Bills pull away, push Dolphins to 0-3 with 31-21 win in Orchard Park

The Buffalo Bills handed the Miami Dolphins their first 0-3 start this season with a 31-21 victory Thursday night at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. Buffalo improved to 3-0, while Miami dropped to 0-3 as a string of self-inflicted mistakes hampered the comeback bid. The closest Miami got in the late going came before a game-sealing sequence that began with a Bills field goal after a turnover and was followed by a 15-yard touchdown from Buffalo five plays later.

With just over three minutes remaining, Miami drove to the Bills 27, and on second-and-6 Tagovailoa tried to hit Jaylen Waddle on a short connection to the right. Terrel Bernard stepped in and intercepted the pass, returning it 24 yards to set up a Bills field goal that extended Buffalo’s lead and left the Dolphins with an insurmountable margin. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Zach Sieler drew a roughing-the-punter penalty on Cameron Johnston, a 15-yard swing that kept Buffalo’s possession alive and allowed the Bills to take control of the late going.

Five plays after the field goal, Josh Allen connected with Khalil Shakir for a 15-yard touchdown to push Buffalo ahead. The Bills never relinquished the advantage, building on the turnover and penalty that swung the game after Miami had briefly shown life. The Dolphins will return home to host the New York Jets on Monday Night Football on Sept. 29, seeking to regain momentum after a 0-3 start.

After the game, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel referenced a rule-of-thumb his team has heard before. “To win games, you have to win the game and not lose the game, honestly. And that is how you lose the game,” he said, echoing a sentiment he emphasized earlier this season following another costly loss. The message carried through Thursday night as Miami’s miscues—particularly on special teams and in critical moments—proved too costly to overcome.

Buffalo’s defense limited Miami’s offense for much of the night, and the Bills benefited from a well-timed sequence of plays in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen was efficient when needed, and the Bills’ ground game pressure helped create opportunities for the defense to generate turnover-friendly moments. Miami’s offense, meanwhile, coughed up a couple of opportunities, and the late interception sealed the result.

The loss continues a difficult start for the Dolphins, who entered the season with hopes of building on a strong finish in 2024. The Bills, by contrast, used Thursday’s performance to reinforce a strong start to the year, showing versatility on offense and resilience in late-game moments. The next chapter for Miami comes in a quick turnaround, as the team prepares for a primetime showdown against the Jets on Monday Night Football on Sept. 29. This game will be seen as a critical point in a season that has begun with a string of mistakes that have to be cleaned up if the Dolphins are to climb out of a hole.