It has been tough sledding in recent years for Miami facing the AFC East's four-time defending champions Buffalo Bills. Falling 31-10 on Thursday night, the Dolphins drop to 1-11 against the Bills over the last 12 games. During that span, the Dolphins have been really good against the rest of the league with a 44-31 mark, good for a .587 winning percentage.
To make matters worse, starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exited Thursday's game with a concussion.
Here are the three takeaways from a difficult night at Hard Rock Stadium, starting with the health of Tagovailoa.
- The Latest on Tua Tagovailoa
"Right now, it's more about getting a proper procedural evaluation, and taking it one day at a time," Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. "The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline. We just need to evaluate and I'm just worried about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are. But we'll get more information, and then take it day by day from there."
"He went around the locker room and connected with (his teammates) as a leader," McDaniel continued. "He was trying to keep the guys' heads up."
McDaniel also addressed the media Monday morning. Asked, 'what did you say to Tua when he walked with you on his way to the locker room?' he answered:
"I told him to go be the starting quarterback of his family. Go in the locker room, take a deep breath and I'll see you soon."
- Compounding Mistakes
Through two games of the 2024 season, the Dolphins have found different ways to shoot themselves in the foot.
Be it penalties, drops, missed assignments – Dolphins' drives too often get bogged down by those mistakes. The second drive of the game produced a 10-play, 80-yard scoring march, but for the rest of the night, it was one step forward and two steps back.
Despite out-gaining Buffalo by more than 100 yards, the Dolphins lost the turnover battle 3-0. They also committed seven penalties for 50 yards, compared to one infraction costing the Bills just five yards.
For the Dolphins to get over this hump, they must find a way to play cleaner games and execute more consistently.
- De'Von Achane's Budding Stardom
A bright spot emerged from the disappointing defeat as second-year running back De'Von Achane continues to ascend. For the second straight game, Achane was the team-leader with seven receptions, adding 96 yards on the ground and his second touchdown of the season.
Those 96 yards via the ground came on 22 carries – a career-high for the Texas A&M product.
According to Pro Football Focus, Achane broke four tackles as a ball carrier and produced 56 yards after initial contact. As a receiver, he slipped two more tackles and averaged 3.29 yards per route run (wide receiver Tyreek Hill led the NFL in that category in 2023 at 3.72 YPPR).
For more analysis, takeaways and breakdowns, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
