Plays that defined 2019: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, Week 7

The 2019 season is behind us, but the stories live on. Every week brought a different narrative and we look back on the season to tell those stories through the plays that defined the game. Sit back and get ready for the tale of Week 7:

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills were set to take on the hapless 0-5 Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins had lost their first four games by 20 points or more, with two losses by more than 40. Their only close game was against a similarly hapless Washington squad. Buffalo had a bye week prior to the contest too. Surely this would be a cakewalk.

Down by five at the half, Buffalo failed to score in the third quarter. Their only saving grace was that they managed to lock the Dolphins down as well. Entering the final quarter still down by five, the Bills finally flipped the switch. Scoring 15 points to take a two-score lead, things looked safe. But a rallying Miami team tried like hell to claw back as well. The 31-21 victory betrays how much of a nail-biter the game was at times.

Stephen Hauschka field goal (Q1, 3:52)

Despite moving down the field several times in the first half, the Buffalo Bills failed to get into the end zone. Three scores in the first two quarters amounted to nine points as the fresh-off-the-bye-week Bills lacked a killer instinct. The inability to finish drives was a major reason the Dolphins continued to hang around the entire game.

Pass to left side (Q2, 10:06)

Ryan Fitzpatrick was a primary reason that the Bills struggled to put down the Dolphins. Showing off his intelligence (did you know he went to Harvard?) he repeatedly attacked the left side of the field. Seriously, look at his passing chart for the day here. This was the first play of the second touchdown drive for Miami, which put them ahead of the Bills for 22 minutes. Fitzpatrick would drop 282 yards on Buffalo, the third-highest amount of the year.

Tre’Davious White interception (Q3, 5:07)

Still up by five, Miami started with the ball in the third quarter. After nearly ten minutes and 18 plays, they were ready to build on their lead. The hapless Dolphins were looking anything but. On the 19th play of the drive, Tre’Davious White leapt in to save the day. This interception changed the entire momentum of the game.

TD Allen to Brown (Q4, 13:55)

With an apparent renewed sense of purpose the Buffalo Bills moved the ball 98 yards for their first touchdown of the day, putting them ahead. Rather than going up by two with an extra point, Josh Allen ran in a two-point conversion to put Buffalo ahead by a field goal. And then he tossed the ball into the second tier of fans.

Micah Hyde TD (Q4, 1:35)

Cole Beasley found the end zone shortly after to put the Bills up by ten. But Ryan Fitzmagic came back and pulled the Dolphins back to within a field goal. With no timeouts and less than two minutes on the clock, Miami tried an onside kick attempt. Micah Hyde could have gone to the ground for the Buffalo offense to take a knee, but ended with a highlight-reel score instead. Now down by ten again, Miami sputtered to close the game.