We didn’t think much of this score—Buffalo Bills 31, Miami Dolphins 21—when it went final. This contest did showcase the potency of the Bills’ offense and reveal some defensive flaws. Despite the win, the Bills’ defense struggled to contain Miami’s offense, allowing the Dolphins to convert 10 out of 15 third downs throughout the game. The Bills’ performance raised questions about their ability to maintain their historic turnover margin streak while highlighting areas that require improvement.
The Dolphins capitalized on their opportunities throughout the contest. Against the Bills, they haven’t missed on conversion attempts with a touchdown on all three red zone visits. Given this efficiency, it further highlighted the need for Buffalo’s defense to play better, specifically in the high-leverage spots. The defense dealt with difficult logistics, as the Miami offensive line continued to restlessly leave a trail of destruction. … and they battled fiercely to answer back all match long.
On the offensive end, the Bills demonstrated moments of brilliance but faced periods of stagnation, particularly during the third quarter when drives stalled. Quarterback Josh Allen’s big game was the focus of attention, particularly with his track record of turnovers. During that time frame, no one else committed more turnovers than he did. The Bills finished last season with the league’s best turnover rate, finishing with a league-low eight turnovers.
Three weeks into the season, linebacker Terrel Bernard has emerged as a key player for the Bills, making two pivotal fourth-quarter takeaways. His contributions are essential as the team aims to extend its NFL record of 25 consecutive games without losing the turnover margin. Offensively, the Bills are one of just three teams this year without a turnover on their ledger. They join the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this remarkable accomplishment.
Coach Sean McDermott understands how important ball security is to winning. He’s quick to remind us that this area requires nonstop vigilance and perpetual improvement.
“You get what you emphasize most of the time,” – Coach Sean McDermott
In accordance with this, let’s step across the street to defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, who sounded extremely worried about the lack of Tigers getting home against Miami.
“To get ’em into 16 third and fourth downs, that’s excellent, but we got to get off the field and our guys know it’s not good enough,” – Bobby Babich
Here are a few takeaways from the Bills’ performance in Week 3 that the team will need to improve on as they continue their 2023 campaign. Despite these ongoing issues, Coach McDermott is undeterred on making these changes and creating a more unified plan of attack for future matches.
“I have a vision, we have a vision for it,” – Coach Sean McDermott
Even today, Bernard would stress the need for defensive improvement — specifically to create more opportunities for turnovers.
“And we know it’s not going to be perfect. Offenses around the league are good. That’s a known fact. But for us, it comes down to taking the ball away, especially in the critical moments of the game. That’s something that we preach and something that we believe in and something that we’ve been pretty good at. And I think that’s just the philosophy of who we are,” – Terrel Bernard
Yet defensive players Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi are serving suspensions for violating NFL performance-enhancing drug policies. They’ve made off-field work their priority up until Week 6. First-round pick cornerback Maxwell Hairston is eligible to come back to practice. He has returned from a right LCL sprain.
For all of the damage done, the Bills are already preparing to pivot to their next endeavor. They know they need to sharpen their defense as they maintain an effective, efficient offense with limited turnovers. The defensive team set a Big Ten-record 79-game streak in positive turnover margin. They understand that to maintain this high bar, they need to remain focused and continue raising the bar.
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