Rex Ryan’s Buffalo Bills have proven one thing so far in this 2015 NFL season – they know how to beat the Miami Dolphins. The Bills swept the season series with their longtime AFC East rivals, winning the 100th meeting between them by a 33-17 count at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Coming off their bye week, Buffalo took advantage of something they haven’t enjoyed all season, having most of their key players healthy. They finally had their tandem of running backs playing in the same game together, and they both responded with tremendous efforts. LeSean McCoy rushed for 112 yards on 16 carries, including a 48 yard touchdown run that was vintage Shady McCoy. His running mate, rookie Karlos Williams, returned from a layoff due to a concussion with a bang, complementing McCoy with 110 yards on 9 carries, and a pair of TD runs. The return of starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was a huge boost to the Bills’ offense. Taylor wasn’t spectacular, he was efficient, featuring his team’s running game most of the day while mixing in some important completions. He threw only 12 passes all day, but completed 11 of them for 181 yards and a touchdown. Sammy Watkins had complained that he wasn’t being utilized enough, but on this day Taylor found his standout wide receiver for 8 catches for 168 yards and a highlight reel touchdown.
Buffalo’s defense still didn’t live up to it’s self-proclaimed dominance, but came on late in the game to make plays to seal the win, led by Jerry Hughes. Hughes, quiet most of the game, sacked Dolphin QB Ryan Tannehill twice, including a strip sack on which he forced the Miami signal caller to fumble, recovering it himself. It was troubling, however, that the final statistics showed the top 3 tacklers for the Bills were all members of the secondary – Ronald Darby, Corey Graham and Leodis McKelvin. Ryan’s defensive squad still needs to get more consistent play from their linebackers, and especially their front line. The Bills now have a short week to prepare for their next contest, a Thursday night clash with the division rival New York Jets. They dominated the Jets last season, and will face old friend Ryan Fitzpatrick, a quarterback their defense should be able to at least control.