Dolphins vs. Bills live updates: Fins lose close one to Bills 31-21
The Miami Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills 31-21 in what was a close contest.
A few mental errors down the stretch eventually doomed the Dolphins.
Catch up on what you missed below:
A Tyreek tie
Tua Tagovailoa found Tyreek Hill for a short touchdown to tie the game at 21.
Hill had quite the celebration as well.
Jason Marshall Jr. injury
The rookie nickel corner appeared to grab at his hamstring while chasing down a Bills receiver in the second quarter.
This came after two Bills touchdowns to put them up 14-0.
After initially being listed as questionable, the Dolphins eventually ruled Marshall just after halftime ended. It will be the Cornell Armstrong show for the rest of the evening.
Bring on the Waddles!
Tua Tagovailoa connected with Jaylen Waddle for the three-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 14 before halftime .
The wideout got the better of veteran corner Tre’Davious White on a slant route.
Bradley Chubb sack
That’s three sacks in the same number of games.
Chubb came back with a vengeance.
Dolphins strike first
Now this is the Dolphins team that we wanted to see.
The Phins ran the ball down the field and let rookie tailback Ollie Gordon II punch it in from the two-yard line for the first touchdown of his NFL career.
Phins up 7-0.
What’s coach Mike McDaniel future?
Everyone wants to know if this will be coach Mike McDaniel’s last game.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport, suggested that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wants things to work out. That is, unless fan attendance dips or players no longer see McDaniel as a viable leader.
INACTIVES:
Jaylen Waddle, a five-year starter for the Dolphins, intends to play despite the shoulder injury he initially injured in the season-opening 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and Jaylen Wright, who began camp as the team’s No. 2 tailback, is listed as active for the nationally televised game.
Along with Waddle and Wright, the Dolphins will also benefit from the presence of nose tackle Benito Jones, who missed last week’s game against the New England Patriots because of an oblique injury.
The full list of inactives includes safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, tight end Darren Waller, receiver Tahj Washington, defensive tackle Zeek Biggers as well as cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Storm Duck.
ELEVATIONS:
The Dolphins added kicker Riley Patterson and safety Jordan Colbert to the active roster ahead of kickoff
Per our own Barry Jackson: Teams can elevate a specific player no more than three times in a season and this is Patterson’s third elevation
Because Jason Sanders must remain on injured reserve at least the first four weeks of the season, that creates a kicker dilemma for the Dolphins when they play host to the Jets on Monday, Sept. 29.
The Dolphins can either create a spot on the 53-man roster for Patterson until Sanders is healthy, or they can release Patterson, sign a different kicker and elevate that new kicker against the Jets.
Colbert, a second-year undrafted player from Rhode Island, essentially fills the spot of Ifeatu Melifonwu, who’s out with a calf issue. This will be the NFL regular-season debut for Colbert, who can play on special teams.
An awful Josh Allen stat (for Dolphins fans):
The three-time Pro Bowler has completed roughly 66.3% of his passes for 3,737 yards to go along with 37 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. All of these marks are the highest — or lowest, in terms of interceptions — when it comes to divisional opponents, with his 37 touchdown passes being more than he has thrown against the New York Jets (16) and New England Patriots (19) combined.
Allen has also completed more passes (316) for a high percentage (66.3) and more yards (3,737) as well as touchdown throws (37) in his 14 games vs. Miami than he did during his MVP season. Keep in mind: he played more games during his MVP year (16) than he has against the Dolphins (14).
PREGAME READING:
- Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s Dolphins-Bills game
- Josh Allen has dominated the Dolphins. Here’s how they plan to stop him
- Dolphins play Bills in Week 3. Who should I start for my fantasy football team?
- Former NFL players explain what’s wrong with Tagovailoa and Dolphins offense
- Cote: Do winless Miami Dolphins have miracle in them at nemesis Bills? Our pick
- Dolphins rule out three players for Bills game. Waddle among those questionable
- Kelly: Dolphins can’t continue settling when it comes to franchise’s future | Opinion
- The teams have been playing since 1966. But is Bills-Dolphins still a rivalry?
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 2:38 PM.
