Field Level Media
Sep 20, 2020
Quarterback Josh Allen put together a career-best passing game to help the visiting Buffalo Bills continue their recent dominance of the Miami Dolphins with a 31-28 victory Sunday.
Allen set career highs for touchdown passes (four), passing yards (417) and passer rating (147.0) while completing 24 of 35 attempts as the Bills beat Miami for the fifth time in their past six meetings.
Allen's final two touchdown passes sent the Bills (2-0) to a 31-20 lead after the Dolphins (0-2) had taken a brief 20-17 advantage with 10:11 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Jordan Howard.
Allen anchored a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive as Buffalo reclaimed the lead at 24-20 on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis with 5:55 left.
After the Bills' defense held on the ensuing possession, Allen found John Brown open down the middle of the field for a 46-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played much better than last week's three-interception game against New England, but it wasn't enough. Fitzpatrick completed 31 of 47 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns, including an 8-yarder to Mike Gesicki with 49 seconds left that was followed by a two-point pass to Preston Williams.
The Bills, however, recovered the onside kick.
Allen took to the air more than usual, rushing for only 18 yards on four carries.
The Dolphins' secondary had trouble containing the Bills' deep receiving corps, especially without cornerback Byron Jones, who left the game early in the first quarter with a groin injury and did not return.
Stefon Diggs paced the group, finishing with eight catches for 153 yards, and he hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Allen in the second quarter to give the Bills a 14-7 lead.
Allen completed 15 of 22 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns and a 136.4 passer rating in the first half as the Bills outgained the Dolphins in total yards 342-165 for the first two quarters.
And yet the Dolphins kept it close and flipped the script in the third quarter, outgaining Buffalo 132-28.
The game was delayed 36 minutes with 14:30 left in the third quarter due to lightning in the area.
On the injury front, Buffalo lost tight end Dawson Knox in the third quarter when he suffered a concussion.
--Field Level Media