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Week 10 Game Recap: Buffalo Bills 13, Miami Dolphins 10
What you need to know
| Buffalo Bills |
Even though the Miami weather featured clear skies and a balmy 80 degrees the Buffalo Bills played in a fog throughout the first half. On their first four drives of the game they went three and out and did not register a first down until there was 5:41 left in the first half. The Bills' defense was in a bend but don't break mode, and even though the Dolphins controlled the clock for over 20 minutes Miami only led 3--0 at halftime.
Rookie Marshawn Lynch has established himself as the catalyst of this team but with 1:54 left in the game he sprained his ankle. Lynch was seen limping in front of the bench trying to walk it off, but there was no immediate word on the severity of his injury. Even though the Dolphins were able to bottle him up most of the afternoon, he still scored the only Bills' touchdown of the game. He then tied the score when he added the two point conversion on a play where he was initially hit at the one yard line, spun out of the tackle and dove across the goal line. He only averaged 3.2 yards a carry, but the Bills kept giving him the ball.
J.P. Losman struggled and may not keep the starting quarterback job. He completed 12 of 23 for 157 yards with one interception and finished the game with a QB rating of 55.9. His accuracy was often lacking, even though Miami was more concerned with stopping Marshawn Lynch. Lee Evans managed to catch four passes for 65 yards, which translates into a 16.3 yard average, but he was only targeted three times in the second half. The coaches did not seem to trust Losman throwing the ball even with Miami ahead.
At the start of the fourth quarter Miami led 10--2, but Buffalo scored 11 unanswered points to pull out the victory. Lynch scored eight points to tie it and Rian Lindell kicked the winning field goal with :50 seconds left in the game.
| Miami Dolphins |
Miami probably deserved better, but even though their offense controlled the ball for a tick short of 37 minutes they could only muster up ten points. Leading by a score of 10--2 after three quarters, the defense couldn't hold the lead. After Buffalo tied the score, rookie Ted Ginn, Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but, typical of the way their season has gone, the play was nullified by a holding penalty.
Jesse Chatman averaged 4.6 yards per carry as he ran for a career high 124 yards. He also caught five passes for another 25 yards. He ran hard, found holes in the defense, and enabled Miami to effectively control the ball throughout the first three quarters of the game. The Dolphin offensive line opened huge holes and provided almost flawless pass protection.
Cleo Lemon did not put up great numbers, 16 of 29 for 131 yards, but Marty Booker and Justin Peelle both dropped easy passes. Lemon was only sacked once, but it came in the end zone for a Bills' safety. He also scrambled five yards for the only Miami touchdown. He has shown an ability to protect the ball and move the chains, but he would benefit from better weapons around him.
The Miami defense, which forced four straight Buffalo three and outs to start the game, took another hit in the third quarter when DE Jason Taylor sprained his ankle. He was seen on the sideline late in the game still in uniform but did not return. The Bills rallied to score 11 points in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
What you ought to know
| QB J.P. Losman, Pass: 12 - 23 - 157 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 1 - 0 |
Losman seemed to take a step back in this game and the quarterback controversy should stay at full throttle in Buffalo. At times he had great protection but could not pick out a target. Other times he got rid of the ball quickly but it seemed to go to no one in particular. Will Allen intercepted one under thrown pass intended for Lee Evans but dropped another potential pick that hit him in the hands. While Losman has the ability to run around and make plays rookie Trent Edwards has demonstrated a quick release and pinpoint accuracy.
| RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 19 - 61 - 1, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (7 targets) |
Rookie Marshawn Lynch is the catalyst of this team. Even though Miami game planned to stop him he still scored the only Bills' touchdown of the game. He also added a two point conversion. Lynch was targeted four times in the fourth quarter as Buffalo rallied to win the game. He only averaged 3.2 yards a carry, but the Bills kept feeding him and with 1:54 left in the game Lynch sprained his ankle fighting for extra yardage on the winning drive. He was seen limping in front of the bench trying to walk it off, but there was no immediate word on the severity of his injury.
| RB Anthony Thomas, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 |
After Lynch left the game Thomas replaced him in the lineup without much effect.
| RB Dwayne Wright, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 |
The other Buffalo rookie RB carried once in the second quarter for one yard. If Lynch misses any game time Wright will see his role expanded.
| WR Lee Evans, Rec: 4 - 65 - 0 (8 targets) |
Evans saw his recent resurgence slip a little and he was held out of the end zone. He is WR1 in this offense but was not targeted until the second quarter. On Buffalo's last drive on the first half Evans got behind the cornerback in the end zone but the pass was badly under thrown and the ball was intercepted. Evans was only targeted twice in the fourth quarter when the Bills rallied to pull out the victory. It seemed Buffalo did not want Losman passing with the game on the line.
| WR Josh Reed, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (7 targets) |
With the game on the line, Reed was targeted once in the fourth quarter. He caught three passes for 40 yards in his role as possession receiver.
| WR Roscoe Parrish (1 targets) |
Parrish had been nursing a thigh injury throughout the week and did not catch the only pass thrown to him. He returned one kickoff for 24 yards and also returned four punts for 81 yards, a 20.3 yard average. He currently leads the NFL with an average of 21 yards per punt return.
| TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) |
All of Gaines' targets came in the second half, and he caught two of them. Unfortunately, the third target found Gaines open down the seam near the goal line but the ball bounced off his hands.
| TE Ryan Neufeld |
Neufeld often lines up as a fullback in the offense and then shifts out to one side of the line or the other.
| TE Robert Royal (1 targets) |
The third TE was injured on his only target but did not hang onto the ball. No immediate word on the severity of his injury.
| PK Rian Lindell 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points |
When Buffalo scored their lone touchdown they had to go for two points. With the score tied and :50 seconds left in the game, however, Lindell hit a 34 yard field goal for the victory.
| BUF Rush Defense |
Jesse Chapman averaged 4.6 yards per carry, going for 124 yards. He constantly broke tackles and found daylight against a defense that did not seem too concerned with the Miami passing attack. This game was a step backward from recent improvements the unit had made. After giving up an average of 177 yards per game in their first three starts, the Bills had tightened up considerably. Over the past five, they have only allowed an average of 78 rushing yards per game and improved from 32nd in the league to 19th against the run. This game was a step backward.
| BUF Pass Defense |
Cleo Lemon completed 16 of 29 for 131 yards and no touchdowns. He threw quickly off three step drops and limited Buffalo's ability to pressure him. However, DE Chris Kelsay registered the only sack on Lemon in the Miami end zone for a safety in the third quarter. The Bills effort was aided by dropped passes by wide open receivers throughout the game.
| QB Cleo Lemon, Pass: 16 - 29 - 131 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 17 - 1 |
If the Miami receivers had been able to hang onto a few more passes the Dolphins may have won their first game of the season. Still, Lemon was able to pick up first downs and keep the Buffalo offense on the bench through the first three quarters. While he failed to throw a touchdown pass he was able to scramble into the end zone from five yards out.
Lemon has filled in well enough for the injured Trent Green. Entering this game, Lemon had completed 80 of 137 passes for 792 yards, with three touchdown passes against four interceptions and a 58.4 completion percentage. Green was 85 of 141 for 987 yards, with five touchdowns against seven interceptions and a 60.3 completion percentage.
| RB Jesse Chatman, Rush: 27 - 124 - 0, Rec: 5 - 25 - 0 (8 targets) |
Chatman ran for a career high 124 yards and caught five passes for another 25 yards. He proved to be a quick runner who also ran hard and proved tough to bring down. If this game is any indication then fantasy owners who lost Ronnie Brown can plug Chatman into their lineup. HC Cam Cameron coached Chatman at San Diego and obviously trusts him in this offense.
| RB Patrick Cobbs, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 |
In limited duty, Cobbs carried three times for two yards.
| RB Reagan Mauia, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 |
The 270 pound rookie FB from Hawaii carried once for zero yards.
| WR Marty Booker, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (11 targets) |
Since Miami traded Chris Chambers, Booker has become WR1, but he only managed to catch two of his11 targets. He dropped two passes that were right in his hands and had another potential first down late in the game knocked away along the sidelines. He managed to find the openings in the Buffalo secondary but he couldn't make enough plays. Of Lemon's 13 incomplete passes, nine were thrown to Booker.
| WR Derek Hagan, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (2 targets) |
Hagan caught both targets for 29 yards.
| WR Ted Ginn, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) |
Ginn caught one pass for 12 yards and ran a reverse for no gain. In the fourth quarter, after Buffalo tied the game, Ginn returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for an apparent touchdown but the play was called back on a holding penalty.
| TE David Martin, Rec: 4 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) |
Martin caught four of his five targets and proved to be reliable in his limited role.
| TE Justin Peelle, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (4 targets) |
Peelle caught two passes for 15 yards but also had two costly drops.
| PK Jay Feely 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points |
Feely was perfect on his extra point and also hit a field goal from 38 yards.
| MIA Rush Defense |
The Dolphins did a respectable job bottling up Marshawn Lynch who only averaged 3.2 yards per carry. As a team, Buffalo averaged 2.5 yards trying to run the ball.
Zach Taylor remained out of the lineup with migraine headache issues. DT Vonnie Holiday started for the first time since he fractured his ankle in week four, but Jason Taylor left in the third quarter with a sprained ankle.
| MIA Pass Defense |
Losman's QB rating was 55.9 and Miami intercepted him once and sacked him twice. They also got a few hard hits on him just as he released the ball.
