‘We wanted to hit him.’ How the Dolphins’ defense finally stifled Josh Allen
You could see it in the game’s final moments.
Josh Allen, the NFL’s reigning MVP, huffing and puffing, his face flushed with red. The look of exhaustion, even somewhat surprised that his dominant, six-game win streak against the Miami Dolphins was coming to an end.
Sure, the heat played a factor — it was about 35 degrees in Buffalo when the game kicked off — yet that wasn’t the only reason that the Bills franchise quarterback seemingly struggled against the Dolphins defense en route to a 30-13 loss. The reality: Miami had flustered Allen unlike any team before.
“They had the desire to affect the passer by tackling him within the rules, but you can’t wish it into existence and do it in situations where you’re two steps away from the quarterback, and then you’re going to get a penalty,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I thought it was good, disciplined football and when you’re able to get the best player on the team to be affected by the way that you’re playing I think you generally have good results. I think it was vitally important considering that he’s a guy that if you don’t affect, he will affect the outcome of the game drastically.”
The Dolphins recorded 19 pressures against Allen, more than any team during the Bills’ first nine games, according to Pro Football Focus. Although Miami recorded just three sacks, the second-highest amount on Buffalo’s franchise quarterback of 2025, it was obvious that the swarming defense had worn him down by the end of the game. And when the hits start to pile up, especially on a player of Allen’s caliber, the results can certainly benefit the team.
“When he’s feeling those hits, the guys are seeing him get hit, it just boosts the morale,” edge rusher Bradley Chubb said. “The energy’s up. We’re all fighting for each, and it just makes us want to go harder.”
Allen, of course, is MVP for a reason. His struggles — 306 yards passing on 70% completion, two touchdowns and a pick — would be a great day for most quarterbacks. There were times that he did MVP things, like when he stepped up in the pocket, scrambled to the left sideline just for him to spin back to the right and run all the way to the opposite side of the field to finally find wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the middle of the field.
“Obviously, he was able to make some plays,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said. “He’s a great player.”
Still, Chubb himself made sure that Allen felt him every time that he broke the pocket. Of Allen’s 19 pressures, the former North Carolina State standout was responsible for a team-high 10, per PFF. His one sack wasn’t the only time that Chubb laid hands on Allen – all within the rules.
“He was holding onto it late so when he was on the sideline, just pushing him right before he threw it and just always being in the strike zone,” Chubb said.
That amount of pressure has consequences. Consider Allen’s first turnover — a red zone — that saw Chubb and company in the quarterback’s face just as he let go of the ball. The subsequent strip was simply Allen’s attempt to overcompensate as he tried to get extra yards on a fourth quarter, quarterback sneak instead of just going down.
“At the end of the day we wanted to hit him as much as we could,” Brooks said, “and get him on the ground, just get him frustrated, and I think for the most part we got that done.”
Obviously, this should be the formula going forward, especially against mobile quarterbacks. As of this writing, Miami must still face Justin Fields (New York Jets), Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Drake Maye (New England Patriots). As long as the Dolphins’ defense can maintain this level of discipline when it comes to the pass rush, the season could begin to turn around.
