1. 98 yards to victory
The Bills offense marched nearly the entire length of the field to take their first lead of the game. Buffalo scored a touchdown and never trailed the rest of the game. Head coach Sean McDermott thought the drive perfectly exemplified what he preaches when it comes to complimentary football.
“You’re right. Complimentary football is what we talk about on that type of drive,” said head coach Sean McDermott. “That’s not an easy drive to play, to do, and continue to play clean football all the way down and then the defense gets a chance to get a rest as well. Look, a lot to learn from this game. I thought on both sides and really all three phases. So, but good to get a win, good to get a win at home in front of our fans and appreciate them hanging with us like they did and that’s a tough group right there. And our guys stayed tough throughout the game.”
2. Too close for comfort
The Dolphins surprised the New Era Field crowd with a 14-9 lead at halftime. Bills players weren’t as surprised after watching film from all of Miami’s games from this season.
“We didn't have trouble getting going,” Jordan Phillips said. “It was like I said earlier, they came out with a good scheme they looked at a game from last year and tried to replicate it. And once we saw it, came in and made the adjustments. It wasn't we weren't ready to play. It wasn't we took them lightly; we knew they could play. They were in every game until halftime, and then it kind of falls off after that. That’s kind of what happened today.”
“Everybody in this locker room understands that,” Micah Hyde said. “Every single game other than the first Miami game has been close at halftime. We’re getting booed we understand that we’re not playing well but this is the NFL you got to compete each and every week. It doesn’t matter what the record is those guys are trying to get their first win we’re trying to get our fifth.”
3. Ed Oliver on getting his first sack
The rookie finally recorded a sack, but he didn’t tackle a quarterback. On Miami’s second play of the game Oliver took down Miami wide receiver Albert Wilson for a loss of 10 yards on his flea flicker pass attempt. It wasn’t how he pictured his first one to look.
“No, it was ugly. It’s not a prototypical sack but I’m happy to have one,” Oliver said.
Oliver is still not satisfied with his sack production even though he did get the monkey off his back with his first sack in the books.
“Not really cause I don’t have the real sack, that was like half a sack. He was spinning around so I need that ‘oh he killed him’ sack. That’s when I’ll be satisfied,” Oliver said.
Buffalo gave up 14 points in the second quarter, prior to today they haven’t given up a point in the second the entire season. Buffalo’s defense had to regroup.
“Of course you’re going to take it personally, but you can’t start looking around and pointing fingers at the same guys you go to war with every day, same guys you wake up to in the hotel and communicate with,” Oliver said. “It’s a family so you look around and understand we got to turn it up.”
Lorenzo Alexander credits the defense’s team-first philosophy to the work of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
“Nobody ever panics when you're talking to [Coach Frazier]. He doesn't scream things, so it just keeps everybody at ease,” said Alexander. “And I think he has a great clear mind and is able to make adjustments and communicate them and I think he did a great job of doing some of that stuff.”
5. Josh Allen impresses fans and teammates with his post two-point conversion celebration
Josh Allen nearly threw the ball out of the stadium during his two-point conversion celebration in the fourth quarter. From the Bills end zone near the tunnel, he reached the second to last row of section 223.
“Yeah I watched it the whole time because I wanted to see if he was going to make it. That was a heck of a throw man,” Cole Beasley said.
“He did the same thing on his throw to Andre [Roberts] down the field though,” Beasley said jokingly. “That dude has a cannon man. I’m going to give him a hard time about that one later.”
Tre’Davious White didn’t see the throw live but has a message to the NFL just in case.
“Is that a fine? Can you tell the NFL to donate the money to the Tre’Davious White Family Foundation because we need the money for sure so get Josh to donate that money to my organization for sure,” White said.