4 winners (and 2 losers) for Dolphins in brutal Week 9 loss to Bills

There were no miracles to be had in Buffalo for the Miami Dolphins, and the loss has made it nearly impossible for the team to make the playoffs in 2024.

The Dolphins took the Bills all the way to the final seconds and matched them score for score in the second half, but when they needed a stop late, they couldn't get it done, losing their sixth game of the season.

Despite the loss, Dolphins fans can stew over the fact that for the first time in 2024, the team actually played like they cared. They played like they were prepared and like they wanted to win a football game.

MORE: Dolphins must become sellers at trade deadline after heartbreaking loss to Bills

There weren't many losers this week for the Dolphins because the entire team mostly played better than they have all year.

Winners and losers for Dolphins in defeat to Bills in Week 9

Winner: Tua Tagovailoa

After dropping a shotgun snap and then getting ripped on social media for his couch and chips comments, Tua Tagovailoa played exceptionally well all day. Tua finished the game with only three incompletions, going 25-of-28 for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't throw a single pass that could have been picked off and even ran the ball for a critical first down.

For most of the game, Tagovailoa worked the field using his running backs more than his top receivers. Tyreek Hill was targeted five times, and Jaylen Waddle was targeted only twice. In all, Tua completed passes to seven different receivers, including three to Odell Beckham Jr.

Loser: Jordan Poyer

Former Bills safety Jordan Poyer made five tackles in the game, but it was the hit to a receiver's head that cost the Dolphins dearly.

Poyer has been discussed quite a bit since his helmet-to-helmet contact on the Bills' final drive, and while he told reporters after the game that there was still football left to be played, the season for Miami is over.

Winner: Jalen Ramsey

It is hard to imagine what may have happened on Sunday had Josh Allen completed a quick slant pass on the 3-yard line that would have given the Bills an early lead.

Instead, Jalen Ramsey picked off the pass and ended the drive. Miami drove 97 yards and ended it with a touchdown. Ramsey finished with only one tackle, but he was stellar in coverage all game long, and his interception set the tone for the Dolphins early.

Loser: Anthony Weaver

In the first half, the Dolphins' defense was playing electric. They forced the Bills to make plays they didn't want to and kept Allen in check. Allen ran for only seven yards on two plays, thanks in part to three consecutive holds on the Bills' offensive line.

However, when the Dolphins needed a stop, Anthony Weaver's defense couldn't deliver, and when they finally put the Bills in position late to perhaps punt the ball, Poyer gave them extra life. Overall, the defense simply needed to stop the Bills one time in the second half and couldn't. The Bills scored a touchdown on their first three drives of the second half and then kicked the game-winner on the fourth.

Winner: De'Von Achane

De'Von Achane has always been considered a fast and shifty runner, but on Sunday, he also showed that he is a powerful and physical runner. Achane broke tackles and took on defenders one-on-one while driving through the defense.

He rushed for only 63 yards for an average of 5.3 per carry, but with the ball in his hands, he looked like he could break one at any time. He added eight receptions for another 58 yards and scored twice on the day in both phases of the offense.

Winner: Mike McDaniel

The Dolphins' game plan wasn't good enough to beat the Bills, but the offensive game plan was. The Dolphins punted only once in the entire game and looked like they would have scored on the drive Raheem Mostert lost the fumble on. Mike McDaniel stuck with the run for the entire game, and when he turned to the passing game, he did so with authority and didn't take unnecessary risks.

Overall, Sunday was the best game McDaniel has called all season, and maybe even the last two seasons, when you consider the balance of pass to run. They ran the ball 28 times and threw it 31 times.

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