The Buffalo Bills capped off an incredible comeback in the AFC East Sunday night, defeating the Miami Dolphins 21-14 on the road to clinch the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They might be sporting some battle scars in the Wild Card round, though.
Multiple key players suffered injuries versus Miami, but perhaps none were as disturbing as the one sustained by left tackle Dion Dawkins. He explained the initial seriousness of his hand laceration after Buffalo's big win.
“Finger almost fell off, but that's the beauty of this game,” the three-time Pro Bowler said, per ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. “We have guys that care and I don't wanna let my guys down. So stitch it, wrap it, get my behind back out there…That's what they pay me to do and that's what I'm gonna keep doing.”
Dawkins' warrior mentality paid off in the end, as the Bills collectively gutted out a high-stakes showdown with the Dolphins. Josh Allen, despite succumbing to his bad habits early in the contest, carved up his opponent in the air and on the ground in the second half. The offensive line did its part to help make that happen.
Dion Dawkins will look to fully heal up for Sunday's playoff matchup against the incoming Pittsburgh Steelers. Toughness will have to be a key theme once again since Mike Tomlin's squad has proven itself capable of overcoming injuries and deficiencies throughout the 2023-24 season.
Ideally, though, the banged-up Bills will be able to get some much-needed recovery time on Monday before the crucial week of preparation begins.