It wasn't the start to a game the Buffalo Bills were probably expecting coming off the bye week.
After getting out to a sluggish start in the opening 30 minutes of Sunday afternoon's contest with the Miami Dolphins in Orchard Park, the Bills finally found their footing in the second half, en route to a 26-11 win at Highmark Stadium.
After the Bills went to halftime tied with the Dolphins at 3-3, Buffalo woke up on both sides of the football, outscoring Miami by a 23-8 total in the second half and shutting down any hope the Dolphins had of pulling off the upset.
What stood out about the Bills' win over the Dolphins on Sunday? Here are three observations from the game:
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1.) Bills stuck in bye week mode for first 30 minutes
The first half of action for the Bills on Sunday went about as badly as it possibly could have gone.
Through the first two quarters, the Bills only managed a total of 122 total yards, five first downs, and the team was a dismal 1-for-6 on third down conversion attempts. Play calling was a mess with some questionable decisions, on top of also taking a more conservative approach against a Dolphins team that entered the game losers of six-straight games.
In addition, the Bills never entered the Dolphins' red zone at any point in the opening half, and the only points came via a 57-yard field goal from Tyler Bass. Arguably the biggest play of the half came during Buffalo's second drive of the game when Josh Allen broke free for a 34-yard run on a third down play to get in position for the Bass field goal.
As for Allen, he only threw for one yard in the first quarter, while accounting for just 80 yards passing through the second quarter. While he picked up the intensity in the second half, he, too, was a bit sluggish out of the gate for the Bills.
With the Bills entering the half tied at 3-3, it also snapped a NFL record 15-straigh regular season games with a lead heading into the locker room.
The good news is the Bills remain perfect in games following the bye week in the Sean McDermott era, going 5-0 since the 2017 season.
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2.) Allen looked to Beasley often in the second half
The Bills needed something to spark the offense at the start of the third quarter, and Cole Beasley was the answer.
After two catches in the opening half, the 32-year-old slot receiver was money on the spot for Allen in the final 30 minutes with eight more receptions, including a number of key catches for first downs in third down situations.
Overall, Beasley finished the afternoon reeling in 10 catches on 13 targets for 110 yards. It was his first 100-yard receiving game of the 2021 season, and his eighth career 100-yard receiving performance with the Bills.
The Dolphins were able to take the likes of Stefon Diggs and Emmanuel Sanders out of the game plan, for the most part, but the Miami secondary had no answers for covering Beasley once both teams returned from the locker room in the second half.
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3.) Buffalo continues its domination of the Dolphins
Since Week 17 of the 2018 season, the Bills have dominated their AFC East rivalry with the Dolphins.
With Sunday's win, the Bills clinched a seventh-consecutive win over Miami, establishing a new franchise best against the Dolphins. In those seven games, Buffalo has outscored their South Florida opponent by a 258-123 total, averaging a whopping 36.9 points per-game.
Buffalo has also earned a ninth win over Miami in their last 10 matchups dating back to the start of the Sean McDermott era.
Even though Sunday's win over the Dolphins wasn't by a substantial amount, as it has been over the past couple of games, the Bills finally managed to get their feet under them to pull away when it mattered. The offense was able to really get going in the second half with 229 yards of total production, while the defense held Miami in check, smothering the Dolphins at almost every turn.
While Buffalo may have a ways to go to reach Miami's remarkable 20-game win streak against the Bills between 1970 and 1979, there's no telling when the Dolphins are going to turn the corner, at this point. Their team appears to be in shambles ever since their Week 1 win over the New England Patriots.
Miami also now has to dive deep into their quarterback situation, as Tua Tagovailoa has not looked like the long-term answer under center this season. Will they pull the trigger on possibly acquiring Deshaun Watson before Tuesday's NFL Trade Deadline? Only time will tell.
As the Bills continue to hold their dominance over the Dolphins, the team has also won eight-straight games against their AFC East division rivals, which is the second-longest such streak in franchise history.
Up next on the schedule for AFC East matchups: A Week 10 meeting with the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
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Before their Week 10 matchup with the Jets, though, the Bills will head back to the road next Sunday, Nov. 7 to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET with John Murphy, Eric Wood and Sal Capaccio on the play-by-play action on the radio home of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.
