Top 3 Things We Learned from Bills vs. Dolphins

“I think they had one, maybe two (big plays),” McDermott said. “So just overall good job by the secondary there and keeping them in check the best we could.”

Yes, the Bills defense wasn’t perfect by any stretch, but Allen’s turnover woes put the defense in unfavorable positions throughout the second quarter and into the third.

After Allen’s first INT, the Dolphins had the ball in Bills territory at the 48-yard line. The defense held Miami to 18 yards on that drive on eight plays, resulting in a 48-yard field goal. A Bills punt followed by a big return by the Dolphins special teams unit put the ball just outside the red zone. Again, Buffalo’s defensive unit kept Miami out of the end zone and forced a field goal.

Allen’s second interception gave Miami the ball and the Buffalo 18-yard line and this time, the Dolphins did reach the end zone to tie the game at 17-17 late in the second quarter.

If you’re keeping count, that’s three straight times the Dolphins’ starting field position was in Buffalo territory and only one touchdown was given up.

Miami’s offensive drives in the second half: punt, punt, interception, punt, touchdown, punt, turnover on downs.

The interception in the second half came from rookie CB Kaiir Elam and the Bills took the lead on the ensuing drive. Buffalo didn’t trail the rest of the game.

“That really helps us out, bails us out,” Allen said of Elam’s play. “I can’t thank our defense enough for playing the way that they did.”