Dolphins best bills 16-3

Miami has won 6 out of 7, move to 8-5

Instead of battling in the frigid temperatures at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo and experiencing the usual torrent of snowballs from rabid Bills fans, the Dolphins coasted to a warm victory over their longtime rival in Toronto’s Rogers Center. Miami’s methodical victory over Buffalo mirrored the controlled conditions of the indoor dome.

Quarterback Chad Pennington completed 23 of 29 passes for 189 yards, including a twenty yard touchdown strike to tight end Anthony Fasano in the first quarter, which put the Dolphins up 7-0, a lead that they never relinquished, due to a mix of suffocating defense and Buffalo’s struggling offense, which could not overcome the absence of starting quarterback Trent Edwards.

The Dolphins game plan focused on shutting down Buffalo’s bruising tailback Marshawn Lynch, who was held to only 31 yards on 13 carries. Former first round pick J.P. Losman, starting in place of Edwards, continued his poor play in what will likely be his last season in a Bills uniform, tallying a quarterback rating of 45.8 while completing less than half of his passes, one of which was picked off by Dolphins cornerback Will Allen in the end zone in the third quarter. Allen’s drive killing interception ended Buffalo’s momentum and their best chance of staging a comeback. Linebacker Joey Porter sacked Losman twice, bringing his season total to an NFL best 16.5.

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On offense, Miami controlled the clock with a mix of short passing and hand offs and direct snaps to running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, who combined for 110 yards on the ground. Receiver Davone Bess, making his second start in stead of the injured Greg Camarillo, hauled in 9 passes for 74 yards. Rookie kicker Dan Carpenter connected on 3 of 4 field goals, including a career long 50 yard kick.

With its win over Buffalo, the Dolphins moved into a three way tie for first place in the AFC East along with the Jets and Patriots. Miami controls its own destiny and is guaranteed a division crown if they can win their remaining three games against San Francisco, Kansas City, and the New York Jets. Two more wins would solidify the single best turnaround in NFL history, as a 1-15 team has never won more than nine games the following season. The Dolphins face off against the 49ers at home next week.

By Glenn Katzman
ProFootball-fans.com Miami Dolphins Correspondent