Joe Brady is making life easier for Josh Allen, and in the best ways. How? Here's Jim Kubiak's analysis
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills delivered a decisive and important victory over their AFC rival the Miami Dolphins in a highly anticipated matchup.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) walks off the field after the team's 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills delivered a decisive and important victory over their AFC rival the Miami Dolphins in a highly anticipated matchup Thursday night. Allen completed 13 of 19 passes (68%) for 139 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in what was a balanced and efficient attack.
The Buffalo offense benefited from three Miami interceptions and three turnovers on downs. While the Dolphins’ failed fourth-down conversions are not calculated into the turnover category, they are ultimately plays in which one team turns the ball over to their opponent. By that standard, the Bills achieved not three, but six turnovers in total.
Allen’s poise in this game was so off the charts that it was difficult to calculate. We don’t know exactly what concerns remain with Allen’s left hand, but it is a significant injury – enough for him to tape his middle and ring fingers together and wear a giant protective glove with protective elements. Despite this limitation, Allen played brilliantly, efficiently managing the game, taking what was given to him and never giving the Dolphins what they so desperately needed – a big mistake.
In fact, Allen was nearly mistake-free, and he did so while protecting his injured hand. He is a remarkably tough player who has learned how to play differently and use the various tools he possesses to win games. In the season-opening win over Arizona, it was leaping for touchdowns and running all over the field. Last week, it was efficiency in passing and operating the offense.
This victory and review of Allen’s performance demonstrates the philosophy of the coaching staff and the culture of the organization: a completeness of the team-building elements that coach Sean McDermott favors. The Bills have a way of finding and developing players within the structure of the team who may not be the fastest, the biggest, or the most physical, but who play the best together as they do their job within the framework of the schemes.
This is where both Allen and the Bills excelled as they pummeled the Dolphins 31-10. The fact that Allen was 9 of 13 for 108 yards in the first half and finished the game 13 of 19 for 139 yards tells you all you need to know about this football game: It was over halfway through the third quarter.
FIRST QUARTER
Play selection: (10 plays, 6 passes, 4 runs)Allen: 4 for 6 passing, 40 yards, 0 carries for 0 yards, TD pass
Performance grade: 90%
Score: Tie, 7-7.
Allen took over with exceptional field position on the Dolphins’ 38-yard line after a Ja’Marcus Ingram interception, and he orchestrated a six-play scoring drive, which was capped off with this masterfully choreographed fourth-and-3 touchdown pass to James Cook.
- 4th-3 TD Pass Cook, Beethoven-like Masterpiece
This play combined two unique and confusing motions with a brilliant double-rub concept.
First, look at these confusing motions.
The Bills lined up in a tight-bunch formation with a tight end, Dawson Knox as the tight, single receiver. This is a difficult formation to play man-to-man against because of the potential for crossing routes. Receivers crossing the field create traffic that defenders must both defend and navigate through. It is also tough to “match” this formation as defenders can get confused who they are matching up with if the releases aren’t immediately apparent.
I use the term “matching” in the example of a zone defender that picks up a man that comes into his area, or matching up to a specific release of a wide receiver. This combo style of defense can get complicated, especially with this kind of pre-snap movement.
Next, Brady used two different and separate motions that were confusing to draw, much less for the Dolphins to cover. Cook took off to Allen’s right, then stopped and reset. This was designed to identify who was defending Cook man-to-man, thus, Allen and the double-rub receivers (Mack Hollins and Khalil Shakir) knew who they had to slow down in the double-rub. It was No. 11, David Long Jr.
Then, Curtis Samuel jetted across the formation, went backward to loop around Allen and finally went to the right, to influence the defense to Knox and Cook’s side. This was sensational choreography, misdirection, and execution that finessed the Miami defense.
The double-rub simply used two players to run across the field, with the intent to disrupt the coverage on Cook. Clearly in the video, both Hollins and Shakir are not running routes, they are running interference in the sense that they wanted to redirect Long, the linebacker who was covering Cook. The icing on the cake was that Cook was to Allen’s right and leaked into the left flat, making this whole thing even more deceptive.
I can't say enough about the conceptual design of this play. It was perfect in every way and gave the Bills an important 7-0 lead, on the road, in a short week, following a Dolphins’ turnover.
Miami responded with a touchdown drive on the ensuing possession to tie the game 7-7 and it felt like the Bills were in for a battle with their AFC foe.
The Bills went three-and-out on their next series and then were the benefactors of Tua Tagovailoa’s second interception of the game, this time to Christian Benford with just :41 remaining in the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
Play selection: 14 plays (7 passes, 7 runs)Allen: 5 for 7 passing, 68 yards, 2 carries for 2 yards.
Performance grade: 100 %
Score: Bills, 24-10.
This second interception gave Allen great field position again, as they began this drive on the Dolphins’ 44-yard line.
- Third-and-5 completion to Khalil Shakir, field-goal position
A big part of Brady’s talent is his use of relatively simple concepts well. Allen could choose his right concept, or as he wisely did, work back to his zone beaters, the routes that sit in the holes between defenders. This takes patience, understanding and solid protection to give Allen the time to go through his progression. He started right and worked back to Shakir perfectly. Had Allen not made this play, Tyler Bass may not have had the opportunity to make his 43-yard field goal.
The Bills went up 10-7 on the Dolphins, but more importantly, they scored 10 points off of two Miami turnovers.
Miami punted on its next possession and the Bills took over with 10:54 remaining in the second quarter from their own 15-yard line.
On the seventh play of this drive, a key third-and-12 from the Miami 35-yard line, Allen made this incredible completion to Ty Johnson. It was as if these guys were playing football in the street, as Johnson ran to the open field and Allen reacted to Johnson’s great awareness.
- Third-and-12 out of system 26, sets up TD run
This was a great example of teamwork and the result of all players doing their jobs consistently. Johnson is not the fastest or the strongest back the Bills have. However, he is dependable and he knows where to go in the scramble drill. A more physically gifted player may have done his own thing in this situation, rather than what the coach was asking and what the team needed. Taking nothing away from Johnson here – it is not the best players that win, but the players that play the best together. This was teamwork personified, and it resulted in a dagger of a touchdown on the very next play by Cook as the Bills took a commanding 17-7 lead.
The Dolphins turned the ball over on downs on their next possession by failing to convert a fourth-and-2 from the Bills’ 45-yard line as Tagovailoa was sacked. Again, this gave the Bills great field position at midfield with 3:45 remaining and two timeouts.
The Dolphins were drained and frustrated by the turnovers and failed conversion, and it showed as Cook ripped off a 49-yard touchdown run on the next snap to break the game open.
On this play, Brady substituted a sixth offensive lineman, Alec Anderson, as a tight end with Knox lined up right next to him. This allowed the Bills to pulverize defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand with three Buffalo lineman.
Clearly, Brady’s use of Anderson and Knox together created alignment confusion for the Dolphins and Hand was engulfed by O’Cyrus Torrence, Spencer Brown and Anderson simultaneously. Dolphins linebacker Long thought Cook was going to bounce it to the outside and lost track of him.
This 49-yard stunning touchdown run was Cook’s third touchdown of the game and all but dashed the Dolphins’ hopes in one sweeping play.
Miami continued to battle and finished the second quarter with a field goal to make the score at halftime 24-10.
THIRD QUARTER
Play selection: 9 plays (4 passes, 5 runs)Allen: 3 for 4 passing, 19 yards, 0 carries for 0 yards.
Performance grade: 88%
Score: Bills, 31-10.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Allen and the Bills’ offense couldn’t convert a third-and-7 and had to punt.
From a field-position standpoint, this trapped the Dolphins’ offense on their own 11-yard line. As the Dolphins were working their way out of their own territory, on a third-and-5 from their own 30-yard line, Tagovailoa threw his third interception of the night, and this one was returned for a touchdown by Ingram. This defensive touchdown elevated the score to 31-10 in favor of the Bills.
The sense of desperation was real for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa, and on the next drive Tua was injured as he ran for a first down, suffering a concussion. During the run, the sacrifice Tagovailoa made was apparent, throwing his body into Damar Hamlin as he plowed for the first down. These scary situations put into perspective how dangerous and exposed players are at this level and to the impact they often absorb.
At this point for the Bills, offense became focused on game management: using the clock, running the football, and protecting themselves from injury.
FOURTH QUARTER
Play selection: 7 plays (2 passes, 5 runs)Allen: 1 for 2 passing, 12 yards, 0 carries for 0 yards.
Performance grade: 100%
Score: Bills, 31-10
Allen’s final drive of the game came off another failed fourth-down conversion by the Dolphins from their own 41-yard line. Allen’s six plays set the Bills up for a 45-yard field-goal attempt that was hooked to the left by Bass.
Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky took over to finish out this outstanding team win for the Bills.
Conclusion
This Bills victory reminded me of the famous quote by the legendary historical figure Sun Tzu, who said, "Never interrupt your opponent while he is in the middle of making a mistake." This sums up how Allen and the Bills played this important game in Miami.Allen was efficient and smart with the football, taking very little risk, but at the same time maintaining his brilliant playmaking abilities at just the right moments. Allen has continued to demonstrate a talent that sometimes goes without notice – his ability to morph and shape his toolbox of talents to the moment he needs them.
Most players just do what they do, rather than recognize a situation and adjust to it. For example, take Allen’s hand. Clearly it is injured, but he adjusted to focus on efficient passing. Last week, he ran recklessly and with abandon, this week he carried just twice for 2 yards. Sometimes he runs and then when needed, he hangs in the pocket and works through his progression. Yes, part of that is his job, but his uniquely explosive gifts make his ability to adjust different than his peers.
Brady is exactly the coordinator who will take Allen’s abilities to the next level, and we are already seeing it. The irony is that it won’t happen with putting more plays or concepts on Allen, but by making it easier for Allen.
The Bills’ offense had 45 plays to the Dolphins’ 75, and Buffalo ran the football 26 times while attempting only 19 passes. The Bills’ total offensive output was 247 yards to the Dolphins’ 351 yards.
Statistically speaking, the Dolphins were more productive – until we dig deeper into the actual efficiency in the red zone: the Bills were 2 for 2 in the red zone and Miami was 1 for 5. When we look at fourth down, game changing plays, the Bills were 1 of 1 touchdown attempts, while the Dolphins were 1 of 5.
Finally, Brady’s “protecting the football” mentality always puts Allen in great situations, as he schemes easy throws like flat routes, wide receiver screens, and that incredible fourth-and-3 touchdown pass rather than asking Allen to hang in the pocket for deep vertical passes or to make a split-second RPO-style decisions to run or pass.
Brady is making the game cleaner for Allen to play, and as the Bills’ running game continues to evolve, I expect Allen’s efficiency to continue to improve.
This was a monumental Buffalo victory that will matter later this season. Allen, despite being more hurt than we know, found a way to shapeshift his abilities to meet this moment.