Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills: Full Report Card Grades for Buffalo
For the first time since 2011, the Buffalo Bills are 2-0 to start the season after a 29-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins. This win capped off a great week for the fans of Buffalo, with the news that Terry and Kim Pegula agreed to purchase the Buffalo Bills and are committed to keeping them in Western New York.
This game was an emotional one for players and fans alike as the team honored the late Ralph Wilson Jr. prior to the game. This emotion carried over to the game, as the Bills never trailed the Dolphins, jumping out to a 9-0 lead by halftime. There was only one point in the second half that the Dolphins were able to cut the lead to one possession.
That would be as close as they were going to get, as the Bills scored the final 13 points of the game thanks in large part to a total team effort. The Bills offense, led by quarterback EJ Manuel, was able to gain over 300 yards of offense, including a 12-yard touchdown pass from Manuel to Sammy Watkins.
The Bills defense kept the Dolphins offense in check for a majority of the game greatly due to a steady pass rush in the first half. The Bills sacked Ryan Tannehill four times and had 10 quarterback hits. The second half the Dolphins relied heavily on short passes and screens that allowed them to move the ball more effectively and kept them within striking distance through the third quarter.
The special teams played a huge role in the Bills win today, thanks in part to a 102-yard kickoff return by C.J. Spiller in the third quarter and Dan Carpenter connecting on five of six field-goal attempts.
The following slides will give grades for each positional unit on its performance today and a final overall grade on the Bills' win over the Dolphins.
Quarterback
1 of 10
There is a lot to like from EJ Manuel over these first two weeks, especially from this game against Miami. The run game was stifled for a majority of the matchup, and it fell on Manuel's shoulders to move the ball. The second-year quarterback finished the day 16-of-26 for 202 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers.
There was a certain poise from Manuel today that wasn't there a season ago. He looks very comfortable in this offense and with the weapons around him. This may be largely due to Sammy Watkins, who was targeted 11 times Sunday, seven more times than the second-leading receiver.
More importantly than the positives, Manuel did not have any negative plays. He did not turn the ball over once and did not take a single sack. The offensive line deserves some of the credit for this, but Manuel looked very decisive in his throws and knew almost immediately where he was going with the ball.
If Manuel is able to continue this type of performance, with the supporting cast he has around him, the Bills should stay competitive all season.
Grade: B+
Running Backs
2 of 10
For the second week in a row, the Bills running backs were able to run for over 100 yards. This week C.J. Spiller did most of the work, picking up 69 yards on the ground, the majority of which came on a 47-yard run in the third quarter.
That was the highlight of the running game, though, as the backs were kept in check for a majority of the game. The other two running backs, Fred Jackson and Anthony Dixon, combined for 27 yards on 14 carries, and the Bills as a team averaged only 3.4 yards per carry.
The running game wasn't nearly as explosive as it was against the Chicago Bears, with this week only two carries going more than 10 yards, but it got the job done.
Grade: B
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
3 of 10
The wide receiver group was a one-man show with Sammy Watkins having his breakout game against Miami. He finished the day with eight receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets.
Watkins finished the day with the same number of receptions and more receiving yards than the other seven Bills players who contributed in the passing game. This was truly a gutsy performance by Watkins, who was clearly in pain after almost every reception. It seemed like he was regularly going to the sidelines to be checked out by team trainers but would be back on the field shortly after.
This is a talented group of wide receivers that certainly makes Manuel's job much easier in the pocket. More importantly than that, these receivers are reliable and have not dropped many catchable passes to this point.
Grade: A-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Bills offensive line was a work in progress for most of training camp and the preseason. The starting five did not get to play a single snap together until last week against the Bears. It did not take them long to jell and put together a stellar performance.
The MVP of this group was right tackle Seantrel Henderson, who was given the assignment of shutting down one of the premier pass-rushers in the game today, Cameron Wake. Well, the rookie passed with flying colors and was able to keep Wake away from Manuel for all four quarters, not even allowing a QB hit.
If this starting five is able to play this well after only the second game, the future looks very bright for this group, as it should only improve as it continues to play together.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Bills defensive line did a great job in the first half of controlling the Dolphins offense by giving Ryan Tannehill almost no time in the pocket.
The duo of Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus was able to provide constant pressure up the middle, which kept Tannehill off balance and not able to set his feet. This group finished with four sacks, one from each of the following: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Jerry Hughes and Stefan Charles.
The second half was a little bit tougher, as the Dolphins changed their offensive game plan. They made sure to call plays that got the ball out of Tannehill's hands more quickly, utilizing slants, crossing routes and screens. This didn't allow the defensive line to get to Tannehill, but all in all it still was able to control the line of scrimmage and won this battle.
Grade: A-
Linebackers
6 of 10
The Bills linebackers saw the return of Nigel Bradham from his one-game suspension but were without Keith Rivers, who missed the game due to a groin injury. Once again, rookie Preston Brown got the nod and put out another quality performance.
He led the Bills defense with 13 total tackles, including one tackle for a loss, while Bradham chipped in seven total tackles and one pass defense. One player who seemed missing for most of the game was Brandon Spikes, who finished the day with only one tackle.
When the Dolphins lost Knowshon Moreno in the first quarter, their game plan changed, as they were forced to go to the air much more. This forced the Bills to change their defensive scheme to stop the pass, which kept Spikes on the sidelines. This was not the best performance by this group, but it certainly wasn't the worst.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
The Bills secondary has shown a lot of promise in the early part of 2014, led by the play of Corey Graham. The former Baltimore Raven finished the day with 10 tackles and three passes defended and actually got the start over Leodis McKelvin at the start of the second half, as tweeted by WGR 550's Joe Buscaliga.
This wasn't necessarily a knock on McKelvin, who had an interception at the end of the game, but rather a credit to how well Graham has played. The big play for Graham came on the Dolphins' opening drive in the second half when he was able to break up a pass in the end zone. The Dolphins were driving but had to end up settling for a field goal two plays later.
Da'Norris Searcy also had one of his better games, finishing with five tackles, but no play may have been bigger than when the Dolphins went for it on 4th-and-4. Searcy read the play perfectly, shooting into the backfield and stopping Tannehill behind the line of scrimmage.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Bills' special teams unit has improved tremendously from a season ago over these first two weeks. The only constant from last year has been kicker Dan Carpenter, who has been as steady as ever. He finished the day connecting on five of six field-goal attempts, with his only miss bouncing off the upright.
The biggest area of improvement has been the punting with the addition of Colton Schmidt. The former 49ers" target="_blank">San Francisco 49er played a major role in the field-position battle, one the Bills ended up winning. Schmidt averaged 33.5 yards per punt and pinned three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.
When head coach Doug Marrone announced that C.J. Spiller would be returning kicks for the Bills, there was some concern about using the team's best running back to return kicks. It seemed to be an unnecessary risk to put Spiller in a position that could increase his chances of being injured.
While that possibility still remains, the move paid off for the Bills on Sunday. After the Dolphins moved the ball down the field to start the second half and cut the lead to 9-3, Spiller answered back with a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which effectively sealed the win for Buffalo.
Grade: A+
Coaching
9 of 10
For the second week in a row, the Bills coaching staff put its players in a position to succeed, and the team was able to grab another win. The game plan from a week ago didn't change much, as it is one centered around playing good defense and relying on the run.
The one area the coaching staff does need to improve, though, is the play-calling in the red zone. The Bills offense finished the day one of six in red-zone chances due in part to a lack of creativity in play-calling. There were too many drives that would stall in the red zone after two straight runs were called and a pass play on third down.
The lack of success in the red zone didn't hurt Buffalo today, but it could become an issue down the road.
Grade: C+
Final Grade
10 of 10
| Position | Grade |
| Quarterback | B+ |
| Running Back | B |
| Wide Receiver and Tight End | A- |
| Offensive Line | A |
| Defensive Line | A- |
| Linebackers | B- |
| Secondary | B+ |
| Special Teams | A+ |
| Coaching | C+ |
| Final Grade | A- |
The Buffalo Bills for the second week in a row did exactly what they had to do to get the win. It may not have been pretty, and this had the makings of a blowout if the Bills would have been able to convert some more of those red-zone opportunities.
However, that is the only negative from this win, and the coaching staff should be happy with the direction this team is going. Divisional wins are very important, especially in the playoff race, and if the Bills hope to be a contender these are the type of wins they need.
The Bills will be back at Ralph Wilson Stadium for a game against the San Diego Chargers next Sunday before they head out for two games on the road. A win over the Chargers, a playoff team from a season ago, would be a great confidence boost for this team.
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