The Buffalo Bills are off to a perfect start once again. Behind a sharp performance from quarterback Josh Allen and a dominant rushing display from James Cook, the Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-21 on Thursday Night Football, improving to 3-0 for the second straight season.
The victory not only extended Buffalo’s winning streak over Miami to seven games including the postseason but also highlighted why the Bills remain one of the AFC’s most consistent contenders.
Josh Allen thrived once again under the Thursday night lights, continuing his unbeaten streak in short-week games. The star quarterback is now 8-0 in Thursday starts, and his latest outing was one of his most efficient yet.
The 28-year-old completed 22 of 28 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with a 134.1 passer rating. Along the way, he joined elite company, tying Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins as the sixth-fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 200 career passing touchdowns.
“It was just another night in the office for Josh,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said after the win.
James Cook Establishes the Run
While Josh Allen handled the air attack, Cook carried the ground game with authority. The second-year running back rushed 19 times for 108 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Cook set the tone early, piling up 73 yards in the first half alone, and consistently kept Buffalo’s offense ahead of schedule. His steady production gave the Bills a balanced attack and forced Miami’s defense to stay honest.
The Dolphins fought hard and tied the contest at 21 apiece in the fourth quarter. But a costly special-teams mistake shifted momentum back to Buffalo.
On a critical fourth-and-7 with just over 10 minutes remaining, Dolphins captain Zach Sieler was flagged for roughing the kicker after colliding with Bills punter Cameron Johnston. The penalty extended Buffalo’s drive, and five plays later, the Bills capitalized with the go-ahead touchdown to make it 28-21.
Miami had one last chance to rally, but linebacker Terrel Bernard read quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s eyes and intercepted a pass intended for Jaylen Waddle deep in Buffalo territory. The turnover sealed the Dolphins’ fate and iced Buffalo’s victory.
With the win, the Bills improved to 3-0 for the fourth time since 2017. They also extended their home dominance to 13 consecutive regular-season victories, the longest active home winning streak in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills now turns its focus to maintaining momentum as the AFC East battle heats up.
Dolphins Face Questions
For Miami, the loss drops them to 0-3, sparking more scrutiny of head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa struggled to move the offense consistently, finishing with just 161 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 27-of-39 passing. He did not eclipse 100 yards until his 26th attempt of the game and averaged a pedestrian 4.6 yards per completion.
While he engineered touchdown drives in the second and fourth quarters, his late-game interception and lack of explosive passing left doubts about his long-term status as Miami’s franchise quarterback.
McDaniel also finds himself under pressure. Despite the presence of elite speed at wide receiver, Miami’s offense has lacked the creativity and big-play ability that defined it in past seasons.
“The effort is there, but the results aren’t,” an NFL analyst noted postgame. “McDaniel’s seat is only going to get hotter if this continues.”
The Buffalo Bills will look to carry their unbeaten streak into Week 4 and solidify their standing atop the AFC East. The Dolphins, meanwhile, face a daunting climb out of an 0-3 start, with the pressure mounting on their quarterback, coach and offensive identity.