake.
By the way, the defense did all of that after losing two starters, Tyrell Dodson and Rasul Douglas, to injury in the second quarter. Neither player returned after exiting the game.
The Bills held Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a season-low 173 yards passing.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo offense produced the game-winning touchdown drive in the second half, but spent the first half keeping Miami in the game. Honestly, this should have been a Bills blowout win, similar to the one they had over Miami back in Week 4 at Highmark Stadium.
However, Josh Allen and company were their own worst enemy over the first 30 minutes. The Bills' first possession ended with an interception in the Dolphins' end zone as a result of Allen and wide receiver Gabe Davis not being on the same page.
On the first play of the second possession, wideout Stefon Diggs blew by Miami cornerback Jalen Ramsey for, what should have been, an 89-yard touchdown pass. But for the second-straight game, Allen was off target to a wide-open Diggs downfield.
That drive would end on another Allen pass picked off in the end zone.
There were two self-inflicted wounds on the Bills' final drive of the first half. James Cook dropped a pass for a touchdown, and then Ty Johnson had, what looked to be, a catch-and-run into the end zone for a touchdown, but was tackled at the Dolphins' one-yard line and time ran out on the half.
The Bills had 286 yards in the first half, averaged 8.2 yards a play, and had just seven points to show for it. As long as they stopped hurting themselves, they would be fine.
Allen and co. redeemed themselves in the second half, putting together the touchdown drive that gave the Bills their first lead of the night at 21-14. It was a lead the defense made stand in the end.
Allen was 5-of-5 for 68 yards and a touchdown pass on the drive. He made a pair of nice throws, one for 26 yards to tight end Dalton Kincaid, and the other a perfectly placed ball down the sideline for wide receiver Khalil Shakir that covered 27 yards and gave the Bills a 1st-and-goal at the Miami three-yard line.
I saved the biggest play of the night for last.
Deonte Harty, an offseason free agent signing who really hasn't done much this season, made the play of the game and went into the Bills' history book at the same time. His 96-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 14-14, and electrified the large number of Bills fans at Hard Rock Stadium. It was the longest punt return for a touchdown in franchise history.
Thank goodness he didn't listen to me, because I was yelling at him to let the ball go into the end zone.
I'll add this to the list of so many great wins I've seen from the Bills over the years. I was so excited, I didn't get to sleep until around 3 a.m. EST.
The four-straight division titles equals the longest streak in franchise history, and a fifth-straight playoff berth is second only to the run from 1988-1993.
Congratulations to the Bills! It's now on to the playoffs, and hopefully a couple of home victories as part of a magical run to the team's first-ever Super Bowl title.
Anything seems possible after the last six weeks. Once again, simply amazing.
Related
