Who’s hot, who’s not after the Dolphins’ loss to the Bills
The Dolphins’ offense struggled in the second half of Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, while a banged-up defense weathered the storm of additional injuries.
Here’s a look at who’s hot — and who’s not — after Miami’s loss.
Who’s hot
▪ Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins: The Dolphins’ defense faced an uphill battle with quarterback Josh Allen, a player who has dominated the matchup since he entered the NFL in 2018. The unit entered the game without three defensive starters and had two who were nursing injuries. Amid the game, they also lost outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Cameron Goode to injuries.
But the Dolphins’ defense kept the team in the game and a big reason for that was the play of Wilkins. He produced one of the biggest plays of the game when he strip-sacked Allen and recovered the fumble on the second-to-last play of the third quarter, preventing Buffalo from a red zone score. Wilkins finished the game with five tackles and three quarterback hits and increased his sack total to a career-high nine sacks.
▪ Running back De’Von Achane: This distinction certainly only applies to Achane’s first-half performance and not the second half, when he carried the ball twice for 1 yard. But in the first two quarters, Achane once again showed he can be relied on to carry the load in the backfield. He carried the ball eight times for 55 yards and scored on a 25-yard run that gave the Dolphins a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. Days before another bright performance, Achane said he didn’t believe he was hitting a rookie wall. He’s given Miami reason to believe he can be their top running back option, so long as he remains healthy.
Who’s not
▪ Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa: The fourth-year player struggled in the second half. He completed just 8 of 14 passes for 50 yards and threw the game-sealing interception, effectively into double coverage, after starting down wide receiver Chase Claypool. All the offense’s issues aren’t solely on Tagovailoa but when the Dolphins have needed him in big moments, he’s often made mistakes and careless throws. Miami will need better play from him if it wants to mount a big upset against the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.
▪ Wide receiver Tyreek Hill: Hill finished with a team-high seven catches for 82 yards and a 3-yard touchdown that gave Miami a 14-7 lead before halftime. But he had a big drop two plays before Tagovailoa’s game-ending pick. Had he caught the pass, there’s a good shot that Hill would have split the two Buffalo defenders barreling down on him and outraced them to the end zone. It was a routine catch and one that Hill has made endless times in his career.
For all of Hill’s accolades, like Tagovailoa, many of his mistakes have come when the team can least afford it. He’s another player Miami will need to be at his best in Kansas City.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 5:34 PM.
