Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills (6-2) face the Miami Dolphins (2-7) at Hard Rock Stadium in South Beach on Sunday afternoon in a 1 p.m. EST battle of teams on opposite ends of the playoff picture.
Before Sunday’s game, let’s revisit the series history, relive some of the more memorable matchups, break down those common connections, and go through the list of players who played for both teams. Hint: there are 102 players who saw action for both the Bills and Dolphins.
This matchup features two storied franchises with ties to the American Football League (AFL). Buffalo was one of the inaugural members of the AFL in 1960, while the Miami Dolphins became an expansion franchise starting with the 1966 season.
The Bills and Dolphins have met 124 times before, with Miami holding a slim 62-61-1 edge in the all-time series. The Bills have won the last seven matchups against their AFC East counterparts, and 14 of the last 15 contests, including a 34-31 triumph in the Wild Card round of the 2022 season.
In their first meeting this year, on Thursday Night Football, quarterback Josh Allen had three passing touchdowns, including a go-ahead 15-yarder to wide receiver Khalil Shakir halfway through the fourth quarter that snapped a 21-all tie. The go-ahead drive was kept alive when Miami defensive tackle Zach Sieler ran into punter Cameron Johnston, and five plays later Shakir found the end zone.
With the Dolphins driving, linebacker Terrel Bernard sealed the win by picking off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with three minutes remaining, as the Bills won their third straight to start the 2025 NFL season.
Running back James Cook became the first back to eclipse 100 rushing yards against Miami’s defense in the last 36 games, finishing with 108 rushing yard and a touchdown. Allen would complete 22 of 28 passes for 213 yards, including touchdown tosses to tight ends Dalton Kincaid and rookie Jackson Hawes while running his career record against Miami to 14-2.
The Bills prevailed despite allowing the Dolphins’ offense to convert on 10 of 15 third-down opportunities. Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were held in check for much of the night, as he passed for only 146 yards on his 22 completions (an average of 4.3 yards per completion). The Dolphins were led by wide receivers Tyreek Hill (5 catches for 49 yards and a TD) and Jaylen Waddle (5 catches for 39 yards and a TD), and running back De’Von Achane (12 rushes for 62 yards).
The last time these teams met in South Beach was Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, and the Bills squished the Fish 31-10 on Thursday Night Football.
James Cook accounted for three first-half touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving) to match a franchise record as the Bills raced out to a 24-10 halftime lead. Cook caught a 17-yard TD pass from Josh Allen and scored on runs of 1 and 49 yards as Buffalo took advantage of a sloppy Miami team,...
