Buffalo Rumblings
Much closer to a mirror match than expected
The Buffalo Bills’ 2024 season has been written. So let’s add some “illustrations!” If you’re new to Plays That Defined, this isn’t a highlight recap, but rather a cathartic retelling of the past season, chapter by chapter.
Don’t vote for your favorite play necessarily, vote for the one that best represents that game’s narrative. I’ll recap the game to refresh your memory, but don’t feel locked in by my narrative.
The Bills had throttled their last two opponents and were set to host the Dolphins. While Miami entered the fray with a horrific 2-5 record, a large chunk of that was due to starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa being unavailable thanks to a head injury of all things — sustained against the Bills in Week 2.
While Tagovailoa’s return came the week before in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Dolphins’ offense had been much sharper with their starting quarterback in the game. Miami lost to a last-second field goal, pushing the Cardinals to the limit. This was essentially mirrored in this game against Buffalo.
Wait? A punt return? Really? And it didn’t even score a touchdown. In a game decided by three points, a little thing here or a little thing there is all the difference. In this case, Brandon Codrington’s 29-yard return outshined the 15 yards the offense gained on the ensuing possession. Codrington set Buffalo up already in field goal range and that field goal mattered in the end.
Here’s another thing that made a small difference, though contrasting the play above, this one was a bit more indirect. This looks fantastic as is. Buffalo converted a long third down thanks to the magic of Josh Allen’s legs and now had a first down at the 11. Two offensive holding calls pushed the Bills back and they settled for a field goal, the likely outcome had Allen not converted this play.
However, the fresh set of downs took another 29 seconds off the clock to close the half. The Dolphins got the ball back with two seconds left after a good kick return by D’Wayne Eskridge. With timeouts in hand, Miami could have made something happen with half a minute to play.
To be fair, not all plays in a close game have to be so... close. The team that can pull off even one big play over the other might take home the win. Taron Johnson knocked the ball loose on an otherwise promising possession by the Dolphins, likely stealing a score from Miami.
This one should be pretty obvious. Ray Davis got the ball on a blitz-beater toss and took it 63 yards to the end zone. In a one-score game, this was a heck of...
