Bills’ loss to the Dolphins highlighted major team issue that can’t be easily fixed plus other takeaways from Week 10 loss
Not a good day at the office for the Buffalo Bills.
The Buffalo Bills got embarrassed by the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Josh Allen had multiple turnovers, but still finished his day with two touchdowns and over 300 yards passing. Unfortunately, it was too little too late.
It felt as though any time Allen wasn’t being Superman, nothing was happening for the Bills. Tight end Dalton Kincaid, one of Allen’s top weapons, left the game with a hamstring injury.
Kincaid was quiet but picked up two catches for 37 yards on the same drive. His injury just added to an already abysmal day for the offense.
One of the biggest issues reared its ugly head during the loss: the lack of star power in the receiving room, which was exacerbated by the loss of Kincaid.
With the trade deadline now past, Buffalo no longer has the opportunity to address its issues through a deal. Now, the team was missing wide receiver Josh Palmer, but it’s hard to imagine that just Palmer’s presence would’ve made things that much better for the offense.
Self-inflicted wounds in key moments
Running back James Cook was denied on more than one occasion and also had a fumble himself. All of the Bills’ turnovers in the matchup came at the most inopportune time. Any time the offense got going, it felt like a turnover killed the momentum. He finished the day with 53 yards on 13 carries.
While Allen had over 300 yards passing, he had some costly mistakes. Whether it was miscommunication with his receivers or trying to extend the play a few more yards, the reigning MVP had an interception and a fumble lost.
Both turnovers came on crucial drives, killing momentum and giving the Dolphins’ offense the ball back.
Missed tackle after missed tackle by the defense
The Bills’ defense did the team no favors in the early stages of the contest. Despite safety Cole Bishop and cornerback Maxwell Hairston getting an interception throughout the game, Buffalo couldn’t generate consistent pressure on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Buffalo had zero sacks and only two quarterback hits.
Missed tackles were impactful throughout the game, with running back De’Von Achane breaking through the first line of defense for Buffalo on plenty of occasions. Achane finished his day with 174 yards and two touchdowns. The lack of run defense from Buffalo was discouraging, to say the least.
Buffalo has the talent to bounce back, but performances like this raise serious questions about consistency and what the offense will do moving forward. The team’s ceiling still feels high, but after Sunday, the floor looks lower than most people had expected.
