Buffalo Bills Center Mitch Morse did not play in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills lost that heartbreaker of a game in a way reminiscent of the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Game last season. In this case, Josh Allen threw a 12-yard pass to Isaiah McKenzie, who, exhausted by the heat and unable to break a tackle, failed to get out of bounds to stop the clock.
The result? Players couldn’t get set. A referee couldn’t touch the ball. The game clock hit double zero before Josh Allen could spike the ball, stopping time and setting Tyler Bass up for a potential game-winning field goal.
Disappointing? Yes. However, I believe this isn’t why the Bills lost this early-season AFC East Matchup.
A Not-So-Expert Breakdown of What Went Wrong for Buffalo
Going into Sunday’s game, the Bills had some challenges they needed to overcome. First, their entire secondary was full of players, with three starts between them. With Tre White still on the PUP list and Dane Jackson sitting out with a neck injury, rookie Cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford were going to have their hands full containing veteran speedsters Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde were also out, leaving these rookies without an all-pro safety net.
However, the secondary did their job and shut down Hill and Waddle. Tyreek Hill was limited to two catches for 33 yards, while Waddle was held to four catches for 102 yards. Neither player was a threat.
The scorching Miami heat (no, not the basketball team), however, was. When the Bills started the game, they had five key players inactive due to injuries: Ed Oliver, Jordan Phillips, Jordan Poyer, Dane Jackson, and Mitch Morse. By the end of the game, 17 players had some injury.
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With many offensive weapons being worked on the sideline due to cramping and tackle Spencer Brown being removed from the game due to heat illness, the Bills’ high-powered offense was unexpectedly shorthanded. They needed to make the most of their scoring opportunities.
To the disappointment of long-suffering Bills fans, they did not. They were two for four in the red zone. Tyler Bass missed a 53-yard field goal after Sean McDermott decided not to go for it on 4th and four.
That brings us to the final two possessions. The Dolphins are now up four and have the ball on their 2-yard line after the Bills turn it over on downs, and the Bills have two timeouts. After a -1 yard run by Raheem Mostert, the Bills use the first of their remaining timeouts. Then, after a run for no gain by Tua, the Bills use their last remaining timeout. Now, facing a 3rd and 11 from their 1-yard line, the Dolphins called a pass play. Tua throws the ball incomplete, and the clock stops. A break for the Bills.
Dolphins Punter Thomas Morstead is now punting from his end zone with no wiggle room. It’s blocked (well, not so much blocked as kicked into his team member’s butt). A safety! The Bills are now down two. With the free kick, they still have one more chance. From their 23-yard line, they only need a field goal to win.
Unfortunately, they never got a chance. Don’t worry, fellow Buffalo fans; I will not make you live through it again, especially since I discussed it above. However, it does leave me wondering what would have happened if the punt hadn’t been unintentionally blocked. The Bills likely would’ve gotten the ball around midfield and needed a touchdown.
But I can’t change the outcome.
The Biggest Flaw: The Center-Quarterback Exchange
I admit it: several things went wrong for Buffalo. I didn’t even mention all of them. However, I think the biggest reason the Bills lost was that Center Mitch Morse did not play. The Center-Quarterback exchange is arguably one of the most essential parts of football. In a game that can come down to millimeters and inches, the snap needs to be flawless.
With Mitch Morse out with an elbow injury, Greg Van Roten was called upon to snap the ball to Josh Allen. The lack of chemistry between the two was evident all game. Snaps were high; snaps were low and late. Allen had to jump up for the ball or mishandled the snap too many times, which allowed the Dolphins’ pass rushers to force mistimed throws.
For me, the game came down to one play: the weird play at the end of the first half. The Bills were driving downfield and were in field goal range. It looked like Josh Allen was going to spike the ball, stop the clock, and give Bass a chance to kick a field goal that would’ve put them up 17-14. However, he mishandled the snap. Instead of spiking the ball, he threw it to Stefon Diggs. Diggs couldn’t get out of bounds or get free to the endzone (an eerie similarity to how the game ended).
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By all accounts, the Super Bowl Favorite Bills should have beaten the Dolphins. Josh Allen’s squad put up 497 yards compared to Miami’s 212. In addition, the offense compiled 31 first downs. So, on paper, this game shouldn’t have even been close. But, in reality, the Bills lost by two points. Two points that seem like a million when there are sky-high expectations.
In his post-game press conference, Sean McDermott said it best: “It came down to the margins, and we didn’t do enough.”
They didn’t do enough. But without their starting center, they really never had a chance.