Who’s hot, who’s not after the Dolphins’ last-second road loss to the Bills
The Dolphins lost their third consecutive game in a 32-29, late-second defeat to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium, in Orchard Park, New York, on Saturday night.
Here’s a look at who’s hot — and who’s not — after Miami’s loss.
Who’s hot
▪ Raheem Mostert: The veteran running back’s first two touches laid the groundwork for what would be his best game of the season. On Mostert’s first, an opening-kickoff return, he cut across the field for a season-best 28-yard return. On the first play from scrimmage, he took an outside zone handoff and cut back for a 13-yard gain through the second level of the Bills’ defense.
With Jeff Wilson Jr. sidelined because of a hip injury, Mostert again shouldered much of the load in the running game, rushing for a season-high 136 yards on 17 carries, including a 67-yard run in the first quarter in which he powered through multiple Bills defenders and dashed along the sideline. Though Wilson has taken over lead back duties since he arrived in Miami in a trade deadline deal on Nov. 1, Mostert reminded everyone of the explosiveness — and physicality — he can bring to a backfield.
▪ Jason Sanders: The placekicker went through a midseason stretch in which he missed at least one attempt — either a field goal or extra point — in five of seven games. But since returning from the bye week, Sanders has been perfect, making all nine of his point-after tries and all eight of his field-goal attempts. He was again unblemished against the Bills, including a 47-yard make early in the fourth quarter as snow began to fall in Orchard Park.
Who’s not
▪ Pass rush: Josh Allen might be the hardest player to tackle in the NFL, with his combination of size and speed in the pocket. But games like Saturday night are why the Dolphins drafted Jaelan Phillips. Why they gave up so much draft capital for Bradley Chubb and signed veteran Melvin Ingram. Why they stocked their defensive front with players such as Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler. And yet, more times than not, Miami’s defense watched as Allen scanned the field comfortably for several seconds before buying time and launching a pass to his receivers or taking off running.
The Dolphins sacked Allen twice, including on a strip-sack that was recovered by Miami and allowed the team to extend its lead to eight in the fourth quarter. But the Buffalo quarterback was pressured just seven times on 42 drop-backs, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, as the Dolphins elected to blitz him on just 21 percent of his drop-backs. Compare that to a defense that in a Week 3 win over the Bills sacked Allen four times — albeit on 25 more drop-backs — and pressured him on close to 30 percent of his drop-backs and see you a pass rush that still struggles to manufacture consistent pressure without blitzing.
▪ Secondary depth: To encapsulate how dire the Dolphins’ situation at secondary had become on Saturday night: at one point in a late-season, high-stakes divisional matchup, Miami had Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Noah Igbinoghene, Verone McKinley III and Clayton Fejedelem all on the field late in the first half. Of that group, only Howard was expected to contribute significantly this season. But with Jevon Holland briefly leaving the game with a neck injury, Keion Crossen in and out of the lineup and Eric Rowe and Elijah Campbell inactive because of injuries, Miami was stretched thin in the back end of its defense. Holland was able to return to the game with a Zach Thomas-esque neck brace, and Crossen also came back, but it was a reminder of how much the Dolphins have had to compensate for injuries at positions they have built their defense around.
This story was originally published December 18, 2022 at 10:37 AM.
