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 deal with Trent Sherfield.
Nearly the goal of a foul joke ending, the Dolphins held on for the final snigger towards defending champions AFC East as a substitute.
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 attempting desperately to drive the soccer over the sting of discipline objective vary.
“I do not like these shock endings,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated. “However I am simply actually, actually completely satisfied for the workforce 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 need to belief that anybody which section 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 workforce later clarified that in truth he had a again downside. He completed with 186 yards and a landing cross 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 wonderful 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 possibilities for a comeback victory.
However then Tagovailoa and the Dolphins went to a few, leaving Morstead with little room to kick the ball.
It was not sufficient house. The kick rang out simply vast of Sherfield and got here out the again of the top zone for a security – an accident drawing instant 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 few minute to information Buffalo into discipline objective vary, and did, however the Payments ran out of time. Isaiah McKenzie went for further yards on an Allen cross, costing him valuable seconds. The Dolphins gamers began celebrating when the clock hit zero with Allen just below heart.
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.
Buffalo rushed 90 performs to Miami’s 39, edging the Dolphins by 497 yards to 212.
“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 number 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 whole 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 had 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 evening. final week. The Dolphins’ 21 factors had been probably the most Buffalo allowed all season.
“We used nearly everybody we might on the sidelines there,” McDermott stated.
Within the fourth quarter, Miami’s Jaylen Waddle caught a 32-yard cross down the precise 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.
“Respiration was troublesome at occasions. 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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