Miami Dolphins offensive recap Vs Bills week 16

The Miami Dolphins running game made its return leading the way with Jay Ajayi aided by the train horn sound that the Bills kept playing not only hurting the Bills fans ears and causing them headaches but their eyes watching Ajayi rush for 206 yards.

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Slow starts have been a hindrance this season so having 14 points at halftime wasn’t bad although Miami Dolphins QB Matt Moore had a poor stat line the first half. Team wins and points on the scoreboard should come before individual player stats.

On the first scoring drive TE MarQueis Gray caught a 20 yard pass. After a few nice runs from Ajayi, on 3rd and 11 Kenny Stills caught a pass for 12 yards tiptoeing the right sideline getting into the red zone. The play was challenged but stood. For the next plays it was all Ajayi. First a run to the right, then the left getting closer to the goal line followed by the right side again breaking a tackle he goes 2 yards for the TD.

The Bills missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, this allowed nice starting field placement for the dolphins on their own 35 yard line.

This drive was run heavy again with Ajayi gaining short yardage to the left then the right a few times. On 2nd and third Kenyan Drake gets the ball heading for the same spot Ajayi had found a hole. But the line was stacked up, Drake then circles back into his own backfield with only the Bills’ Jerry Hughes coming free from the line and only QB Moore and TE Dion Sims blocking downfield on the right. Hughes was five yards ahead of Drake who was working an angle to the right he blazed by him. Meanwhile Bills’ Corey White gets by Sims who was smart not to grab him getting a penalty. Moore gets an arm shove on White just enough for Drake to get by. Sims also nudged him while he was off-balance as Drake ran for the 45-yard touchdown. Kenny Stills also got an arm on Corey Graham preventing him from diving at Drake at the ten yard line.

This one play should buy Drake more playing time, he had been making mistakes causing him less playtime. It is a small sample size but telling of his upside, with Ajayi and Williams ahead of him some crafty plays might be whats needed to fit him in. The power run has been long overdue but speed also kills as the saying goes. And mixing things up will keep opposing teams off-balance.

The scoring touchdowns came back to back in the 1st and 3rd quarters. The scoring drives did not take long with the longest being just over four minutes and the shortest just under two minutes. There was also a few field goals made. One to stay in the game with 1:20 left to play and send it to overtime. And one to win it in overtime with 51 seconds left to play. It really was an epic game.

The Bills went for it on 4th down at 8:48 in the 2nd quarter and failed giving the Dolphins the ball on their own 40 yard line. They would go three and out already up 14-0 but a blown chance just the same.

With 1:11 left to play in the first half after the Bills had to punt from their own end zone and the return the Dolphins had the ball on the Bills 36 yard line. On a pass attempt to Stills on the right Bills player Zach Brown tips the pass up his teammate Ronald Darby had the ball in his numbers but dropped it. After an 11 yards run then an incomplete pass it is 2nd and 10 with 42 seconds left a deep middle pass intended for Kenny Stills is intercepted by Corey White in the end zone. The Bills had already scored at this point and it was 14-7 another blown chance. Moore looked to be inaccurate with his passes in the first half but 14 points was nice.

Better field position as allocated starting in the 3rd quarter thanks to Bills Marcus Roberson for being offsides on the kickoff so they started from the 30 yard line. Jay Ajayi continued to run well getting 3 plays picking up just enough for a first down. Then DeVante Parker has a short pass of 4 yards to the right followed by a short pass to the left he takes 56 yards getting the TD. It was a 3rd and six play Parker caught it 4 yards just off the left hash mark in between Bills players Zach Brown and Nickell Robey-Coleman. Parker did a good job holding on to the ball as Coleman was trying to dislodge it. Both Bills players were in perfect position to tackle Parker but after Coleman missed stripping the ball he was in Brown’s way, nether player made proper tackling techniques, Browns’ right hand swiped at Parker’s hip as it was flag football.

After the Bills answered with their own score making it 21-14 The Dolphins start on the 25 yard line after the touchback.

Jay Ajayi picks up 7 yards on two carries, Damien Williams takes a short pass for 44 yards after a few cutbacks. The ball is on the Bills 36 yard line, a pass to Parker up the middle to the ten. Ajayi runs to the six, then an interesting play for the TD. The Dolphins send out 5 players as receivers leaving the Bills Lorenzo Alexander as an extra man to rush. The good thing was the play went away from Alexander’s side and got off quickly. The play went to the right where Parker went on a fade into the right side of the end zone drawing Corey White away from Kenny Stills leaving him open underneath on the flat as he skirts the goal line for the 6 yard TD.

This makes the score 28-14 with 2:13 left in the third.

Then the Bills scored a TD in the 3rd making it 28-21. The drive in the 4th quarter featured 6 straight completions from Moore but stalled on the Bills 32 yard line after a failed Ajayi run on 3rd and 12. Franks missed the 46 yards FG it took an inside bounce on the left post but did not go in.

The Bills took the ball from there and turned it into a Dan Carpenter 28 yard field goal making it 28-24 with 5:51 left.

After a Great return by Grant the Dolphins have the ball on their own 46 yard line but actually go three and out blowing a golden opportunity. The Bills then drove the length of the field from their own 11 yard line after the punt and scored a TD. Making the score 31-28 with 1:20 left.

Now it was Drakes’ turn for a great return and he delivered. The Dolphins started on their own 39 yard line with 1:11 left to play and no time outs. The first play was an incomplete pass but the second play is a pass that hits Kenny Stills for 17 yards then they spike the ball stopping the clock. The next play is an incomplete pass again, then RB Williams catches a pass on the left sideline but stays in bounds running the clock.

The field goal unit only had 32 seconds to set up with no time outs left. With 13 seconds left Bills player Corey White is calling time out and two seconds later the ball is snapped Andrew Franks makes the 55-yard field goal to tie the game 31-31. White was 5 yards away from a Ref but did not move towards him signaling the timeout.

The Bills won the toss in overtime getting the ball. On the first drive they miss a 45 yard FG. The first drive by the Dolphins ended in a punt. The Bills then punted. Now the Dolphins have the ball on their own 15 with 4:00 left in overtime any score will win the game.

On the first play you can count the Bills only having ten players on the field (part of the reason the Ryan’s got fired). Ajayi took off running down the left side of the field for 57 yards he would get three more hand offs and Drake got one. With 51 seconds left the 27 yard FG by Franks is good they won 34-31.

Team Stats Dolphins

First Downs 22
Rush-Yds-TDs 38-261-2
Cmp-Att-Yd-TD-INT 16-30-233-2-1
Sacked-Yards 0-0
Net Pass Yards 233
Total Yards 494
Fumbles-Lost 0-0
Turnovers 1
Penalties-Yards 2-15
Third Down Conv. 5-12
Fourth Down Conv. 0-0
Time of Possession 33:40

Nice to see Parker keep a firm grip on the ball.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/812731239715065856

Also nice to see Drake make a big play he has been overlooked.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/812773011241582592

A 5th round pick with bad knees? He never stops.

Game notes

•The Dolphins have not lost a game this season when the team scores 25 or more points.

•Jay Ajayi became the first NFL player since 2005 to have three 200-yard games in same season.

•132 of Jay Ajayi’s 206 yards came after contact

•Jay Ajayi’s 2-yard touchdown was his first of the season on the road.

Last words

The last time the Miami Dolphins swept the Bills in a season was back in 2001 way back when they were making it into the playoffs. They lost the wildcard game 3-20 to the Ravens who are now eliminated. The wildcard is shaping up to be Vs the Steelers or the Texans, most likely the Steelers.