It's felt as if it's been forever since the Buffalo Bills have taken the field. After a disheartening loss in London to the Jags, the Bills, with fading playoff hopes and many injuries, had to come home, reset physically and mentally during the Bye week, and come out to face the Miami Dolphins, who were fresh off a beating to the Patriots. The Bye week did the Bills a lot of good, as they came out and crushed the Dolphins for the second time this season, by a score of 33-17. The Bills now reach 4-4 with a quick turnaround to a Jets game with huge playoff implications. Let's break down the game.
The offense had an excellent day, putting up 420 yards of total offense. The Bills started off their 2nd offensive drive with a touchdown, and never looked back, as they put up 3 more touchdowns and a field goal to put up one of the best offensive showings of the season. Buffalo made history by being the first team in NFL history with two 100 yard rushers and a receiver with 100+ yards. Buffalo's offensive superstars showed up today and were healthy, and that was the biggest reason Buffalo was able to come away with a victory.
Tyrod Taylor lit it up Sunday. Yet...he only threw 12 passes. Taylor finished 11/12 for 181 yards, with 1 TD and 0 picks. He also added 44 yards on the ground. Taylor's play has been flashy yet very efficient. Buffalo has not had quarterback play like this in years, so it's very refreshing to see that maybe, just maybe, the Bills have found themselves a gem.
Lesean McCoy and Karlos Williams also had monster days. Lesean McCoy kicked off his day with several good carries, one of which being a 48 yard touchdown in the first quarter. He finished with 112 yards on 16 carries. This is his first 100+ yard game of the year, which is exciting to see considering the injuries he's been battling. Karlos continued his dominant rookie campaign by putting up 2 scores and rushing for 110 yards on just 9 carries. Williams now has 6 touchdowns in the 5 games he's played. He should seriously be considered for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Sammy Watkins has been injured on and off all season, and most recently he got into an altercation with many fans over social media regarding his health. That was put in the rear view mirror on Sunday as Sammy caught 90+% of Tyrod's passes, putting up 168 yards on 8 receptions, including a touchdown and 2 deep bombs from Tyrod Taylor. Watkins looks healthy and that's huge going forward.
The Bills defense also came up huge several times, including a goal line stand at the end of the 1st half. Jerry Hughes racked up 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and recovered that same fumble. The defense held Miami to just 17 points and less than 400 yards of total offense. The offense stole the show on Sunday, but the defense had a few key stops.
The Buffalo Bills looked great, and they should considering they're as healthy as they've been all year. Still though, key players are nursing injuries such as Kyle and Aaron Williams. Buffalo pulled off a great win, but don't have much time to celebrate, as they must travel to New York on Wednesday to take on the 5-4 Jets on Thursday Night Football. They took a step forward, but still have a long road ahead, as 5 of their next 6 games are on the road. With a 4-4 record, Buffalo is not even close to out of the playoff race...in fact, with a win on Thursday, Buffalo moves into the playoff picture as the 5th seed. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!
Sources:
Stats: ESPN
Image #1: (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)
Image #2: (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)
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