Bills vs. Dolphins Thursday Night Football score, result: Bills blow out Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa exits early with concussion
A rough night for the Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa only got tougher against the Buffalo Bills.
Down 31-10 in the second half, Tagovailoa picked up a first down on a fourth-and-4 scramble and took a hard shot to the head as the Bills' Damar Hamlin tackled him. He did not return to the game.
Tua takes a hard hit. He appears to be concussed. #BUFvsMIA pic.twitter.com/SwBpjQQaM1
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) September 13, 2024
It didn't get much better from the Dolphins from there in a 31-10 Bills win. They have now won 12 of their past 13 games the Dolphins, who are once again facing concerns both about Tagovailoa's durability and their track record against good teams under Mike McDaniel.
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Bills running back James Cook scored three first-half touchdowns to help Buffalo build a 24-10 halftime lead in an important early-season matchup. Both teams made the playoffs last season, and both were knocked out by the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs — Miami lost in Kansas City in one of the coldest games in NFL history in the wild-card round and Buffalo lost at home the following week.
Here's how it all went down at Yahoo Sports:
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FINAL: Bills 31, Dolphins 10
It was a great first half for James Cook. It was a terrible game for Tua Tagovailoa, and now we wait and see if he has to miss any more time. The long week should help there, but Miami still has plenty of questions to answer after this.
Amazon reports Tagovailoa is conscious and has full movement in his extremities. He's with his family in the locker room right now.
Dolphins come up short on 4th-and-2 for their fourth turnover on downs. 2:02 left. It's almost over.
Injury Update | Jeff Wilson Jr. has an oblique injury and is out.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 13, 2024
Down 21 with five minutes left in a game where they've already lost their QB, the Dolphins are still using De'Von Achane, who missed a month with a knee injury last season. He just notched a 16-yard catch.
Tyler Bass misses a 45-yard field goal to put Buffalo up 24. The Dolphins are actually out-gaining the Bills 292-235, but three interceptions and a 1-for-4 record on fourth downs have just been too much to overcome.
The Dolphins got the ball back and reached 4th-and-4 in their own territory, got called for a false start, then Skylar Thompson got stopped on a scramble. It remains all Bills with just under a quarter to go.
The hit that knocked Tua out of the game.
Tua committed to this run to pick up the first down and got carried away and didn’t know how to protect himself
Literally just ran right into Damar Hamlin who didn’t look like he was set to deliver a hard hit
Tua hit Damar more than Damar hit Tua pic.twitter.com/cS2aXEIE9H— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 13, 2024
Injury Update | Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out with a concussion.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 13, 2024
Dolphins fans streaming for the exits.#Bills D made the fourth-down stop (Miller sack). Even better for Bills, Dolphins used up nearly seven minutes of clock.
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) September 13, 2024
Dolphins go for it one 4th-and-goal and Thompson slips on the dropback, then takes a sack from Von Miller. We're about done here in every conceivable way.
Skylar Thompson takes over for the Dolphins, on the Bills' 7-yard line.
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) September 13, 2024
Tagovailoa is up and walking off the field without assistance, but with a slight limp.
Uh oh. Dolphins go for it on 4th-and-4 and Tagovailoa gets the first down on a scramble up the middle, but now he's down and clutching his helmet after running into, of all people, Damar Hamlin
.
Tua: 10 INTs in eight games vs. the Bills pic.twitter.com/o56Ehte726
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 13, 2024
Injury Update | Terron Armstead has a shoulder injury and is questionable to return.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 13, 2024
INTERCEPTION: Tua Tagovailoa gifts the Bills an awful pick-six, his third INT of the game
OH NO. That might be the worst pick of Tagovailoa's career, which is saying something. He gets pressured in his face and tries to throw it away, but gets just enough air under it for Ja'Marcus Ingram to get his second interception of the game ... and his first touchdown. It's 31-10 Bills and it looks like it's going to be a long week in Miami.
The @BuffaloBills THIRD interception goes for a PICK-SIX!#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lJLnCpwJH4— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024
Dolphins open the second half by getting a stop at midfield. Josh Allen was off-target on a deep third-down pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Miami will take over on its own 11.
Not great for the Bills. We'll see if it matters.
Injury Update: LB Terrel Bernard (pectoral) is now out for the game.
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 13, 2024
The Bills attempt the first kick return of the game, a 25-yarder, and no one is happier than Amazon's Al Michaels. Second half is underway.
FIELD GOAL: Jason Sanders makes chip shot for Dolphins with 4 seconds left
Tagovailoa throws it away and the Dolphins opt to kick a 34-yard field goal on 3rd-and-3. They'll go into the locker room down two touchdowns, with the Bills getting the ball back out of halftime.
The Miami crowd doesn't seem happy with the Dolphins' run-heavy playcalling in this two-minute drill, but the team still has all three timeouts. It should also have very little interest in giving the Bills the ball back with any time remaining, as Buffalo will get the ball to open the second half.
.@thegreat__4 flippin' in!
📺 #BUFvsMIA: @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/ONVTCiFJh8— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 13, 2024
James Cook's previous career high in rushing yards through two seasons: two. He has matched that in one half here.
The Dolphins can’t hang on the line of scrimmage with playoff-caliber opponents. It’s really that simple.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) September 13, 2024
TOUCHDOWN: James Cook gets his third TD on a 49-yarder
That was quick. Cook runs it up the middle and gets barely touched on his way to breaking the game open. That was some good blocking by Buffalo, and some perplexing decisions from the Miami defens
Ed Oliver gets to Tua for the sack on 4th down 😤#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sNnTIsDXaR— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024
Dolphins go for it on 4th-and-2 in their territory and Ed Oliver wrecks whatever plans they had. The Bills DL gets the sack and Buffalo will get the ball back on the Miami 48 and a chance to do more damage with 3:45 left in the first half.
TOUCHDOWN: James Cook gives the Bills a 10-point lead
Allen gets the Bills to the 1-yard line with a 33-yard pass to Ty Johnson, then Cook punches it in. This is going about how a Dolphins-Bills game usually goes.
James Cooks runs it in for his 2nd TD of the night!#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ujdHJXOAf3— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024
Big play there. Josh Allen threads the needle to Khalil Shakir for a 21-yard pass, then Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer, a former Bill, gets flagged for unnecessary roughness on a helmet-to-helmet hit. The Bills go from their own 14 to the 50 in one play.
A Terron Armstead holding penalty leaves the Dolphins with a 2nd-and-17, which results in a three-and-out. Bills get the ball at their own 15.
FIELD GOAL: Bills take the lead off Tagovailoa INT
The Dolphins kept the Bills out of the red zone, but Buffalo still takes the lead via a Tyler Bass 43-yarder.
TUA'S SECOND INT OF THE FIRST QUARTER 😲
(via @BuffaloBills)pic.twitter.com/H63dEzoFSv— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 13, 2024
INTERCEPTION: Tua Tagovailoa gets picked off again
Tua's first interception was some bad deflection luck. This one appeared to be all him, unless someone ran the route wrong. He air mails a pass to Robbie Chosen and Christian Benford gets the easy pick.
Dolphins follow up the touchdown with a three-and-out. They fair catch at their own 44 and will take over with good field position.
Buffalo LB Terrel Bernard went to the Bills' locker room.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) September 13, 2024
That was such a sick play, motioning out the fullback as a lead blocker on basically a delayed semi-screen, wow
— Ben Gretch (@YardsPerGretch) September 13, 2024
TOUCHDOWN: De'Von Achane makes it look easy to tie the game
With no Raheem Mostert, Achane is expected to get the vast majority of action at running back. He gets the Dolphins on the board with an easy catch-and-run in space. He's got 26 yards on six rushes so far too.
Tua. Achane. Tie game.#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/BspX8Yhq4A— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024
Huge swing there. Dolphins appeared to fumble at the goal line, but the play is blown dead on a false start after a Bills player picked up the ball. A potential turnover-saving penalty.
De'von Achane took every snap at running back until the Dolphins reached the red zone, then they brought in Jeff Wilson Jr. He catches a pass on his first snap.
4th down? Make that a touchdown.
Josh Allen finds James Cook for 6️⃣#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/gzIF5sAUaG— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024
TOUCHDOWN: James Cook gets the Bills on the board on fourth down
The Dolphins got a free rusher on Josh Allen, who finds Cook in the flat for a smooth fourth-down conversion and touchdown.
The Bills get stuffed on 3rd-and-2 and keep the offense on the field for 4th-and-3 on the Miami 17. Josh Allen calls timeout, so we'll see what decision they make here.
Tipped. PICKED. @BuffaloBills get an early turnover.#BUFvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ZLLJ3C6bnE— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2024
Bills CB Ja'Marcus Ingram picks off Tua Tagovailoa
It's Ingram's first career's interception. Dolphins received Grant Dubose wasn't ready for the past and had it bounce off his shoulder pad, with Ingram coming down with it
Dolphins go with fullback Alec Ingold on 3rd-and-short rather than Achane, who picked up six yards on the previous play.
Bills have won the coin toss and deferred. The Dolphins take the ball. Here we go.
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) September 13, 2024
THURSDAY NIGHT FINS 🐬⬆️ pic.twitter.com/9wTZiYBcEn
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 13, 2024