On a night when the Buffalo Bills needed Josh Allen to deliver an MVP-caliber performance, Allen delivered one of the best games of his career—in weather conditions that make a quarterback a legend. Allen led the Bills on an 86-yard touchdown run with 5:56 to play, setting up a Tyler Bass field goal with no time left on the clock to give the Bills a thrilling 32-29 victory over the Miami Dolphins in a . Snowy, icy Saturday night in Orchard Park.
Allen, who finished with four passing touchdowns on the night, went 4 of 5 for 40 yards on the final drive to lead the Bills to victory. Bills quarterback also threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox in the fourth quarter to make it 29-27 and then just broke up on the conversion attempt to tie the game at 29-29 with 9:02 left.
Allen finished 25 of 40 for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the win, all in blistering heats as Buffalo clinched a playoff berth for the fourth year in a row. The win pulls Buffalo within one victory for the AFC East title and a guaranteed home game in the playoffs. Allen also rushed for 77 yards.
The Dolphins gave the Bills everything they could handle, as Tua Tagovailoa finished 17 of 30 for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Miami took the lead in the third quarter on a Tagovailoa touchdown pass to Terek Hill to put the Dolphins up 26-21 with 2:30 left. Hill finished with nine catches for 69 yards and a touchdown in the contest and Raheem Mostert rushed for 136 yards. The Dolphins are three games behind the Bills in the AFC East race, one-half of a game in the AFC Final Four.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened on a snowy night in Buffalo.
Why did the bill win?
Give it to Josh Allen, who showed up when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. Allen was great throughout the game with his four touchdown passes, but went 5 of 7 for 45 yards in the fourth quarter while running five times for 47 yards – and converted a two-point conversion to tie the game at 29-29 with 9:02 to play.
Allen went 4 of 5 for 40 yards on the final drive to boot, and finished his night with 304 passing yards and 77 rushing yards. Allen had his third game with 300 receiving yards and 75 rushing yards, tying Michael Vick and Russell Wilson for the best performances in NFL history.
Why did the dolphins go missing?
The dolphins couldn’t keep up with the bills on the course when the snow was coming down. Buffalo ran 22 plays on their last two possessions and gained 161 yards (scoring 11 points) while Miami ran 10 plays for 50 yards and scored three points.
The Dolphins defense could not stop and get off the field, a recurring problem for Miami all year. Tua Tagovailoa can’t be blamed for the loss, as he finished 17 of 30 for 234 yards with two touchdowns and a 104.0 passer rating.
turning point
On first-and-10 from the Bills’ 43-yard line, Josh Allen called on his own number and ran for a 44-yard touchdown run—out of bounds at the Dolphins’ 13-yard line just before it snowed.
Allen made his longest run of the game and followed that play with a 5-yard touchdown run that resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a late kick out of bounds. The Bills scored three plays later on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Dawson Knox to set Allen up for the two-point conversion that tied the game at 29-29.
While Allen’s arms stole the show, his legs made some major plays in this one as well.
Play the game
Allen’s touchdown pass to James Cook with no time left in the first half catapulted the Bills, which was arguably the difference late in the game. Instead of taking a three-pointer before halftime and throwing the ball away, Allen’s gamble to buy time and throw the ball into the end zone paid off.
Allen rolled to his right after spending too much time in the pocket, and it looked like he made a bad decision. He bought enough time to tip Cook and threw a rope on running back in the end zone for a touchdown with no time left in the half that put the Bills up 21-13.
Without that touchdown, the Bills would likely lose the game. This touchdown throw cannot be overlooked.
the quote
“It’s nothing. I wish it was cooler. I wish it was cooler. I’ve played in Wyoming for 3.5 years. This is my fifth year here. It’s second nature now, baby.” – Josh Allen on playing in the snow and cold in Buffalo to NFL Network after the game.
Allen is now 5-1 in his career in freestyle games, catching a total of 17 touchdowns in those games.
next one
The Bills (11-3) can beat the Chicago Bears (3-10) next Saturday, while the Dolphins will face the Green Bay Packers (5-8) on Christmas Day.
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