Bills Benefit From Turnovers, Then Overcome Them, to Down Dolphins

In some ways, Sunday’s game had the typical N.F.L. playoff atmosphere, with signs taunting the rival Dolphins intermingled with those supporting Hamlin. It did not start with the same magic as the previous week’s game, when, on the first play since Hamlin’s collapse, Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.

Despite being a double-digit favorite and jumping out to a 17-0 lead, the Bills didn’t close out the win until the final minutes of a game that lasted nearly four hours — making it the third-longest playoff game that did not involve overtime, according to the N.F.L.

This game was decided by the same margin as the last time these A.F.C. East rivals met, in December. But the Dolphins were without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who stayed home in South Florida after suffering his second diagnosed concussion of the season during a Christmas Day game. Miami also did not have its leading rusher, Raheem Mostert, and receiver Jaylen Waddle injured a shoulder during the game.

“It doesn’t matter how we win, it’s if we win,” said Bills quarterback Josh Allen, whose up-and-down individual performance was emblematic of the team’s showing. Allen threw three touchdown passes but also turned the ball over three times, which allowed the Dolphins to claw their way back into the game.

Last week, the Bills cleared the emotional hurdle of playing their first game since Hamlin was taken off the field in an ambulance. This week’s challenge, though — and the challenges awaiting them for the rest of their postseason run — should not be underestimated. The playoffs are an exhausting gantlet even in the best of circumstances, let alone for players who witnessed a teammate fight for his life during a nationally televised event.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/15/sports/football/bills-dolphins-score.html