Despite another loss, Dolphins showed fight against the Bills, which could help avoid further spiral

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle opened the celebrations by hauling in a touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa and breaking out his signature penguin waddle. Tyreek Hill followed suit later in Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills, back flipping in the end zone after scoring his first touchdown of the season.

Those celebrations have been rare this season for Dolphins. But Miami showed more fight and energy in Thursday's 31-21 loss at Buffalo than they had in the first two games of the season.

The winless Dolphins battled the five-time division champion Bills closely in a game played amid growing questions about coach Mike McDaniel’s job security, which may help the team avoid a deeper spiral the rest of the season.

“Things aren't going to always go your way," Hill said after the game. "It's all about how do you want to be remembered. Do you want to be the 0-3 team that just was like ‘Hey, we’re going to throw in the towel,' and just say it's over with? Or are we going to be remembered as a team that started off 0-3 and found a way to turn it around. That's the mindset right now.”

The Dolphins' offense rushed for 130 yards, converted 10 of 15 third-down attempts and scored on all three trips to the red zone. But McDaniel and players were not satisfied with what was ultimately a loss, especially as they fell to 0-3 for the first time since 2019 and lost for the 14th time in 15 meetings with the Bills.

“No moral victories, that’s for sure,” Tagovailoa said.

He completed 22 of 34 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in an efficient, if conservative, performance featuring mostly checkdowns — which he said was a response to the Bills' defensive looks. But with three minutes left, his pass intended for Waddle was intercepted by linebacker Terrel Bernard, who read the play the whole way, sealing the loss.

That was one of two critical mistakes made by the Dolphins in the fourth quarter.

Miami's defense forced a punt on the previous drive with the game tied when veteran defensive tackle Zach Sieler was penalized for roughing punter Cameron Johnston. The gaffe extended Buffalo's drive and led to what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.

Sieler, a team captain, took the blame afterward for the “stupid error.” McDaniel said he would use it as a teachable moment.

“Heavy is the crown,” McDaniel said, “so if you’re a player that we depend on, if you’re one of the captains or some of the best players on the team, I hit them between the eyes in front of the team because part of the reason they became captains is because they responded in the appropriate way in the development of this team in the offseason.

"The team has gotten better in a couple weeks and is getting to the point where you can reasonably expect to be able to go to a game on Sunday and have the expectations to win through good football; however, there are still things that we are falling short of and we’re trying to make sure it’s not the same thing over and over.”

The Dolphins put an emphasis on running the ball this week, and it paid off. Miami finished with a season-high 130 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. De'Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II had strong games, both with more than eight carries apiece, and Tagovailoa added 10 yards on a pair of scrambles.

Mental lapses were again an issue, beyond the two late errors. The Dolphins had two potential first downs nullified by penalties for an illegal receiver downfield. Cornerback Jack Jones was flagged for pass interference on Buffalo’s first touchdown drive, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks took an unnecessary roughness penalty for hitting Allen after teammate Tyrell Dodson secured a sack early in the third quarter.

Ollie Gordon II. The rookie sixth-round pick was Miami's second-leading rusher with nine carries for 38 yards and a 2-yard rushing TD. His power-running ability has provided an effective change-of-pace option behind Achane's speed.

Tagovailoa. McDaniel acknowledged that the interception wasn't solely his quarterback — backup right guard Daniel Brunskill's missed block allowed the pressure that forced the errant throw — but Tagovailoa has five turnovers in the first three games and has come up short in two straight outings when he had a chance to lead his team to victory. McDaniel noted Friday that the team's success largely depends on the play of its franchise quarterback, which hasn't quite been good enough through the first three weeks.

The Dolphins are gathering more information on the extent of the hamstring injury to rookie CB Jason Marshall Jr., who left in the second quarter. TE Darren Waller (hip strain) is expected to make his season debut in Week 4.

3 — The amount of sacks that LB Bradley Chubb has through the first three games of the season, making him the first Dolphin to record a sack in each of the first three games since Trace Armstrong did it in four straight to start the 2000 season.

The Dolphins have 11 days to prepare for their second straight prime time game. They host the New York Jets on Sept. 29.

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