Dolphins observations: Miami strong in 2nd half to take down rival Bills
MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins responded after their tough loss to the Detroit Lions with their most important victory of the season against the visiting Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
Both sides of the ball worked in tandem for the gritty, hard-fought 22-9 win to an AFC rival that had dominated the Dolphins in recent history. The defense limited Buffalo's offense and quarterback Kyle Orton -- who recorded a lowly 69.7 rating and was sacked twice -- by keeping them away from the end zone for the entire game and only yielding a single field goal in each of the first three quarters.
"You've got to credit the guys," Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said. "As I said to the guys, coming home on the plane, and the way we lost the game last week, they just came in to work that Monday. They got back to work and this is a game they wanted to get and they just prepared well. I think they were confident they were going to play well."
As expected, it was a battle between two elite defenses in the first half but the Dolphins offense burst through in the second half with two red zone conversions for a pair of touchdowns to give them the advantage.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill wasn't spectacular, but earned his second win in his career against Buffalo by playing consistently in the second half. Running back Lamar Miller was a steady force in the back and receivers Brian Hartline, Jarvis Landry and Mike Wallace made timely catches to sustain the Dolphins drives when it mattered the most.
"We made some big plays," Tannehill said. "I thought that we moved the ball well in the first half. We just had the fumble on the second drive and on the first drive we didn't get it in the end zone. We had our opportunities but I'm proud of the way the guys fought back in the second half. It really turned the game around."
More then anything, it was a complete team effort to earn the victory to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
1. Red zone conversions a factor.
Once again, promising Dolphins drives produced little at the red zone for yet another slow start offensively. Their opening drive almost fizzled out until Tannehill found RB Damien Williams for 32 yards on a 3rd and 24 play, but they couldn't find the end zone and had to settle for a Caleb Sturgis field goal. Their next opportunity had potential but ended in a disastrous Tannehill fumble when he tried to gain a few extra yards near the end zone on a quarterback keeper.
Dolphins fans fearing another letdown in a close game were relieved when Tannehill confidently led the charge for two touchdowns on two red zone opportunities in the second half to pull away from their hated rivals.
2. Dolphins O-line keeps it together.
Miami's fifth starting offensive line of the season for the most part held its own against the NFL's best defense. They did allow five sacks but it didn't cost the team too much, with the offense responding to keep their drives going. They provided adequate protection for Tannehill when he was quick and decisive and gave Miller enough coverage to do his damage.
"I liked what the guys did in the running game," Philbin said. "I thought the offensive line was – I mean, we shuffled some guys around and had some guys starting in spots they weren't overly familiar with and didn't have a lot of experience at, but I thought in general, from first glimpse, they did a good job."
There is room for improvement, but it was also a tough task for the revamped line with such little time to prepare against a fearsome opponent.
3. Defense turns it up a notch.
Instead of the defense being tasked to keep Miami in the game, they were faced with preserving the lead in the fourth quarter and came through yet again.
After notching 364 total yards on offense in their close defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bills could only muster 237 yards in Miami and never threatened to retake the lead once they fell behind.
"We've had a couple of nailbiters over the past few weeks, but to come out at halftime down and finish the second half the way the guys did is a really rewarding feeling," defensive end Cameron Wake said.
4. Lamar Miller resurgent.
Miller at one point this week wasn't even a lock to play this game and was listed as probable with a bothersome shoulder injury. But he bounced back after recording just 10 yards on 11 snaps against the Lions with 86 rushing yards on 15 carries for a 5.7 average on Thursday. Miller also recorded 12 passing yards on two receptions. His 33-yard run in the third quarter was his longest play of the season and his third-longest gain of his career.
5. Landry responds after fumble.
Just when the Dolphins were building some clear momentum after a safety gave them a 12-9 lead, Landry fumbled the ensuing kickoff return that could have signaled a shift in the game. Instead, the Bills went nowhere with their next drive and Landry made up for his error with an 8-yard touchdown reception to open the fourth quarter.
"It definitely was a momentum builder for us," Landry said of the touchdown. "Putting the defense in a bad spot. But all the credit goes to those guys making the play. Being able to come back and respond; I think that was the biggest thing about this whole entire night."
He finished with 46 receiving yards on five receptions.
Up next: The Dolphins visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 4:25 p.m.
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
