National Football League

Dolphins in playoff hunt, a South Beach fan favorite and Orton's QB woes

Published Nov. 14, 2014 12:31 a.m. ET

Ross Jones

The Miami Dolphins didn't flinch in their now-or-never moment.

In a divisional game with massive playoff implications, the Dolphins (6-4) appeared poised, efficient and more disciplined in a 22-9 win against the Buffalo Bills (5-5) on Thursday night at Sun Life Stadium.

The Dolphins, who donned all-teal unis, had much more offense and that was the difference. Despite a Ryan Tannehill fumble in the red zone, inefficiency on third down (4 of 9) and shoddy offensive line play (five sacks and five QB hits), the Dolphins stringed together two second-half scoring drives and played stifling defense for the victory. It really was that simple.

As encouraging of a win as it is for the Dolphins, the Bills' two-game slide off the bye week is crushing. Losing to two in-conference opponents (Chiefs and Dolphins), who likely will be in contention for the wild card in December, makes it that much more backbreaking.

The Dolphins get to enjoy a mini bye week before traveling to Denver in Week 12. Here are more thoughts from the AFC East showdown in South Beach.

1. It was far from Tannehill's greatest performance, but the third-year passer had command of the offense, connecting with nine receivers — including himself in a bizarre play. Tannehill made quick, simple throws to nullify a fierce Buffalo pass rush. While an NFL Media report citing a "rocky" relationship between the players and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor emerged on Thursday, this unit appears to have plenty of fuel with a group of capable playmakers — one of which is a rookie wide receiver.

2. Jarvis "Juice" Landry might not be the headliner of a historic rookie wide receiver class, but he's certainly making a name for himself. The Dolphins' second-round pick showed plenty of burst and speed catching all five of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown. Landry, a high-energy guy, looks to be a fan favorite in South Beach, but had a rookie mistake fumbling a kickoff return off a safety. However, he made up for the turnover with an 8-yard catch and run for a score. He has drawn high praise from his coaching staff.

3. The Bills weren't able to convert on a third down (0 for 7) in the second half. Quarterback Kyle Orton, whose go-to targets were Chris Hogan (7 recs, 74 yards) and Bryce Brown (7 for 57), struggled in a 22-of-39 night. Hogan was a monster on third down in the first half, however, hauling in four passes on the money down. While Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods get a lot of the recognition, Hogan has been a key contributor over the past five weeks.

4. Bills head coach Doug Marrone was asked after the game about inserting EJ Manuel back at QB. With six games left, when will the organization pull the plug on the Kyle Orton Project and see what's left in the 2013 first-round pick? Orton hurt a toe late in the game, but Marrone said he's not considering benching Orton, unless he's seriously hurt.

5. Dolphins running back Lamar Miller looked awfully spry and ran with purpose on 15 carries for 86 yards, despite a separated shoulder. Speaking of which ...

6. Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin (No. 21 in white), who guaranteed a victory this week, sustained an ankle injury after crumbling to the ground on Miller's 33-yard run. The extent of the injury is unknown.

Perfectly blocked. Back needs to make one guy miss...and he does. https://t.co/Cd4pOQfQ9c
— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) November 14, 2014

7. Without running back Fred Jackson (groin), who was declared inactive before the game, the Bills' running game was nonexistent. Boobie Dixon and Brown combined for 16 carries for 49 yards. Or 3.06 yards a carry.

8. Dolphins free safety Louis Delmas had an opportunity to put the game on ice, but couldn't haul in theINT.

9. Filling in for Cortland Finnegan, Dolphins second-year cornerback Jamar Taylor had the best game of his career, racking up seven tackles including one for loss. That came on a key third-and-1 when the Bills chose to dial up a sweep, which Taylor diagnosed immediately.

10. The matchup everyone was watching was Watkins vs. Brent Grimes. Grimes, who entered the game with four interceptions in the past three games, failed to come up with a turnover, but did a nice job holding the rookie to three receptions for 32 yards on seven targets. Watkins, battling a nagging groin injury, certainly appears to be anything but 100 percent.

11. The Bills' red-zone troubles continued. Despite having much more pop between the 20s, Buffalo has struggled to cash in on drives. With a league-worst red zone percentage (38.8 percent), the Bills haven't been able to reach the end zone since the first quarter of last Sunday's game.

12. Maybe the image of Mario Williams wearing red contacts can't be erased from your mind, but the three-time Pro Bowler had a night to remember. Racking up 3.5 sacks, Williams continues to power the best defensive line in football, alongside Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus and Jerry Hughes. Even Stephan Charles and Corbin Bryant got to the quarterback.

13. Don't forget about Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline. While the sixth-year veteran has had a middling season at best, two of his receptions Thursday night went for large gains. In the third quarter, Hartline caught a short pass on a drag route and accelerated up the sideline for a 31-yard gain. The completion put the Dolphins in scoring position and set up their first touchdown of the night.

14. Losing your left tackle for the season is one thing. Losing your left tackle and working in your replacement to play four days later is another. Dolphins rookie Ja'Wuan James, who was replacing Branden Albert after he tore his ACL, held his own for a majority of the game. Working against talented pass rusher Jerry Hughes, James looked like a natural, piggybacking off his impressive performance against the Lions.

15. Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick, playing in a high-profile contract year, made his presence felt by batting down balls and racking up a tackle for loss. Odrick and Hughes should be in line for lucrative contracts this upcoming offseason.