Observations: It's hard to take the Bills seriously as contenders after Miami meltdown
The Bills’ hopes of earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC took a massive hit, and the mere conversation, at this point, feels misguided. This is a team that looked out of sorts for the entirety of Sunday’s game, writes Jay Skurski.
About 96 hours before kickoff Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium, general manager Brandon Beane expressed confidence in the roster he’s constructed for the Buffalo Bills.
It was Wednesday, the day after the NFL trade deadline came and went with Beane having failed to make a move. The team’s ninth-year GM was asked by The Buffalo News if that failure to do so was an indication he believed the team could still win a championship with the roster as is.
“Yes,” he said.
The follow-up question: What gives you that belief?
“We’re 6-2. I’ve been to the Super Bowl a couple times. I’ve seen us be in AFC championship games,” Beane said. “You don’t get to AFC championship games without having a championship roster. I know what that looks like.”
Make that 6-3, and what it looks like is nothing like what the Bills showed Sunday.
The Bills’ 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday was so ugly, it’s the kind that should make owner Terry Pegula re-evaluate everything about the organization – starting with the decisions of his general manager.
It was among the worst defeats the Bills have ever suffered under coach Sean McDermott, especially in the eight years since quarterback Josh Allen came into the league. That it came to a division rival in Miami, which entered the game with a 2-7 record, makes it even worse.
So, too, did the things Bills players had to say after the game.
“They played harder than us,” Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “Simple as that.”
If only it were that simple.
Under no circumstances should the Dolphins, who have already fired their general manager and are playing out the string before Thanksgiving, ever be the team that played harder than the Bills, who have Super Bowl aspirations.
The Bills’ hopes of earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC took a massive hit, and truthfully, even the discussion of home-field advantage at this point feels misguided.
This is a team that looked out of sorts for the entirety of Sunday’s game. Injuries certainly have not helped, particularly on defense, but those alone can’t excuse the no-show effort.
“Obviously we’ve got to have better energy,” wide receiver Khalil Shakir said. “They came out flying and we just didn’t answer the call right away. You get so far back on your heels that it’s hard to recover. So we’ve just got to come out quicker, faster, play smarter football.”
Again, this is all alarming to hear 10 weeks into the season. McDermott spoke during the week of liking the attitude he had seen from his team, especially in winning two games against Carolina and Kansas City coming out of the bye week. McDermott admitted Sunday his team took a step backward.
More like a giant leap.
The coach used phrases that often fill the air in a loss – how it’s a week-to-week league, and a team needs to bring its ‘A’ game every week to have a chance to win – and those might all be true.
The nature of Sunday’s loss, however, invites serious questions about the Bills’ trajectory.
“I love these players,” McDermott said. “I love these players. I love the guys in that locker room.”
That may be the case, but there was not a lot to love Sunday.
1. Coleman made only one big play
For the first three quarters Sunday, the Bills weren’t getting enough out of their 2024 second-round draft pick. With the offense starving for someone to step up in the first half, Coleman was targeted three times, resulting in one catch for 5 yards.The success rate on the back-shoulder throw to Coleman is so low that it’s surprising how often the Bills continue to try it.
It did finally hit in the fourth quarter, as Coleman hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Allen on that exact throw to cut Buffalo’s deficit to 16-6. Coleman is supposed to be a contested-catch specialist – he has not separated well enough to be anything else – but hasn’t come through often enough on that type of play. That he did in the fourth quarter Was among the rare positives in a game mostly devoid of them.
Coleman finished with three catches for 46 yards on eight targets.
“I had a tipped ball I could have probably scored on,” Coleman said when asked after the game if he felt like he had made the most of his opportunities this season. “For the most part, yes, I feel like I do capitalize when my number is called.”
Allen had a long pause before answering when asked if he felt like Coleman has done enough with his chances.
“I mean, he got one today,” the quarterback said. “So yeah.”
On a day the Dolphins had a good plan for Bills running back James Cook, limiting him to 13 carries for 53 yards, the Bills’ passing game had to respond. It didn’t do so to the level necessary, and Coleman’s performance was part of the reason why.
Asked why the passing attack has lacked consistency, he replied: “I mean, if I knew the answer to that, (bleep), we wouldn’t be talking about it right now, so we just go back to the drawing board.”
2. Waddle shows Bills what they’re missing
NFL Network reported Sunday morning that the Bills had made an aggressive offer to the Dolphins ahead of the trade deadline for Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle – reportedly a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 first-rounder. Additionally, according to the NFL Network report, the Bills also made an offer for Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who ultimately found himself in Dallas.Back to Waddle, though. He showed the type of talent the Bills wanted to acquire on the first play of the second quarter, getting open deep down the right sideline and hauling in a 38-yard touchdown catch from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. That extended Miami’s lead to 13-0 after a missed extra point.
Waddle beat rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston on the play. Hairston made his first start, because the Bills were without cornerback Christian Benford, who sat out for the first time season because of a groin injury.
Hairston started opposite Tre’Davious White, who briefly left the field on Miami’s first touchdown drive for a trip to the sideline medical tent. That forced Dane Jackson, who was called up from the practice squad Saturday, into the game. White was cleared and returned to the field for the next series.
3. Landon Jackson leaves early
The Bills’ rookie defensive end suffered a right knee injury with 11:13 left in the first quarter. He was hurt defending on a run play that went for 3 yards by Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright. Jackson limped to the sideline medical tent with trainers, then went back to the locker room a short time later before being ruled out for the rest of the day.It was a disappointing break for the rookie from Arkansas, who appeared in just his third game this season. Jackson had been stuck on the depth chart, but previous injuries to Michael Hoecht and A.J. Epenesa had him poised to take on a bigger role.
“It definitely sucks to be out there and have Landon go down early, seeing how hard he worked all week to get this opportunity to go out there and play,” defensive tackle DaQuan Jones said. “It’s just unfortunate to see.”
4. Dalton Kincaid also left early
The Bills’ third-year tight end, who has been such a big part of the passing game, was ruled out for the rest of the game early in the fourth quarter because of a hamstring injury. Kincaid had two catches for 37 yards on three targets before getting hurt in the third quarter. The lone target that fell incomplete was on Kincaid. As the rain fell late in the second quarter, Kincaid let a perfectly thrown pass from Allen slip right through his hands. Curiously, he wasn’t wearing receiver gloves on the play.Had Kincaid made the catch, he would have had room to run. Instead, the Bills ran just one more play before letting the clock expire on the first half.
The Bills were left with just two healthy tight ends, Dawson Knox and rookie Jackson Hawes, after Kincaid was hurt.
5. Bills lose turnover battle again
If you’re looking for a common thread in the Bills’ three losses, start here: Buffalo turned the ball over three times against the Dolphins, finishing the category minus-1 in the game despite interceptions by Hairston and Cole Bishop.“We turned the ball over three times. It’s tough to win in the NFL when you turn the ball over three times,” McDermott said.
In a 23-20 loss to the Patriots in Week 5, the Bills were minus-2 in turnovers. The following week, in a 24-14 defeat at Atlanta, they were minus-2, making them a combined minus-5 in their three losses.
“Anytime you turn it over three times, two in the red zone – really you can count that last one, driving kind of going into the red zone – that’s a recipe for disaster,” Allen said.