Five takeaways from the Dolphins’ decisive 30-13 victory against the Bills
It had not been done since 2022.
At the time, Mike McDaniel was a first-time head coach. It was his first matchup against the Miami Dolphins’ AFC East rival. And he narrowly escaped 21-19.
That couldn’t be further from the case Sunday as the Dolphins surprisingly blew out the Buffalo Bills 30-13. The win ended Buffalo’s seven-game win streak in the series.
This was complementary football at its finest. The defense forced turnovers. The offense took scored when necessary. Even the special teams, specifically punter Jake Bailey and his unit, did a phenomenal job pinning the Bills deep.
“It’s very satisfying,” Tua Tagovailoa said of the win. “We beat a great team today, and I’m proud of the guys in the locker room.”
At a time when many have called for McDaniel’s job, the coach certainly not only proved that he can put together a good game plan, but that his team still believes in him.
De’Von Achane looks like a superstar
Since the injury to Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane has been the Dolphins’ best offensive weapon.
He certainly looked like that when his 59-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that essentially ended the game in the Dolphins’ favor.
“When we’re clicking on all cylinders and when we’re able to end the game, from on offensive standpoint, I feel like that’s the type of football that we want to play,” Achane said.
Achane rushed for 174 yards on 22 attempts. He also snagged six balls for 51 yards.
Defense limits Bills on third down
Buffalo didn’t convert a third down in the first half.
Yes, you read that right.
The high-powered Bills offense that features the reigning NFL MVP did not convert a third down in the first two quarters of play, going zero for six.
While the Bills certainly looked better in the second half, the inability to convert early in the game was ultimately the difference. Buffalo went 5/8 in the final two quarters yet ultimately finished 5/14, roughly 36% of their attempts.
Defense puts the ‘take’ in takeaways
The Bills had their best drives halted.
Why?
Because the Dolphins’ defense created turnovers.
The first came in the second quarter amid a six play, 60-yard drive. Bills tailback James Cook had gotten some room on the left side of the field and tried to fight for some extra yards with his team already down. Unfortunately, Cook’s extra effort allowed cornerback Jack Jones to punch the ball out. The turnover also led to a field goal that put the Dolphins up 16-0.
The second came when the Bills got to the Miami 5-yard line – just for safety Ifeatu Melifonwu to pick off Allen in the end zone.
A third turnover came when Jordyn Brooks stripped Allen midway through the fourth quarter. Similar to Cook’s fumble, Allen likely should have just gone down instead of fighting for extra yards.
Defense stopped the run game
The Dolphins came into Sunday as the third-worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing roughly 146 yards per game.
Whatever they did against the Bills, however, should be repeated.
The Bills ran for just 86 yards. Cook led all rushers with 53 yards on 13 attempts. Allen, who passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns, added another 31 on the ground. “I felt like the front four, we just worked together,” said Bradley Chubb, who finished with three total tackles and a sack. He later praised linebacker Jordyn Brooks, the team-leader in tackles with 12 on the day, and the rest of the linebacker unit for “flying around. When it came down to the run, we were setting the edges and letting those guys play free.”
Tua bounces back
There was a moment where this game could have gotten out of hand.
The Dolphins’ first offensive series had started with a false start. Then McDaniel called a timeout. And Tagovailoa had tossed his league-high 12th interception.
Something, however, clicked after his first interception.
Since that early pick, Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns and just five incompletions, one of which came on a throw that essentially served as a punt late in the game. The Dolphins’ franchise quarterback finished with 173 yards passing on 71% completion. Tagovailoa’s highlight of the day came when he perfectly placed a 38-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle, who finished with a team-high five catches for 84 yards, in the back of the end zone.
During a season when one turnover has usually led to two or three, Tagovailoa did an admirable job with ball security, especially considering the following directive from McDaniel.
“I asked him to be aggressive on a couple plays and not worry about the result,” McDaniel said. “If it was a deep play, give our guys a shot down the field. And to me, that’s how you win football games, when you have people that put aside the stat sheets. Nobody wants to throw a pick but to be aggressive and to challenge the defense, have the rest of your offense work. If you're going to take risks, you can’t be afraid of the result.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2025 at 4:16 PM.
