Getty Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills carries the ball during the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Buffalo Bills are still mentally and physically recovering from their grueling 21-19 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. When Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs appeared for his scheduled appearance on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Tuesday, September 27, the hosts were surprised he made it.
The 110-degree weather and extreme humidity at Miami Gardens for Sunday’s divisional matchup became a hot topic of debate on Twitter following the Dolphins’ victory. During the game, Diggs, along with several other Bills players were forced to exit the game due to heat illness, receiving fluids in the locker room before being able to return to the field.
Diggs tells Le Batard that it was an exhaustion level that the eight-year NFL veteran has never felt. “Hell no. I’ve never been that tired in my life. I had full-body cramps after the game. I’ve never experienced that before. Probably laid on the table and was like ‘Yeah, this is it for me.'”
“I’ve never been that tired in my life.”
– @stefondiggs breaks down the game against the Dolphins and describes just how hot it was in Miami last Sunday.
Le Batard says the Bills “played in inhumane conditions” on Sunday and the 28-year-old receiver doesn’t disagree with him.
“Yeah, I think it’s set up that way,” Diggs replies. “Because if you ever notice on that Miami field, the majority of the Miami side is under the shade and our side? It’s in the sun that ya know, turns those grapes into raisins. It was real fun out there. Full body cramps is when your hamstrings, quads, arms, stomach — all the good stuff cramps up. It’s just part of the game.”
The weekly picture of the sun’s performance to remind how opposing players are architecturally encouraged to have Heat illness like the Bills RT
However, Le Batard says that it’s not “just part of the game” when you’re laying on a table thinking you might die from heat illness. “I was a little concerned,” Diggs says of grinding it out in the sweltering weather. “They had an IV in both my arms and I’ve never had IVs in both my arms at one time.”
Head coach Sean McDermott said during his postgame press conference on Sunday that he never saw his team look so wiped. “I told them in the locker room after the game — I didn’t even bring them up for a huddle because they all couldn’t move — that that was a heck of an effort,” McDermott said. “You never want to come up short. There are no ribbons for second place, and they know it.”
Diggs Said He Loved the Video of Bills’ OC Ken Dorsey’s Meltdown
In addition to the heat index and the Dolphins’ home field advantage, Twitter was filled with comments about the Bills’ offensive coordinator, Ken Dorsey, who had an absolute meltdown after the final whistle blew.
Dorsey, who previously served as the team’s quarterbacks coach was elevated to the role following Brian Daboll’s departure to the New York Giants. The 41-year-old’s violent freak-out after the Bills’ offense couldn’t get into field goal position before the clock ran out was captured by CBS cameras, and video of the outburst went viral.
Diggs told LeBetard and Stogotz on Tuesday, “Damn, I personally loved the video. Just because as a player you gotta love it from your OC, the guy that calls the plays, the guy that puts a lot into this football thing — to care. Some guys pack their papers up in the folder and say, ‘Aight. Get ’em next time.’ Nah. That type of energy and that type of love and support, that’s what you want. I love the video. If you didn’t love the video, you’re probably not a football fan.”
Von Miller Said It’s Games Like This That Brings a Team Together
Bills outgained Dolphins 497-212!
3rd downs 67-%-38%
Josh Allen threw for 400 yds
Time of possession 40:40–19:20
Held Tyreek Hill to 2 rec for 33 yards
All this despite an incredible amount of injuries before and during game
A few critical plays they didn’t make were difference
On paper, the Bills should’ve soundly beat the Dolphins but an ever-growing injury list and several mistakes allowed Miami to come out victorious. Two-time Super Bowl champ Von Miller believes this loss will be a major turning point for the team.
“In Buffalo, that’s all we have is football,” Miller said, per Bills reporter Grace Heidinger. “That’s all we care about is football and winning games and a loss like this early in games is good medicine. Adversity like this truly reveals character and we have a team full of tough guys.
“This is all just adversity and I’m excited to see how we respond. Real men respond to things like this and I’m excited to see how we respond.”
We’re live from Miami after our Week 3 loss to the Dolphins.
Stay tuned to hear from QB Josh Allen, HC Sean McDermott and more. t.co/Wdozg0YWGf
Next up, the Bills travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in Week 4, and tight end Dawson Knox also feels this tough loss will fuel their fight. “There’s so much football ahead of us,” Knox said. “I think this can be a great focal point for us moving forward just to see the fight that we have in us.”
Quarterback Josh Allen already has his mind on Buffalo’s next road game. “We’ll learn from this one tomorrow, take it on the chin and, again, prepare for next week. That’s all we can do. We can move forward. We’re 2-1. I’d like to be 3-0, but 2-1, we can still accomplish everything we want to accomplish.”