Getty Bills analysts and fans are still reeling after cornerback Cam Lewis nearly cost Buffalo the win against the Dolphins in Week 15.
In one of the biggest nail-biters of the regular season, the Buffalo Bills (11-3) not only got revenge over their AFC East rival, the Miami Dolphins (8-6) on Saturday Night Football, but they officially clinched their spot in the playoffs.
After Tyler Bass kicked the game-winning field goal, sealing Buffalo’s 32-29 victory, the person breathing the biggest sigh of relief was likely cornerback Cam Lewis, whose critical mistake late in the third quarter nearly derailed the team’s win.
Miami was on their way to a three-and-out before Lewis ran to tackle Dolphins’ Thomas Morstead, and was called for roughing the punter. Instead of being fourth-and-10, the Dolphins were given a fresh set of downs on Buffalo’s 35-yard line and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made the most of it. He hit wide receiver Tyreek Hill with a 20-yard touchdown pass, which gave Miami a 26-21 lead, Miami’s first of the night, with 2:30 left in the third quarter.
Roughing the kicker on the Bills t.co/me9bREcF3H
Lewis was not even close to blocking the punt and his egregious decision to barrel toward Morstead made analysts and fans absolutely livid. WGR 550‘s Nate Geary tweeted, “That just can’t happen. Cam Lewis WTF are you doing dude?” to which a fan replied, “Cut him.”
Syracuse.com‘s Brent Axe tweeted, “The defense gets a big stop and you commit as stupid a penalty as it gets there,” while The Buffalo News‘ Jay Skurski surmised, “Lewis is probably No. 49 or 50 on the 53-man roster. That’s the type of penalty that gets a guy cut (or should).”
After quarterback Josh Allen was strip-sacked early in the fourth quarter, Miami’s lead extended to 29-21 with 11:56 to go, and the angry tweets regarding Lewis intensified. MLB reporter Ian Brown tweeted, “I can’t think of a dumber penalty in sports than roughing the punter. Just an absolute morale destroyer.”
Allen, however, didn’t let a disastrous third quarter get him down. In the fourth quarter, the superstar quarterback rushed for 52 yards, threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox, and just cracked the goal line for a clutch two-point conversion to tie the game. Allen’s final drive of the game, which took 5:56 off the clock, set up Bass for the 25-yarder that ultimately sent the Fins home.
Lewis Made a Major Mistake During the Bills’ Loss to the Vikings
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings catches a pass in front of Cam Lewis #39 of the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York.
While calls for the 25-year-old to be cut after one mistake seems harsh, several analysts pointed out that Lewis’ poor decision-making was a huge reason the Bills lost to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10.
Cover 1 podcast hosts tweeted, “Lewis could be responsible for two losses this season… DAMN,” while Skurski tweeted on Saturday night, “If the #Bills go on to lose this game, with that penalty being a big reason why, Cam Lewis can fairly be considered the main culprit in two of the team’s four losses.”
Lewis has played cornerback since he signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019, but the Bills started working him out as a safety during the offseason. With Jordan Poyer out injured, Buffalo looked to Lewis over Jaquan Johnson against the Vikings, marking his fourth-ever career start, and his first start at safety.
While Buffalo’s entire defense couldn’t figure out a way to shut down Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who finished the game with 10 receptions for a career-high 193 yards, his absolutely insane 32-yard, one-handed catch on 4th-and-18 marked the craziest highlight of what was already a wild game.
JUSTIN JEFFERSON CATCH OF THE CENTURY.
Lewis was covering Jefferson during the catch mid-air, but instead of batting the ball down, he unsuccessfully tried to go for the interception. The University of Buffalo alum was berated by fans on Twitter for trying to do too much, even former Bills legend Fred Jackson tweeted out, “KNOCK THE BALL DOWN!!!”
While Allen admittedly had one of his worst performances of the season during the Bills’ 33-30 overtime loss to Minnesota, Lewis also took responsibility for his part in the loss.
One of the many moments that turned the tide for the #Bills was a 32 yard catch by Justin Jefferson on 4th and 18.
Cam Lewis originally had the ball in his hands, but Jefferson took it away.
“I just got to knock the f*cking ball down.”
“I honestly thought it was over his head. Just gotta be more aware of the situation,” he said, after the game. “It was a f****** fourth and 22,” adding a few yards onto the actual distance.
“Knock the ball down, bro. Like, I’m not a selfish player. I don’t try to be a selfish player. I’m always trying to put the team before me. Pshht. I’ve just got to knock the f****** ball down. It’s plain and simple. Just gotta know the situation. I knock the ball down we f****** win. That’s all I can say about that.”
Lewis Appeared to Get Injured on the Penalty in Week 15
#Bills Cam Lewis injury:
Happened on roughing the punter, they collide, and Morstead falls on him pretty hard.
Did go into the medical tent for assessment, unclear what exactly was injured, may have just had the wind knocked out.
Will see if it’s anything more later this week.
Lewis exited the field and headed into the medical tent following his routing the punter penalty on Saturday, December 17, but it wasn’t clear if he merely needed a moment alone or had physically hurt himself. The Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald tweeted after Lewis emerged on the sidelines, “Lewis just came out of medical tent. He was down after the roughing kicker, wasn’t sure if it was frustration, but spent awhile in tent.”
During a press conference on Sunday, December 18, Bills head coach Sean McDermott addressed the injuries of center Mitch Morse (concussion protocol) and Boogie Basham (day to day with calf injury), but didn’t mention Lewis’ status.
When McDermott was asked about the defensive back’s penalty against the Dolphins, “We want to be aggressive in all three phases, but at the same time we want to play smart. We have to find that balance,” he answered, per One Bills Live host Chris Brown.