Drive Time - Dolphins Bills Week 2 Recap

going back two years now three years. Actually, Miami moves to Owen too. After another monster game from Josh Allen and the compliment of Buffalo's receivers. We're gonna recap the game with the individual performances for your Miami Dolphins, my five takeaways, and we're gonna hear from Dolphins multimedia host the co host of the Audible podcast, John Kim, Jemmy He and I had a chance to watch the game side by side. Just from good notes there from the two of us, all of that more on this Sunday,

September the twentieth edition of the Drive Time Podcasts. Just go ahead and kick it off with the stats from the game first, as we do on these Sunday recap pods, and when you looked at the statboard after the first half, things were tilted pretty heavily towards the Buffalo Bills. But the Dolphins came out and really responded in that second half, especially after that lightning delay, when they got things going with Ryan Fitzpatrick in the passing game and the offense

spread the football around to several different targets. The Dolphins had four hundred and eight yards to Buffaloes five thirty one. Miami rushed the ball for ninety nine to Buffaloes one eleven. The passing went for twenty three oh nine in favor of Buffalo. Dolphins converted five of thirteen third and fourth down conversions where Buffalo was five of ten. No turnovers in the game for the Dolphins, they of course had the one on the fumble that Noah Ignogay picked up.

Miami had one sack compared to Buffaloes three. The Dolphins commit just three penalties for twenty yards in the game compared to Buffalo six for fifty five, and the Dolphin is out possessed Buffalo but thirty one minutes and five seconds compared to twenty eight minutes and fifty five seconds. But the first part of this game we really want to talk about is the first takeaway for me, and that's Byron Jones exiting after the very first series of

the game. He was covering one of those buffalo crossing routes they ran them all game long. He trailed it behind it and something happened where he came up limping, went to the sideline, went over with the trainers, and wound up walking off into the locker room. Was questionable to return, and we would find out later in the

day that he would not return to that game. You're gonna hear John Conjemmy and I talk about this on the other side of the podcast here, and really the Dolphins ability to match up with that deep receiving crew. We talked about it all week long here on Drive Time. And they have John Brown, who's one of the fastest receivers in the National Football Leagues Stefon Dix. He had the most vertical receiving yards last year on balls of

twenty yards or more down the football field. How would Miami match up their strong press cover corners that can

play man, that can play zone with those impressive receivers. Well, we heard Exaviing Howard talking about the game plan post game and how it was the plan to have Byron Jones on Diggs and then also some no agnology there, and you look at how they match up athletically with Stefon Diggs, who is very sudden, very quick in and out of breaks, and he can certainly make guys miss in a very short area of space and also get vertical.

So those matchups made sense, Exaving Howard on the more smallest John Brown trying to overmatch him with the physicality. They talked about that a little bit post game, and immediately after Byron Jones goes out, they get the three and out. But then the Bills just start to go to work on those long developing crossing routes, the over routes where you try to get a guy in close to the formation that you then run him upfield and attack that inside leverage and just cross all the way

over the other side of the field. In fact, I don't yet have the audio available for this yet, but we did have a quote from Bobby McCain, Dolphins safety after the game talking about how difficult it can be on cornerbacks when you're dealing with those deep crossing routes. He said this quote, it's tough on dbs. It's tough on corners for sure, trying to play, trying to keep

that leverage. All crossers do that overs and crossers. So crossers can typically be the drag route short or the deep crosser where you kind of attack the safety and go deeper down the field. Buffalo ran that plenty of times, he said. All crossers, overs and crossers, they just beat your leverage and they just run away from your leverage. We made some corrections and we will look. You live and you learn. You play and you learn. That's what we have to do quickly. We've got to get this

thing turned around quickly. So he talks about the Bill's ability to use that speed to run away from the Dolphins man coverage. They're up in those press looks, and we talked about it all off season long with Byron Jones. That his athletic profile. It's one of many traits of Byron Jones that stands out in that toolbox, that bag of tricks that he has the world record long jump or broad jump and the ability to run and turn

and work in short spaces. Dolphins could have used his play on the field today, but of course he leaves the game. Next man up mentality, the Dolphins had to go ahead and respond with some more cornerbacks in that game. You know what, A monogamy was up next for the challenge,

and he too. We didn't have the audio here for his postgame press con friends, but he talked about how much he learned, not just about the Bills receivers, but about himself today his second game of his professional career, and remember he is the youngest player in the entire national football Let's go ahead and hear from coach Flora's on the Buffalo receivers and the Dolphins struggles covering those guys for the course of the sixty minutes. Yeah, we

struggled to cover him. Uh, they got good receivers um, you know we we struggled to cover them. You know, they got open um. You know they had time to have time to throw it. You get pressure on the quarterback. So I don't want to put it all on the coverage guys. I mean it's it's it's a team game. So but it starts with me and we gotta do a better job of um, you know, putting them in positions to to to cover the matters. So um, you

know we struggled there for sure. So Byron Jones going out, the first takeaway he is a big part of this defense. The second takeaway is the two young players I think are really showing their merit in this game. And we're gonna talk more later on about this and some more young players that John Conjemmy noticed, but I point out obviously Mike Gasicky And this was a game going into

we talked about it on the preview podcast. How if those linebackers Tremaine Edmonds and Matt Mulano, two really really good players, if they're gonna be down, that might be an opportunity to get tight ends and running backs involved in the passing game. And well, you know what, Mike Kaski goes off for eight catches a hundred and twenty seven yards, He caught a touchdown in the game, and really anyway you splice that, he was finding a way

to get his hands on the football. We talked about the contested catchability of guys like him and Preston Williams and DeVante Parker, and last week Gasicki had a big time contested catch on the Dolphin's touchdown drive where he really caught the thing with his hand stretched all the way out with the body using a kind of backboard blockout situation on the defensive back and he catches that

thing away from his body with big, strong hands. That was his first catch of the game in this week to game against Buffalo, and then he comes back and just starts creating separation, getting vertical, going up over guys and making plays after the catch. A big time game for the Dolphins third year tight end, who's really showing his worth at that tight end position. And let's go ahead and hear from Mike's quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on the emergence of the Dolphins tight end and Mike A sicky.

I think a lot of it for him has been confidence. Has been going out there um and working hard in practice and seeing results in the games. And I think everybody, I think all you guys saw that, you know, the half of the last half of last year with how much better and more confident he was playing UM. But this year he's taken another step. And you know, he came out of the that first game and I thought, you know, to get him some more targets and every

every week is different, every matchup. He was a man is its own and he does a good job of finding the spots and working hard and practice to figure those things out. So his his confidence continues to rise, and I think we'll just tait to see him get better. So there's Fitzpatrick on his young tight end. The other player on this list for me here is another young player on the defensive line. Christian Wilkins. I thought had

another big game on the inside playing the run. He does so well to keep his eyes up and on the backfield on the running back of the quarterback to kind of key and read that way because he's able to hold the point because of pure power, whether he's locking somebody out with a straight arm or using the power on the lower half in that base to keep guys at bay. And he reads his way to the football and makes plays that way. So I was very

impressed with both those guys. Miles Gaston again, I'll let John con Jemmy talk about him and his final takeaways at the end of the episode. My takeaway number three was the inability to corral Josh Allen was just a killer because there was pressure on so many of these plays where he's able to extend and make plays Beyond the last two touchdowns. They had him dead to rights, it seemed, and he just shook free and made plays

and threw the ball down the field. The big legs, the big arm, he can really push the football vertically and if you can't get him down on that initial surge, that initial rush. We've seen this for three years now with this guy, whether it was Cam Wake and Robert Quinn or now with Kyle van Noy, Emmanuel Ogba and Shack Lawson. If you don't get him to the ground, he can then extend plays and beyond that, that's where

he's the most dangerous. I think we saw that in this game as Alan goes up over four hundred yards for four touchdowns on the Dolphins defense. The fourth takeaway was the dolphins inability to capitalize on some of the critical moments in this game. And before I talk about them, let's go ahead and hear from coach Brian Flores on how the Dolphins did not take advantage of their opportunities

enough to win the game. Win the game. We had a chance there in the fourth quarter, you know, we made a couple of plays, I took a lead, but you know, just offensively, defensively, we just couldn't. We couldn't finish the game. So you know, you gotta finish in this league. If you want to win the game, you finish the game off. So I think we played well in the third quarter, but nothing's more important to finishing the fourth quarter. We didn't do a good enough job there.

We had opportunities, we didn't take advantage, and thankfully we had a quick turnaround. We'll be out there Thursday night to so get back to it and try to play better. And on that same note, let's go ahead and hear from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on those same mistakes in the

critical areas. I mean we played, we played better, but you know in the key situations, you know, not being able to punch it in and especially on that fourth and one, um, you know, for a coach to have faith in us to leave us out there, we've got to convert on that. But there's plenty of stuff early where we just we stalled a little bit. We weren't

converting third downs. So we got into a better rhythm in the second half, and I think some of that was some of the adjustments that we made, and some of it is just comfort level with the guys that we're playing with right now. But I think we've got to continue to find ways to run the football and rely on the backs because there'll be a big part of this offense as we get going. And uh, you know, we just showing up in those critical moments and we

missed out on a few of them today. And you're gonna hear John con Jemmy talk about this later on on this podcast about how buffal a team that you know, many folks predicted would win the a f C East, a very talented team from top to bottom. We covered on the preview podcast all summer long as well on the No the Enemy series. These guys have a good defense, they have good receivers, they've got good backs, and obviously

their quarterback is getting the job done as well. And for the Dolphins to be in position where three or four plays can go your way to get the W that speaks of the Dolphins growth as well. So you look at a few of those plays the Golden Ghost series that Ryan Fitzpatrick talked about, at four plays from into the five yard line, you'd love to capitalize on that. Van Noy got his hands on an interception. Xaviing Howard

got his hands on a possible interception. Eric Rowe was right there neck and neck with Stefon Diggs on a big reception that could have been an interception as well. You also have DeVante Parker comes back and puts a block on I think it was Jordan Poyer that got flagged for an illegal block in the back. It was real close on that one, but Myles Gascon had bent around the edge there and got in the edge and put the Dolphins in position for a first and goal

inside the five yard line. They would later settle for a field goal at the inclusion of that drive. So some critical areas Dolphins could have just made a few plays and just really tight rope situations that could have turned this game the other direction and maybe even into a w The fifth takeaway from me in this game was Ryan Fitzpatrick's ability to continuously navigate when he gets pressure or gets compromise pockets or has to extend and make plays off script, off structure. We saw all year

last year. This guy continues to make plays with his legs, with his arms, with his eyes moving the defense making plays, and I just really love the way he contended to battle in this game after you heard him talk about it. Not his best performance in Week one, but he bounces back, he battles, plays well, throws for over three couple of touchdowns in the game for Fitzpatrick, got the offense moving, had some long drives in that second half as well, and the play at the end of the first half,

I thought that was just exceptional. I thought that set a tone for the rest of the Dolphins game offensively, and they pretty much are ready to go into the locker room with twenty five seconds or twenty nine seconds rather at their own twenty five yard line, one time out left. The first down play goes in complete Miles Gaskin, who by the way his balance and and low center of gravity has been fun to watch, the way he bounces off tackles, but he rips off a fourteen yard run.

Dolphins hurry up, call time out. They get to the line and then Ryan Fitzpatrick has one play to make, and he makes that play where pressure gets in the pocket breaks down, he steps up and throws the football with an awkward arm angle with pressure in his face and Mike Gasicky has not yet cleared the defender. As he's crossing in behind the defender. Fitzpatrick throws it early, anticipates it, throws it out to a spot Gasicki runs under.

It's twenty seven yards. It puts the Dolphins in position to spike the ball, kill the clock, get Jason Sanders up there for a fifty two yard field goal attempt, and of course he drills that thing. So Ryan Fitzpatrick's moxie. He is who we think he is. We love watching this guy play, love watching this guy compete, and he brought it in this game again, just not for a couple of plays of Dolphins could have executed, could have gotten out of here with a w with a strong

performance from their quarterbacks. The five takeaways Byron Jones very important to that secondary couple of young players, and Christian Wilkins and Mike Kasiki stepping a big here early on in their careers. Getting Josh Allen to the ground would be a key. Next time we see these guys up in Buffalo. Capitalizing on those critical moments, and Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to play well for this Dolphins football team. Let's do a few individual notes here. We haven't touched on

just yet. And we talked about Miles Gaskins seven rushes for forty six yards that's six point six yards per carry, had a fourteen yard rip, had the one run brought back as well. He also caught six passes for thirty six yards, so he is showing his worth both in the passing game and the running game. Matt Brina had seven for thirty seven that's five point three yards per rush as well. I thought he showed that speed and explosiveness. A couple of good looking performances there from the Dolphins

running backs. At receiver Isaiah Ford caught seven passes for seventy six yards. And the trust, the relationship, the toughness there with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Runs a lot of those hook up routes you run between the linebacker and the nickel backer, linebacker and a safety. You hook up, you set up, the quarterback puts the ball right on the numbers, Fords

their catches, it turns up field. The one catch he had where he was short of the sticks and had to fight through a tackle and extend over and lunge over the first down marker. That was one of my favorite plays of the entire day. Big day for Isaiah Ford. Tough dude working down there on that Dolphins offense. Davante Parker caught five for fifty three and a touchdown. So good to see him back and healthy off that hamstring as well. So some big performances there in the Dolphins

passing game tight end. We talked about Mike Asiki obviously up front on the offensive line. You're gonna hear John kN Jemmy mentioned this here in just a short while. Didn't really hear Austin Jackson's name. Didn't really hear Solomon Kindley's name. The two rookies. That's always a good sign. Along the offensive line. We talked about Christian Wilkins upfront. Davon got Chaw had himself some run stops in this game.

You see big fifty six peeling off the pile when they stacked that thing up at the line in the backfield or just a couple of yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Consistently involved in the running game that way, and hopefully these guys can continue to build on these performances and put together back to back and consistent performances here going forward. And so you've heard my takes, my breakdowns here on the Drive Time podcast. Let's go ahead now and welcome in the co host of the audible

podcast here on the Miami Dolphins podcast network, John con Jemmy. John. How you doing tonight, Man, Oh, I'm doing great. Man. Disappointing about the loss, but I thought I thought the team fought back for four quarters and just came up a little bit short. Yeah, when you took off to go do TV and your post game stuff at the end of the third quarter there it looked like we were marching maybe had a chance to talk about a win.

I was kind of struggling back and forth with my written article up on Miami Dolphins dot com because I didn't know how to how to word the thing because it started off so poorly. Then it got better than it kind of went back and forth, and we eventually end up with a thirty one Buffalo Bills victory over the Miami Dolphins, falling to oh and two. You can find my postgame recap article up on the website, as well as John's three takeaways from the game, and we'll

go ahead and get right into that there. John, your first takeaway from this game, Week two Dolphins and Bills was what well. I think it was in the Miami Dolphins defense just allowing too many explosive plays. I've thought they did the same thing in Week one against New England, but it was more evident through the passing game and through the right arm of Josh Allen. Just too many explosive plays. I counted quickly going through my notes, eighteen

plays of of ten yards or more. And that was being generous because I'm sure there was probably fourteen or fifteen of of fifteen yards or more. So I think that that was the biggest thing today that really hurt us. In the passing game. It wasn't the ten yard or the nine yard or the eight yard run, the screen pass. It was the It was the shots down field in the run after catch opportunities by the Buffalo Bills. I don't think the Dolphins came up with much consistent edge

pressure around Josh Allen. I thought there was way too much space in the secondary for those receivers to rome and for Allan to be more accurate. I don't think the Dolphins really forced him uh to throw the football with a lot of accuracy. There were a few throws that were terrific, but all in all it was it was a pitch and catch afternoon for Alan. So I think that was the biggest thing for me. No, not enough from maybe Agba or Lawson or Van Noyd or

somebody just to kind of turn the tide. And maybe that that interception, uh looked like it would be interception down by the goal line when the Dolphins had a chance to to get in for points, and then Van Noyd got his hands on the football. That might have been a turning point, but the Dolphins ended up scoring anyway on on the next drive. So um, I just thought there was too many explosive plays. I know, for for Brian Flores is liking and for most Dolphins fings.

I was talking to a buddy of mine that hosts a Buffalo Bill's podcast afterward on Twitter, and he was talking about, you know, Josh Allen had these nice throws down the field, and I told him this is kind of what you expect with Josh Allen because he has

the explosive legs and arm. He can beat you in both facets of the game, but he will have his misses and he will put the ball in harm's way at time, and you mentioned it right there with a couple of the near interceptions that just did not get squeezed. So you had a couple of those chances. Flores talked about it, Fitzpatrick talked about it, some of those critical plays that just did not go the Dolphins way. That's how the NFL works, right, John, four or five plays.

You've got to make those plays with what you're gonna lose. Yeah, I I totally agree with you. And normally, you know, coaches always do say that it's four or five plays. But there were a number of opportunities were for the game to swing, and I thought the Dolphins made, you know, a couple of them. They just didn't make as many as Buffalo today. That's exactly right, and so we do wind up three points down on the scoreboard there. John. Let's go ahead and get into your second takeaway from

this game. The week two game Dolphins and Bills. I thought the team showed a lot of grit, to be honest with you, I thought this was a young team that that played with a lot of heart. And you just look at some of the numbers, uh, you know, not counting um the old guy throwing the football, But look at Mike Kisiki and the way he played today with eight for one thirty. Uh. Devonte Parker came up

some big catches. I think Myles gasking again when when his number was called, he was uh coming through for the Miami Dolphins, not only running the football with six for thirty six, but catching the football out of the backfield with the checkdowns and in the screen game. I think the screen game can improve. I don't think it

was in sync today, to be honest with you. I thought the relationship between the distance of where the quarterback was throwing the football and where the running back was catching it, and or where Bowden caught caught his screen on the edge. I just thought that wasn't didn't mesh properly. And I think that'll get better. But Isaiah Ford another young player that came through and you know, didn't have to mention Austin Jackson or Solomon Kinley's name too many

times today, which is another good sign. Another uh, you know, positive step in there and their progression as a young player. And I also want to throw in, you know, Jason Sanders and Matt Hawk unbelievable job not only today but over the last two weeks. I thought Hawk did a great job in pinning the Buffalo Bills. I mean there was a lot of drives the Buffalo Bills to make. Uh, you know, a D plus eighty five plus. Uh. If the defense had some answers today, I think it might

have been a different outcome. Three points inside the twenty yard line, one at the minus six. I thought Sanders, you know, I had had a big kick before halftime, a fifty two yarder. Nails of forty five yarders, three for three on the season on the young season. So uh, I just thought the team showed a lot of grit on on both sides. You miss an opportunity down by the goal line, the defense gives you the three and out, and then the offense response with with the next drive

and points. So I thought there was a lot of good things. It just wasn't good enough to beat a team that's expected to win the AFC East. And I want to go ahead and add to your special Team's comments there, because it is easy to forget about that third phase of the game with Jason Sanders, who for my money, John, I don't think he missed in training camp this this summer. And Matt Hawkers stating balls into

the ten yard line all day at practice too. But also the coverage units too because mac Hollands and Cavan Fraser and those guys were getting down there and get that thing covered up and did a really good job of fortune those guys to kind of angle sideways or bubble and work backwards. So just good special teams all around there for the Miami Dolphins. And your third and final takeaway from this game, John, I just think that,

you know, the injury to Byron Jones proved costly. Um, not that Noah Igmnogeny is gonna, you know, not come through for the Miami Dolphins. He's not gonna get his opportunities. I just thought that maybe the light shining today was a little bit bright, because when you're facing Digs and Beasley and Brown, that's not an easy task for a guy to come off the bench who's maybe penciled into play eighteen to twenty snaps and and play the entire

game chasing those guys around. So I just after the first series when Byron Jones uh went in, you know, as we were watching the game, went into the locker room and did not return. I thought it was going to be an opportunity for Noah to come through, but it was gonna be a tough assignment and it did prove costly that Jones was out of the game kind of through this secondary uh not not into a confusion, but it did ask more from guys that weren't going

into the game with that mentality. And I think that buff Buffalo just had too many answers in the passing game, uh, for a lot of guys. And it wasn't just one guy. It wasn't just Noah. It's been agony. You know. Everybody had their moments where they were chasing down a Buffalo Bills wide receiver, either chasing him down or watch him catch a pass for a touchdown. So I think it was a shared environment in the background with that that injury really led to a chain reaction that the Buffalo

Bills took advantage of. This kind of feels like the the game that you signed Buyer and Jones for, right because you talk about the depth at the receiver position there for the Buffalo Bills, and you've got xaviing Howard who's so big and physical and strong, it can really lock down a receiver like a John Brown, for instance, who you can press and get disruption at the last scrimmage and really kind of disrupt that speed receiver that

he is. And then you have the ultra athletic kind of does a little bit of everything, and Byron Jones to go out and help with us to fawn digs and he you know, he goes out the first series and you have to kind of scramble from there. So with you all the way, John, we have a short week, a quick turnaround here at Jacksonville Jaguars up in just four days. What's your first look on that game? Well, I think it's gonna be a little bit of the same.

They've got a hot quarterback that again through for over three hundred yards and and was only three point shy of of you know, getting a game into overtime and winning a game again at home, and it's gonna be

a quick turnaround. Obviously, you have to try to slow down the passing game of Gardner midjew and the and the Jaguars, and I would it wouldn't hurt for the defense to get their hands on the football, try to get a couple of takeaways, get some pressure on the pocket, and be able to force the turnovers that are going to lead the Miami Dolphin offense to better field position. And I think the Dolphins, after watching them for two weeks on offense, they have to start with the past

to open up the run. I don't think it's going to be run. And then asaid, it looked like they were better um at attacking the Buffalo Bills defensively on defense with their quick slants, with their screen game, with with their passing game, and then it opened up the running of a Miles gascon or or Breta. You know. I think that's the way they're gonna play, hopefully on Thursday night against the Jaguars. Yeah. I think it was

the first play after the lightning break. They came out twelve personnel balanced, one tight end either side of the formation. You run that play action, suck the linebackers up, and then you wind up with Davonte Parker in behind those linebackers and fits and Parker made so much magic on that throw last year. Kind of finds a way to loosen that defense up, like you mentioned, so with you all the way, John, it sounds like they made some good adjustments in the second half of that game. Hopefully

that carries over into weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is John Conjemmi of the Audible podcast. John really appreciate it time tonight, Man, you got it, Travis, take care. But and so there he goes John Congemmi of the

Audible Podcast. We'll talk to him on recap podcast here on the Drivetime podcast every Sunday, and of course will be this Thursday, as the Dolphins are in Jacksonville for the Jaguars, and those two teams, Jacksonville and Tennessee had themselves quite a battle today, quite a quarterback battle there with Minshew going for three thirty nine three touchdowns, Tannehill on the other side throwing for four touchdowns in that game,

handling Gardner Minshew preventing that Jaguars passing game from getting going a big key that you heard from John, kN Jemmy and Minshew. The ability to kind of prevent the magic from happening on Thursday night will be a big key for this Dolphins team. But quick turnaround. We're gonna have practices and coaches, employers talking throughout the course of

this week. A game preview for you guys. Another flashback podcast coming this week as well as the recap of this one, inside the numbers, some film talk and all that fun stuff as well here on the Drivetime Podcast. But in the meantime, that's gonna be my time. You all. Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Leave us a rating, leave us a review, give me

a follow. On Twitter, It's at Wingfield, NFL was live tweeting the game there for a little bit today because the live TV feed went down, so I was up to me to try and get those plays out as well as the other beat writers there. Followed Dolphins at Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank and the audible podcast, and of course Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, fins up.