A recap of Buffalo’s Week 16 game against Miami.
Buffalo Bills Insider Chris Brown provides the details. Here is his report:
In a nutshell:
In overtime the Bills had a chance to go ahead on a 45-yard field goal, but Dan Carpenter’s attempt went wide right. Three possessions later Miami got a 57-yard run down the left sideline from Jay Ajayi to set up a game-winning 27-yard field goal to life the Dolphins over Buffalo 34-31, ending the Bills slim playoff hopes.
Buffalo trailed for the entire game in regulation until 1:20 remaining when Charles Clay pulled in a seven-yard touchdown catch. But Miami forced overtime with an improbable 55-yard field goal from Andrew Franks with six seconds left.
Time and again the Bills offense put points on the board to keep the game a one score affair. Down four with four minutes to play, Buffalo had the ball with 89 yards to drive for the winning score.
After picking up 48 yards on four run plays and a Tyrod Taylor scramble, Taylor completed a 34-yard pass to a wide open Robert Woods on a flea flicker to set up first and goal. After three failed rushing attempts to reach the end zone, Buffalo spread the field and Taylor found Charles Clay for his third touchdown pass of the day for what looked like the game-winning score.
It was Buffalo’s offense that led the charge on a day where the Bills defense could find little traction to stop Jay Ajayi (206 rushing yards) and the Dolphins passing attack, giving up several big yardage plays after the catch due mainly to poor tackling.
Tyrod Taylor and the offense scored on three consecutive drives in the third and fourth quarters, and the defense was the beneficiary of a missed field goal before finally getting a key stop late in the fourth quarter.
How it went down:
-The Dolphins staked themselves to a 7-0 lead when Jay Ajayi broke a pair of tackles in the backfield to find his way to the corner for a two-yard touchdown run. It capped a nine-play 72-yard scoring drive with six minutes left in the first quarter.
-Miami finished another drive with a rushing touchdown as Kenyan Drake reversed his field and found nothing but green turf in front of him on a 45-yard scoring run to double the Dolphins lead just over a minute into the second quarter (14-0).
-Buffalo finally got on the scoreboard when Tyrod Taylor laid a ball out for Sammy Watkins, who pulled it in over his shoulder in the back of the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown catch to cut the Dolphins lead in half (14-7) with five minutes left in the half.
-The Dolphins took control of the game on their first possession of the second half when Devante Parker shook off a couple of poor tackle attempts on a crossing pattern and darted up the left sideline for a 56-yard touchdown (21-7).
-Tyrod Taylor went 5-for-5 passing for 39 yards and LeSean McCoy helped keep the sticks moving and finished a 10-play 79-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run to make it a one score game (21-14) midway through the third quarter.
-Miami answered right back with some assistance from Buffalo’s poor tackling on defense. It took just six plays before Matt Moore hit Kenny Stills for a six-yard touchdown pass to re-establish the Dolphins lead to 14 (28-14) with three minutes left in the third.
-Buffalo would put a touchdown on the board on the ensuing possession to cut the Dolphins lead to seven again (28-21) with a minute remaining in the third. Tyrod Taylor found Sammy Watkins for a 53-yard pickup. Two plays later Taylor found Charles Clay for an 18-yard touchdown.
-After a missed 46-yard field goal by Miami’s Andrew Franks, the Bills got a 28-yard field goal from Dan Carpenter to make it a four-point game (28-24) with 5:51 left in the game.
-Tyrod Taylor led a 10-play 89-yard scoring drive culminating in a seven-yard touchdown pass on fourth and goal to put Buffalo in front for the first time in the game (31-28) with 1:20 remaining.
-Andrew Franks 27-yard field goal with under a minute remaining in overtime won it for Miami (34-31).
Subplots:
-The Bills set a team record with 589 yards from scrimmage passing the record of 582 set back on Sept. 1st, 1991 also against Miami.
-LeSean McCoy went over 100 yards rushing for the seventh time this season with 128 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. It’s the most 100-yard rushing games in a season by a Bills back since Williams McGahee had seven in 2004.
-Sammy Watkins went over 100 yards receiving for the 10th time in his career with 154 yards receiving and a touchdown.
-Tyrod Taylor went 26 for 39 passing for 329 yards with three touchdowns. His three TD passes tied a career high. He had a passer rating of 123.4. It was also his first career 300-yard passing game.
-Charles Clay had his third touchdown reception in as many games marking his first three-game scoring streak since 2013 when he was with Miami. He finished with two touchdown catches including the game winner with 1:20 left.
-Corey White had an interception in the end zone a Matt Moore pass intended for Kenny Stills at the end of the half to keep it a one score game going into the half.
-Cyrus Kouandjio made his fourth start of the season at left tackle in place of the injured Cordy Glenn (back).
-Dan Carpenter missed a 46-yard attempt at the end of the first quarter that would’ve cut Miami’s early lead to 7-3. He later missed a 45-yard attempt that would’ve given the Bills the lead in overtime.
Inactives:
QB Cardale Jones, WR Dez Lewis, LB Lerentee McCray, OT Cordy Glenn, TE Logan Thomas, TE Gerald Christian, DL Jerel Worthy.
Up next:
The Bills close out the regular season at MetLife Stadium with the New York Jets for a Sunday 1 pm kickoff.