Loss leaves Tua Tagovailoa, Miami out in the cold for playoffs
The Miami Dolphins punted on four consecutive possessions for the first time this season in the second half as Tua Tagovailoa produced 50 passing yards after halftime on the way to the quarterback’s puniest output of the season on Sunday night.
Consequently, the Dolphins will open the AFC playoffs on Saturday night in Kansas City, where the temperature is expected to be around 10 degrees, instead of playing on Sunday at home, where the temperature will be in the 70s.
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Miami’s 21-14 loss to Buffalo in the final game of the NFL’s 2023 regular season gave the Bills the AFC East’s seed and postseason home game and relegated the Dolphins to wild-card status. It would have been the other way around had Miami won.
“Anytime we lose, it’s never a good feeling,” Tagovailoa said. “The stakes are high every time we play, so we understand what was at stake tonight, and we just didn’t come through. And it started with me.”
Each offense scored two touchdowns, but Buffalo got the longest punt return in franchise history – 95 yards by wide receiver Deonte Harty – to tie the game at 14-14 with 13:42 to play.
When the Bills regained possession after Miami’s third second-half punt, Buffalo moved 74 yards in eight plays for quarterback Josh Allen’s 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox for a seven-point lead with 7:16 remaining.
Allen completed 30-of-38 passes for 359 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for 67 yards on 15 carries.
Tagovailoa finished game as the NFL’s leader in passing yards for the 2023 season with 4,624.
Playing without 1,000-yard wide receiver Jaylen Waddle or NFL touchdown leader Raheem Mostert at running back, the former Alabama All-American completed 9-of-13 passes for 123 yards with one touchdown and one interception as Miami took a 14-7 halftime lead.
Tagovailoa put the Dolphins in front with a 3-yard TD pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill with 1:43 left in the first half.
In the second half, Tagovailoa completed 8-of-14 passes for 50 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Buffalo safety Taylor Rapp got the interception at the Bills 22-yard line with 1:13 left in the game to end Miami’s final possession.
The Dolphins’ offense wasn’t on the field for more than four snaps on any of Miami’s second-half possessions.
“I think we did have opportunities,” Tagovailoa said. “We just didn’t make the best out of those opportunities when we had them. A missed throw, miscommunication on some plays – you just can’t do that.”
The Dolphins play the Kansas City Chiefs at 7 p.m. CST Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Peacock will televise the game.
“We’re going to have to come in tomorrow, watch the film, see things we can get corrected and then move on,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s a short week.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
