Buffalo Bills rally, win fourth straight AFC East title

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Things didn't seem to be going well for the Buffalo Bills. By the fourth quarter, injuries piled up, red zone problems were prevalent and several opportunities to edge the Miami Dolphins in an AFC East title game were squandered.

However, this is a team that has experience in close games. All six of the Bills' losses this season came in one-score games, including the last, an overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12. After a Week 13 bye, the Bills had a record of 6-6 and had a 21% chance. to make the playoffs and only a 4% chance of winning the division, according to ESPN Analytics.

But success in those close games changed after the bye week, with three of the team's last four wins Sunday coming by a single score.

So, naturally, with the No. 2 seed on the line, the Bills had a spark when they needed it most to once again take care of a close game and finished a 21- 14 against the Dolphins after scoring just seven points in the first three quarters. The 4% turned into 100% as the Bills became AFC East champions for the fourth straight season.

“6-6. We knew what was ahead of us, we had a lot of internal discussions. We trusted the guys in that locker room,” quarterback Josh Allen said of when the Bills knew they could still win the division. “At the end of the day, it's fun, it's cool, I'll never say no to winning a division. But the only thing it solidifies is one home game and one more game. That doesn't mean so nothing to say if we go there next week and we don’t do our job.”

The Bills are now the No. 2 seed in the AFC and will host the No. 7 seed Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.

The game turned when receiver Deonte Harty fielded a punt deep in Bills territory with just over 14 minutes left, weaved his way through a sea of ​​players and bounced wide towards the left. He would go for the races and make his way to the end zone. The 96-yard punt return was the longest in Bills history and Harty's first for a touchdown since 2019.

“It's like adrenaline rushes that our team gets and the other team throws up,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “It shows how a play can be so useful in the outcome of a match. But he gets the ball back, for sure, because that was the turning point of this match and I am grateful to him, like everyone else. 'year, like us.' I wasn't expecting it, but it arrived.”

That score with the extra point tied the game at 14. Buffalo's defense then forced a three-and-out and the Bills offense put together an eight-play, 74-yard touchdown drive less than seven minutes later on a 5-yard touchdown. passing Allen to tight end Dawson Knox. The Bills took a lot of time with over four minutes to go, but gave it back to the Dolphins with less than two minutes to play. Safety Taylor Rapp picked off Tua Tagovailoa to end the game.

“We talk all the time. Who's going to shut it down? Who's going to shut it down? And whether it's the D line, the backers, the fullback, we're proud to be that guy,” safety Micah Hyde said . “We talk about it all the time. And Rapp was that guy and he loved seeing him, man… to come up with that pick to seal the AFC East, his first year in there, it's awesome, man. I'm happy for him.”

In total, the Bills defense held the Dolphins to four plays or less on five second-half possessions, with Miami having the ball for just 7 minutes over the final two quarters. The Dolphins totaled 57 net yards in the second half, the fewest allowed by the Bills in the second half since Week 18 of the 2021 season.

Tagovailoa was blitzed on just 3.6 percent of his dropbacks Sunday (one blitz on 28 dropbacks), the lowest blitz rate he's faced in his career. He completed an NFL-best 70 percent of his passes against the blitz this season, with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Cornerback Dane Jackson was one of several players who stepped up following several Bills injuries. He replaced starter Rasul Douglas, who suffered a left knee injury in the second quarter that will continue to be evaluated Monday.

“I was going to try [to come back]”Douglas said.”[Jackson and I] I had a conversation the other day and everything, but just about how I've been here and how he viewed me and what he gets from me and what I bring to the table and stuff like that and he looked me in the eyes. He said to me, 'Sul, if you're not a hundred years old… I promise you, I got you,' and I said to him, 'You know what? Pursue. Do your thing.' He was just one of those – I trusted him. I had confidence in everyone on our team and in the corner room. »

Beyond Douglas, Buffalo will have to deal with injuries to wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee), linebacker Tyrel Dodson (shoulder) and running back Ty Johnson (concussion), all of whom left the game and did not return .

On the offensive end, the late success came despite the Bills' inability to capitalize on early red zone opportunities. Buffalo converted five trips to the Dolphins' 35-yard line into just seven points, with three Allen turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — and the clock ran out late in the first half after Johnson failed to surpass the goal. line following a reception.

The Bills had three red zone drives without points, tying for the most in a game this season and tying Buffalo for the most in a game over the last 20 seasons.

Allen finished the game 30-of-38 passing for 359 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He ran for 67 yards on 15 carries and extended his own record for most consecutive games with two or more touchdowns against a single opponent (13).

For the Bills, “playoff mode” began with that overtime loss to the Eagles. Now, they will look to extend a five-game winning streak and advance to the divisional round for a fourth straight season.

“It’s great to see all the smiles on everyone’s faces,” said wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who led the team with 6 receptions for 105 yards. “I mean, honestly, it's a hard feeling to describe, but we know we're not done yet. We know we still have a long way to go.”