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Bills Dominate Dolphins 19-0
Buffalo coasts to victory that hurts Miami's playoff chances.
by Steve Saslow
The Skinny:
The Bills defense sacked Ryan Tannenhill seven times and Miami only had six first downs and 103 yards total offense giving the Bills a dominating 19-0 win that hurts the Dolphins playoff chances. The shutout was the first by Buffalo since a win over the Redskins in Toronto two years ago. Kyle Williams and Nickell Robey had two sacks apiece as the Bills won two straight games for the first time since early last season. Dan Carpenter playing with an illness hit all four of his field goal chances from 45, 21, 22, and 26 yards out. Fred Jackson scored a touchdown and ran for 111 yards while C.J. Spiller added 77 yards on the ground. The seven sacks gives the Bills a club record 56 on the season. Thad Lewis managed the game well after a slow start finishing 15 of 25 for 193 yards.
The Turning Point:
Leonhard Interception: I was worried that when Tannenhill went down with the injury it would allow Matt Moore to have some late game backup QB heroics. He completed a 50 yard bomb which added to my fears. He then threw the interception to Jim Leonhard who was playing for the injured Aaron Williams and the Bills went down for another field goal to basically clinch the game.
The Big Drive:
The Bills 2nd FG Drive: They only got three points to go up 13-0 but it was the length and time of the drive that mattered. The Bills took 19 plays to go 92 yards to Carpenter's 21 yard chip shot. The drive took 9:16 and defined the Bills domination in the game. The drive almost didn't get started but a third down scramble short of a first down was negated by an illegal hands in the face penalty. The Bills used several short runs on the drive with the biggest play being a 16 yard completion to Scott Chandler.
Stat I Did Like:
Sacks: The Bills had a season high seven sacks.
Stat I Did Like II:
Total Yards: The Bills outgained Miami 390-103.
Quick Slants:
- Weather was a huge factor with Buffalo getting a ton of rain leading up to the game making it more difficult for the fans to get there.
- A fire alarm reportedly went off at the Dolphins team hotel at 3:30am.
- The Bills held a champagne toast in the press box before the game as it is being moved in the offseason to the corner as part of the renovations. It was considered the best sidelines of any press box in the NFL.
- Marcell Dareus was held out of the first quarter for violating team rules.
- Robert Woods got ejected for the game and with Stevie Johnson absent and Marquise Goodwin injured, the Bills were down to just three healthy wide receivers.
Key Matchup Results:
The winners of the battles highlighted in our preview article:
RT Erik Pears vs. DE Cameron Wake: Winner: Pears. Wake was a non factor.
LT Cordy Glenn vs. DE Oliver Vernon: Winner: Glenn. Vernon had a good pressure early on but was not a factor the rest of the way.
CBs Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin vs. WRs Mike Wallace and Brain Hartline: Winner: Gilmore and McKelvin. Gilmore gave up a 50 yard bomb to Hartline but other than that they had five catches combined for just 41 yards.
DT Kyle Williams vs. LG Sam Brenner: Winner: Williams. Williams was a monster with two sacks.
Keys To The Game Results:
How the keys highlighted in our preview article turned out:
1. Come Ready To Play: Success! They were ready and dominated from start to finish.
2. Get Crowd Into It: Success! It was a sparse crowd but they were noisy when they needed to be and the Bills gave them a reason to stay in the game.
3. Stop The Run: Success! Huge success with the rest of the defense. They gave up just 14 yards on 12 carries.
My Take:
The Bills continue to show resolve in the Doug Marrone era. Instead of running for the bus they showed up and played like they were the team with something to play for and not the Dolphins. It feels good to get their second straight win and to cause serious damage to Miami's playoff hopes in the process.
What's Ahead:
The Bills wrap up the season in New England as they bring a two game winning streak to Foxboro. They will be looking for their first ever win at Gillette Stadium to conclude the season with a winning record in the division.
Gameballs
Defense - The entire defense just totally dominated the game with 7 sacks.
Fred Jackson - He had 111 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown as he ran with a purpose today. Not bad considering he was playing with broken ribs.
Nickell Robey - He gets two gameballs, one with the defense and one individually.
Kyle Williams - He had 2 sacks of his own.
Goats
None - Total domination.
Player Of The Week
Nickell Robey - He had two sacks, two other pressures, and a tackle for loss.
 Positional Breakdown and Grades
NFL.com Gamebook
Dolphins Game Preview
Gameday Homepage
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