Dolphins Lose First Game of Season in 31-10 Loss to Bills

The Miami Dolphins dropped their first divisional matchup of the season, losing 31-10 to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

Buffalo’s strong defensive effort was on display from the very first possession of the game, as Bills cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram picked off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a pass intended for wide receiver Grant DuBose and returned the turnover to Miami’s 37-yard line. The Bills took advantage of the favorable field position, engineering a six-play, 37-yard drive that ended on a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Allen to running back James Cook that gave the Bills an early 7-0 lead with 9:49 left in the first quarter.

The Bills’ early lead was short-lived, as Miami responded with a touchdown of its own to tie the game at seven apiece. This scoring possession was headed by Tagovailoa, who led the Dolphins 70 yards downfield on 10 plays. A third-down pass to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle set Miami up with the ball inside Buffalo’s 10-yard line, and a second-and-goal, six-yard swing pass to running back De’Von Achane capped off the drive with 3:21 to go in the first.

The Bills’ defense continued to make impactful plays as the first quarter continued. On a first-down pass intended for Robbie Chosen, cornerback Christian Benford picked off Tagovailoa and returned the interception to the Dolphins’ 44-yard line. Like it did after Miami’s first turnover, Buffalo capitalized off the error, going on a seven-play, 19-yard drive that ended in a 43-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Bass to give the Bills a 10-7 lead.

With Allen and running back James Cook commanding the charge, Buffalo continued to extend its lead, adding two touchdowns in the second quarter. The first touchdown drive took eight plays – the most important of which was a third-down strike from Allen to wide receiver Ty Johnson that set up Cook’s one-yard touchdown run up the middle. The following scoring drive took only one…