Dolphins halt Allen, survive 'butt punt' to beat Bills

Updated Sep. 25, 2022 4:35 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins' defense stopped Josh Allen and the Bills at the goal line late, then held again after punter Thomas Morstead bizarrely kicked the ball off a teammate and out of bounds for a safety in a 21-19 win over Buffalo on Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins improved to 3-0 in an AFC East thriller that ended with Allen and the Bills attempting to spike the ball near midfield, the clock just running out on their chance to try a long-distance, go-ahead field goal.

Tagovailoa briefly left the game in the second quarter, returning after halftime despite appearing to be disoriented by a head injury. Allen also may have been injured, heading to the X-ray room after the game. He had his throwing hand checked by trainers late.

Miami took the lead with about 10 minutes left in the game, scoring a touchdown to go up 21-17, and the Bills faced their first deficit of the season.

Despite being sacked and flagged for unnecessary roughness on the next drive, Allen drove Buffalo down the field with a 17-play, eight-minute drive reflective of how the Bills offense operated all game. Miami’s defense held, though, nearly intercepting a pass on the drive and forcing a turnover on downs from the 2-yard line.

___

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL