Bills prevail in close win against Dolphins

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- High expectations were enactment connected the Buffalo Bills coming into yet different divisional matchup.

But the Miami Dolphins gave the Bills their champion changeable and kept the double-digit favorites close.

With conscionable implicit 3 minutes remaining successful the crippled and the Bills holding a 28-21 lead, Miami was driving downfield, each the mode to the Bills' 21-yard line. Then, the Bills defence did what it does champion and came distant with an opportune takeaway.

Just similar helium jumped connected a fumble precocious successful the Week 1 triumph implicit the Baltimore Ravens, connected first-and-10, linebacker Terrel Bernard picked disconnected backmost Tua Tagovailoa connected walk intended for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The stadium erupted arsenic Bernard returned the interception 24 yards, mounting up the Bills discourtesy to adjacent retired the game, which it promptly did, ending the ensuing thrust with a 48-yard tract goal. The Bills bushed the Dolphins 31-21 and improved to 3-0.

The adjacent triumph marks the 25th consecutive crippled for the Bills without losing the turnover conflict (including playoffs), the longest streak successful NFL history

The Bills present person 11 consecutive part wins astatine location - the longest streak since the New England Patriots won 17 consecutive from 2009-14.

Here are the astir important things to cognize from Thursday nighttime for some teams:

Buffalo Bills (3-0)

What to marque of QB performance: Overall, Allen had a beardown day, not turning the shot implicit and orchestrating immoderate awesome drives -- successful summation to throwing 3 touchdown passes to get 200 connected his career.

The Dolphins, however, took distant the Bills quality to get the shot downfield. Allen did not implicit a walk thrown much than 10 yards downfield (0-1). This is the archetypal clip successful his vocation helium has failed to implicit 1 successful a crippled (min. 10 full walk attempts), and the deficiency of downfield passing onslaught handicapped the discourtesy astatine times.

Trend to watch: Third down defense. The Bills finished the archetypal 2 weeks of the play with the champion 3rd down defence successful the league (6-22, 27.3%). That perfectly evaporated vs. the Dolphins.

The Bills struggled to get disconnected the tract and Miami converting 10-15 3rd down opportunities, including a assortment of third-and-longs, and 1 4th down. It played a ample relation successful the Dolphins staying successful the game.

Turning point: The roughing the kicker punishment connected the Dolphins with 10:20 remaining successful the 4th quarter. Bills punter Cameron Johnston got acceptable to punt the shot connected what appeared to beryllium a 3rd consecutive thrust ending successful a punt for the Bills offense, but instead, helium was deed arsenic helium completed the footwear -- which really was a bully punt that landed astatine the Miami two-yard line.

Instead, a punishment was called that extended the Bills thrust and they took the accidental to enactment unneurotic a touchdown thrust that re-took the pb connected 15-yard walk from Allen to wide receiver Khalil Shakir.

Next game: vs. New Orleads Saints (1 p.m. EST, CBS)

Miami Dolphi...