Five snapshots from the Dolphins-Bills series, focusing on November games in Miami...
Nov. 7, 1971
The Dolphins were on their way to their first Super Bowl appearance and sporting a 5-1-1 record when they welcomed the 0-7 Bills to the Orange Bowl on this day. This didn't figure to be a close matchup, and it turned out that way as the Dolphins won 34-0. The Dolphins rushed for 302 yards in the victory, including 116 by Mercury Morris, and the defense came up with five takeaways.
Nov. 17, 1974
Unlike the 1971 game, this was a battle for the division lead in the AFC East between two 7-2 teams. The game was a thriller, with the Dolphins winning 35-28 on Don Nottingham's 23-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left after Buffalo had tied the score with 56 seconds remaining. Defensive end Bill Stanfill had a monster game for the Dolphins, as he recorded four sacks and blocked a field goal attempt at the end of the first half.
Nov. 17, 1997
The Dolphins entered this game in a three-way tie atop the AFC East with Patriots and Jets at 6-4, with the Bills a game behind. The Dolphins held a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter before they pulled away for a 30-13 victory thanks to a 30-yard touchdown pass from Dan Marino to Troy Drayton and a 1-yard run by Karim Abdul-Jabbar.
Nov. 20, 2011
The Dolphins had won two in a row following an 0-7 start when they faced the 5-4 Bills, who were quarterbacked by Ryan Fitzpatrick. This was no contest, as Matt Moore threw three first-half touchdown passes to stake the Dolphins to a 28-6 halftime lead on their way to a 35-8 victory. Ironically, Fitzpatrick eventually was replaced at quarterback by Tyler Thigpen, who had played for the Dolphins in 2010.
Nov. 13, 2014
This was a Thursday night game between two 5-4 teams, and the defenses dominated. The Dolphins trailed 9-3 late in the third quarter before Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes, to Brandon Gibson and Jarvis Landry, in a 22-9 victory. The Dolphins also got a safety when Bills quarterback Kyle Orton was called for intentional grounding while in the end zone.
