Tua Tagovailoa returned from a second-quarter injury scare and the Miami Dolphins used a late a goal-line stand to hold off the visiting Buffalo Bills for a 21-19 victory on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Miami (3-0) snapped a seven-game losing streak against its AFC East rival. Jaylen Waddle led the Dolphins with four catches for 102 yards and Chase Edmonds rushed for two touchdowns.
Buffalo (2-1) was led by quarterback Josh Allen, who completed 42 of 63 passes for 400 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for a team-high 47 yards.
Tagovailoa left the game with 2:19 left in the second quarter as the back of his head hit the turf on a shove from Bills linebacker Matt Milano.
However, Tagovailoa returned for Miami’s first third-quarter possession. After the game, the quarterback said he hurt his back and passed a concussion check. He finished 13-of-18 passing for 186 yards with one touchdown and no picks.
The teams were tied 7-7 after the first quarter and 14-14 at halftime.
For the eighth straight game, Buffalo scored a touchdown on its first drive. This time, on fourth-and-goal from the 2, Allen beat Brandon Jones’ safety blitz, flipping a pass into the vacated spot to Devin Singletary.
Miami tied it on Edmonds’ 1-yard run. That score was set up by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland’s strip sack, recovered by Melvin Ingram.
Buffalo took a 14-7 lead on Allen’s 8-yard pass to Isaiah McKenzie with 11:59 left in the half.
Miami answered with Tagovailoa’s 11-yard scoring pass to River Cracraft with 6:45 remaining.
Buffalo took a 17-14 lead in the third, ending a marathon 20-play, 87-yard drive with Tyler Bass’ 30-yard field goal.
After Bass missed a 38-yard field goal with a wobbly kick wide left, Miami took its first lead of the game at 21-17 on a 3-yard Edmonds run. Waddle keyed that drive with two catches for 77 yards.
After Allen threw incomplete on fourth-and-goal with 1:49 left in the game from the Miami 2, the Dolphins went three-and-out.
However, Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead had his punt blocked out of the end zone for a safety.
The Bills had one more chance but time ran out as they reached Miami’s 41-yard line.
–Field Level Media
