MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Thomas Morstead walked into the center of Miami’s finish zone, swung his highly effective proper leg, and kicked a punt.
Proper behind sort out Trent Sherfield.
Virtually the goal of a nasty joke ending, the Dolphins held on for the final chuckle towards defending champions AFC East as an alternative.
Miami overcame what was shortly dubbed the ‘butt punt’ by shutting down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Payments twice within the remaining minutes, shifting to 3-0 with a 21-19 win that ended with Allen making an attempt desperately to drive the soccer over the sting of subject objective vary.
“I do not like these shock endings,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated. “However I am simply actually, actually completely satisfied for the group as a result of I do know what I do know: groups win soccer video games, and if you wish to achieve success in the long term, you must belief that anybody which part can win a soccer sport for you, can go forward and do it.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa briefly left the sport within the second quarter, returning after halftime regardless of showing being disoriented by a head harm – the group later clarified that the truth is he had a again drawback. He completed with 186 yards and a landing go to River Cracraft.
Allen was additionally scratched, receiving X-rays on his proper hand after the sport after hitting him on a helmet or face masks. He insisted he was advantageous afterwards.
The Dolphins protection did simply sufficient to dam Allen twice within the fourth quarter, the primary goal-line effort following a dashing landing by Miami’s Chase Edmonds.
Allen threw incomplete on fourth down from the 2-yard line, ending a 17-play, eight-minute drive — and seemingly Buffalo’s probabilities for a comeback victory.
However then Tagovailoa and the Dolphins went to 3, leaving Morstead with little room to kick the ball.
It was not sufficient house. The kick rang out simply extensive of Sherfield and got here out the again of the top zone for a security – an accident drawing fast comparisons to Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez’s notorious ‘butt fumble’. 10 years earlier. Sanchez hit the underside of lineman Brandon Moore, inflicting the ball to drop.
“Woah…keep out of my lane bro,” Sanchez tweeted at Morstead.
Allen had a couple of minute to information Buffalo into subject objective vary, and did, however the Payments ran out of time. Isaiah McKenzie went for additional yards on an Allen go, costing him valuable seconds. The Dolphins gamers began celebrating when the clock hit zero with Allen just below middle.
Payments offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey snapped his helmet and commenced tossing paper and notebooks into the coaches field when time ran out.
“It was solely fourteen or twelve seconds,” stated Dolphins linebacker Melvin Ingram, who recovered a fumble within the first half. “You run round, throw the ball. He is operating round, that clock is gonna go down.
Miami took the lead with about 10 minutes left within the sport, scoring a landing to maneuver up 21-17. It was the Payments’ first deficit of the season.
“Whenever you take a look at the distinction within the sport, I believe we had virtually 500 yards at their 212 or 221 or so. You need to win these video games,” Payments coach Sean McDermott stated. “We simply did not take sufficient care of the ball and got here away with a couple of takeaways.”
On a day when Allen accomplished a career-high 42 passes and completed with 400 yards, the Payments completed with their lowest level complete since a Week 13 final season. Allen additionally accomplished his first 11 passes for the primary time in his profession. He had landing passes to operating backs Devin Singletary and McKenzie and a first-half fumble that led to a Dolphins landing.
The Payments have been with out a number of defensive starters, together with beginning security Micah Hyde, who was injured Saturday on reserve with a neck harm, and cornerback Dane Jackson, who injured his neck towards the Titans final night time. final week. The Dolphins’ 21 factors have been essentially the most Buffalo allowed all season.
“We used nearly everybody we may on the sidelines there,” McDermott stated.
Within the fourth quarter, Miami’s Jaylen Waddle caught a 32-yard go down the correct sideline, then added a 45-yard third-and-22 reception to arrange Edmonds’ eventual landing run.
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
A number of Payments gamers struggled to regulate to the South Florida warmth. McKenzie, TE Dawson Knox and T Spencer Brown have all been listed with heat-related sicknesses. The gamers fell on the pitch with cramps at a number of factors throughout the match.
“Respiratory was troublesome at instances. We did some actually, actually lengthy rides,” Allen stated.
INJURIES
Payments: WR Jake Kumerow injured his ankle within the first quarter and didn’t return. … CB Christian Benford injured his hand.
Dolphins: T Greg Little injured his finger. CB Xavien Howard left within the third quarter with cramps. however returned.
NEXT:
Payments: On the Baltimore Ravens subsequent Sunday.
Dolphins: On the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.
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