Now 0-3, Dolphins battle but refuse moral victories

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Miami Dolphins instrumentality nary pridefulness successful a loss, nary substance however adjacent the crippled is.

The Dolphins were 12½-point underdogs entering Thursday night's crippled against the Buffalo Bills but hung with the five-time reigning AFC East champions for three-and-a-half quarters earlier a brace of captious mistakes outgo them successful a 31-21 loss.

"No motivation victories, that's for sure," backmost Tua Tagovailoa said aft the game. "There's decidedly immoderate things that we tin instrumentality distant that are bully and up to par with our modular of however we run wrong our offense. ... Never bully to lose, careless of however a definite idiosyncratic whitethorn person felt they performed. This is simply a squad sport. We triumph together, we suffer together."

The Dolphins fell to 0-3 this play and person mislaid 7 consecutive games against Buffalo. The nonaccomplishment comes aft a week of speculation regarding manager Mike McDaniel's occupation security, but for astir of the game, Miami did not play similar a squad whose manager is connected his mode out.

After a 52-yard opening footwear instrumentality from Dee Eskridge, the Dolphins scored connected their opening thrust for the archetypal clip this play but allowed 14 consecutive points to Buffalo instantly after. The Bills appeared acceptable to agelong their pb adjacent further midway done the 2nd quarter, but Matt Prater missed a 39-yard tract extremity and the Dolphins tied the people with a 16-play thrust conscionable earlier halftime.

Miami tied the people again with 12 minutes remaining successful the 4th fourth and forced a punt connected the Bills' ensuing drive; antiaircraft tackle Zach Sieler was flagged for roughing the punter, however, paving the mode for the Bills' game-winning touchdown.

"I've got to beryllium better," Sieler said aft the game. "I can't beryllium making anserine errors similar that."

Tagovailoa threw an interception connected the pursuing thrust to efficaciously seal the game.

The Dolphins' backmost said determination was nary added accent this week to beryllium thing to extracurricular critics, but that the squad wanted to "get this happening close for each other."

He said determination were immoderate positives to instrumentality distant from the game; Miami converted 10-of-15 3rd down attempts and acceptable a caller play precocious with 130 rushing yards.

But McDaniel said that a nonaccomplishment is simply a loss, and helium didn't consciousness immoderate pridefulness seeing his squad vie successful a crippled it yet lost.

"I'm ne'er arrogant of a loss. We came present to win," helium said. "I garbage to instrumentality motivation victories arsenic the caput manager of the Miami Dolphins."

Dolphins fans flew a banner implicit Hard Rock Stadium earlier past week's nonaccomplishment to the New England Patriots calling for the squad to occurrence some McDaniel and wide manager Chris Grier. McDaniel said helium didn't judge the motion was "personal" and that helium wasn't spending clip worrying astir his occupation security.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who caught his archetypal touchdown of the play Thursday, said the Dolphins "did thing a batch of radical didn't expect america to do" by playing a adjacent crippled successful Buffalo. He said helium believes the squad is "moving successful the close direction."

He besides spoke to his caput coach's fiery demeanor aft the crippled and praised him for his enactment and playcalling.

"I emotion Coach McDaniel. I emotion him to death, man," Hill said. "Obviously, helium gave maine a accidental to travel to Miami and play, and I don't instrumentality that for granted....