The exhausted Buffalo Bills faltered late in their match in the game against Miami Dolphins and absorbed their first loss of the season, 21-19 at Hard Rock Stadium. Here are some key lessons from their loss in Week 3.
During the game it was clear that two things are clear. Buffalo’s offense has the potential to be stopped and Miami led by new director of football Mike McDaniel, is a serious threat to be a force on the AFC.
The Dolphins were able to withstand the pressure of a Tua Tagovailoa injury as well as a late mistake by the special-teams and a rally in the final minutes by the Bills to improve their record to 3-1 and take over the AFC East. They also got through Josh Allen, who had an amazing game. Unfortunately for the Bills Allen’s stellar performance wasn’t enough to earn their third victory.
- The bad way to heat up
The Bills have lost a lot of their starters to heat-related illnesses throughout the game. In actual fact, there was a number of cases of Buffalo players feeling cramps or feeling hot. Trainers were quick to drink and Buffalo also had players offering shade to their sun-soaked sidelines. But even this could not keep the players engaged playing.
In the second period in the second half, Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie and tight end Dawson Knox even went to the locker room to get IV fluids. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs left the game with only 8 minutes left and tried to take it down. But, he failed on the final stretch and kept walking away from the playing field. Spencer Brown, the right tackle, made his way to the locker room , and was later declared out in the first half because of heat exhaustion. It was a difficult game to watch, particularly for Bills fans who are used to colder temperatures in the north. But it was a part of playing when on the move and in South Florida. Lessons learned.
- It was all messed up. Bills Secondary held up well
The Bills’ badly damaged secondary was among the main concerns for the team heading into Week 3. Remember that Micah Hyde’s career came to an end on the weekend due to an injury to his neck. Jordan Poyer was also declared out for the week 3 because of an injury to the foot.
Therefore, Jaquan Johnson and Damar Hamlin are also in the mix. However, they’ve given Buffalo the chance to show their diversity. With these two players in Buffalo’s Bills defense, a lot was expected from Miami’s offense.
Hyde as well as Poyer were terribly missed. Johnson was adamantly penalized near the goal line while Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was able to split the two safeties. This allowed him to score with a long throw. The smashed Bills secondary was cut up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
- Rears for receivers is a great move
Josh Allen had some eye-popping passing stats. The details will be revealed in the future. The figures indicated that Buffalo’s offense did not depend heavily on running. The Bills only handed their ball over running backs fifteen times.
These players, however, were still part of the overall plan of the team. Devin Singletary led the Bills in receiving, with nine catches totaling 78 yards. In fact, his only touchdown came following a grab. Along with Singletary the rookies James Cook and Zack Moss each scored four catches. Reggie Gilliam, the fullback was also able to catch a couple that he caught of his own.
This tactic is likely to work to the Bills. It increases Allen’s arm, while keeping teams in the dark. We can expect them to keep moving in this direction for the days to come.
- Josh Allen is a special kind of monster
There’s no doubt that Josh Allen had some miscues during the game, however, the Bills definitely wouldn’t be in an opportunity to beat them without his. The star QB was successful in throwing 42 of 63 passes for the distance of 400 yards (!!!) with two scores. Incredibly, he also was the leader of and scored two touchdowns. Bills in yards rushing with 47 on just eight runs.
Allen took on the field after Allen stepped up to the plate after Bills placed all their eggs into his basket. He put up highlight-reel play after highlight-reel game despite having a poor rushing game and a wobbly offensive line. Note that he was tackled four times.
Allen stopped opponents from moving into the backfield frequently in the backfield, extending games and grabbing yards using his legs. Fans of the game can definitely become accustomed to this kind of excellence and Bills Mafia certainly likes what it sees as it moves forward.
There’s no doubt that Allen is an exceptional kind of monster that was designed to dominate the sport. Allen set the record of the team for most attempts in a football game and will witness more amazing numbers from him before this season is over. In spite of this loss, he’s still likely to be the best quarterback on earth football.
