The Buffalo Bills have had several successful seasons in the past, but this year may possibly be one of the best in team history and their 56-26 rout of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday proved that notion even further.
With their win over the Dolphins, a win in which they produced 455 yards of total offense, scored their third defensive touchdown of the season, recorded their first punt return touchdown, and scored the second-most points in team history, the Bills (13-3) swept the AFC East for the first time in team history.
“It’s a great accomplishment and I’m just proud of the guys and the way they were able to play today,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said during a post-game video conference call. “The coaches did a good job of coming up with a good game plan so they could execute at the level that you saw today.”
In their six divisional wins, the Bills outscored their AFC East opponents, the Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets, 194-111. The Bills also swept the Patriots for the first time since 1999 as they secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
Buffalo’s accomplishments don’t stop there either as their 13 regular season wins this year tie the franchise mark that they set during the 1990-91 season, which was during their run to four straight Super Bowls.
Along with their historic run in the AFC East, the Bills also set franchise records for points (501) and touchdowns (60). They also led the AFC in scoring at 31.3 points per game.
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The Bills Overcame A Slow Start Before Cruising to Victory
The Bills struggled early on against the Dolphins and they didn’t score until the 12:09 mark of the second quarter. Once they got going though, they couldn’t be stopped, even when the second-stringers entered the game after halftime.
Buffalo scored 28 points during the second quarter as the Dolphins were only able to match the onslaught with a field goal.
Josh Allen hit Isaiah McKenzie with two touchdown passes of 7 and 14 yards and the former Georgia Bulldog also returned a punt 84-yards for a touchdown. Allen capped off the high-scoring quarter with a 32-yard touchdown pass to John Brown with one minute remaining in the half.
Buffalo’s offense was clicking on all cylinders during the final three quarters of the game but they did get off to a slow start. Allen said that offensive coordinator Brian Daboll started dialing up some of his favorite plays which led to the offensive explosion.
“Things weren’t going the way we wanted to and we started calling some of my favorite plays and we got things rolling and it just didn’t stop,” Allen said during his post-game video conference call.
It didn’t either as the second-stringers came in during the second half. Matt Barkley threw for 164 yards and a touchdown. Rookie receiver Gabe Davis caught two passes for a team-high 107 yards and his team-leading seventh touchdown, which came on a 56-yard pass from Barkley.
Second-Stringers Make a Name for Themselves in Second Half
In games like Sunday’s, a team’s second-stringers have the opportunity to make a name for themselves and Buffalo’s Antonio Williams, an undrafted free agent that was elevated from the practice squad on Sunday did just that. He tallied 12 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded one catch for 20 yards.
Williams flashed both power and speed as he scored on runs of 18 and two yards in the fourth quarter.
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Bills Accomplish Feat for First Time in Team History During Rout of Dolphins