After leading the AFC East division for the majority of the season, the Miami Dolphins once again fell short of a division title in Week 18 on Sunday Night Football when they lost to the Buffalo Bills 21-14. Apparently, 15 years void of division supremacy isn't long enough.
That's how long it's been since the Dolphins were able to call themselves division champions, all the way back in 2008 when they went 11-5. With the loss to the Bills (11-6), the Dolphins (11-6) dropped from the 2-seed with a home playoff game in sunny Miami to a 6-seed, facing last year's Super Bowl champions in snowy Kansas City in the Wild Card.
It was the worst-case scenario for head coach Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins, who may be limping into Kansas City to face the Chiefs with a number of injuries to star players. But as far as Week 18 goes, there's plenty of blame to go around, injuries excluded, that caused an unfortunate loss.
The curse of Josh Allen and the Bills
For whatever reason, the Dolphins just can't beat the Bills. Even in their earlier matchup this season, the Bills throttled the Dolphins in Buffalo 48-20, scoring their highest point total of the season. Josh Allen was untouchable that day, too, throwing only four incompletions for 320 yards and four touchdowns to no interceptions, with another score on the ground.
Against the Dolphins in his career, Allen is now 10-2 with a passer rating of 110.1, with 3,363 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. If the Dolphins perhaps ever want to get over the hump and find their first division title in over 15 years, it obviously starts with beating the Bills and Allen. At least that's probably a good place to start, no?
Tyreek Hill drops
Once thought to be the MVP of the league, Hill has had some major issues with drops as of late and is one of only three receivers in the NFL with double-digits in that category (11). On Sunday against the Bills, Hill had three more drops.
“I think when you are a player of his caliber that our team depends on so much, that can be a little misleading in terms of he gets a ton of targets and when we go to him in high-stake situations, it's not like he is just gliding in open field,” McDaniel said Monday, per the team transcript, via NFL.com. “They're pretty contested. And he's proven time and time again why we continue to go to him. There are zero people, including myself, that are concerned about a pattern of whatever. He has a high expectation to literally make every play. And in that process, there's no such thing as a 100 percent shooter.”
Tua Tagovailoa throws for under 200 yards and two interceptions
This really goes for the Dolphins offense as a whole, who, again, were plagued with injuries. Nonetheless, the Dolphins were forced to punt in four out of their last five drives of the game. Tagovailoa had one of his worst statistical years of the entire season with Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Waddle missing and Hill still dealing with an ankle injury. The quarterback threw for only 173 yards, his lowest of the season, and one touchdown to two interceptions.
Speaking of interceptions, Tagovailoa opened and closed out the game in the same fashion. Just five plays into the start of the game, with the Dolphins receiving the ball, Tagovailoa threw a pick to Christian Benford, although Miami came right back with their own to keep the Bills from scoring. The second pick was much more costly, however.
Down seven with a chance to tie after Buffalo failed to convert on a short 4th-and-1 from the Miami 37, Tagovailoa throws an interception to Taylor Rapp five plays later that ended any hope of securing a division title.
Special teams not so special and penalties
Leading 14-7 to start the fourth, the Dolphins recovered a Bills fumble at the end of the third that put them close to midfield, but quickly one false start and blindside block put Miami in a 2nd-and-30 at their own 22. Facing a 4th-and-14, they were forced to punt. The Bills' Deonte Hart then ran it back 96 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
Any momentum the Dolphins had was done at that point and they never recovered.
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