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Dolphins-Bills Five Biggest Storylines…And How They Played Out

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Dolphins-Bills Five Biggest Storylines…And How They Played Out


It was more disappointment and frustration for the Miami Dolphins when they faced the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday night.

Of course, the Dolphins’ 12th loss in 13 games in this series took a back seat to the concussion that knocked quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of the game in the third quarter.

That obviously was the low point on a night full of them, ending with the Dolphins dropping a 31-10 decision.

Earlier, we broke down the five biggest storylines heading into the Week 2 matchup. It’s now time to revisit these storylines to see how they played out.

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Before the Game

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been in the news all week because of the incident outside Hard Rock Stadium before the team’s season opener, so that means he will be in the spotlight tonight — even more so than usual. During his press conference, Hill said that football was his escape, and he responded with an 80-yard touchdown against Jacksonville. Another one of those big plays would go a long way for the Dolphins in the game.

During the Game

Buffalo was determined to ensure that Hill wouldn’t beat them deep in this game, so they planned accordingly and kept their safeties deep. Even on one deep shot early on, cornerback Christian Benford got a head start in running back and stayed with Hill step for step. Hill ended up with only three receptions for 24 yards, his lowest totals since he joined the Dolphins outside of the 2022 season when he had two catches for 23 yards against the New York Jets with Skylar Thompson at quarterback. One of those receptions came on a shovel pass, and Hill also had a ten-yard run on an end-around. But the reality is Hill was an absolute non-factor, and the biggest news he made was actually being off the field on the plays that resulted in the first two Buffalo interceptions.

Before the Game

It’s no big secret that the biggest reason for the Bills’ dominance in the series of late is QB Josh Allen, whose numbers against Miami are simply ridiculous. Last year, for example, he passed for 320 and 359 yards in the two matchups with six touchdowns and two interceptions, and also had 67 rushing yards in the game in Miami. But the Dolphins have a new defensive coordinator, which means that maybe the defense has a different answer for Allen, and perhaps this is the one that does the trick. Getting pressure and forcing turnovers always can be a key here, but that’s obviously easier said than done.

During the Game

While Allen will get credit for improving to 12-2 against the Dolphins, the reality is he had little to do with the outcome. This game was about the Buffalo defense and James Cook. Allen passed for a very modest 139 yards and one touchdown. He was efficient, though, and had a couple of big-time throws, a laser to Khalil Shakir over the middle and his 33-yard completion to Ty Johnson off his scramble. But considering how badly Allen hurt the Dolphins’ defense in previous games, this was good work by the Miami defense.

Before the Game

The ability to put pressure on the quarterback could be a factor in this game, as it always is, and two key players here are former University of Miami teammates Jaelan Phillips of the Dolphins and Greg Rousseau of the Bills. Given his circumstances, Phillips had a really impressive 2024 debut, while Rousseau earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors with his three-sack performance against the Arizona Cardinals.

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During the Game

The Buffalo defensive line dominated the Dolphins’ offensive line, but Ed Oliver and Von Miller did the most damage for the Bills. Rousseau did have four tackles and a tackle for loss, though. Phillips was way more quiet as he failed to register a stat. In the play where Allen threw that 33-yard completion after moving in the pocket, Phillips lost his football, which allowed Allen to move outside easily.

Before the Game

The Dolphins defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars with little contribution from the running game, though that phase did contribute in the fourth quarter. While the Dolphins always have the threat of the big play with Hill and Jaylen Waddle, another effective method to move the ball and keep Josh Allen on the sideline would be to run the ball. The Dolphins are dealing with injuries at running back with Raheem Mostert already ruled out and De’Von Achane nursing an ankle injury, but there’s nothing that says Jeff Wilson, Jr. and rookie Jaylen Wright can’t get the job done.

During the Game

The Dolphins’ poor performance aside, the running game was effective, particularly the work of De’Von Achane. After entering the game with an ankle injury that had him listed as questionable, Achane put on a show with 22 carries for 96 yards. The Dolphins as a team finished with 139 rushing yards, including 101 in the first half before the game got out of hand. But the running game wasn’t enough to overcome the turnovers and the inability to finish drives.

Before the Game

One overlooked aspect of the Buffalo sweep of the Dolphins last season is how much the Bills dominated the second half. The combined score of those two games was 31-6 after halftime. The only time the Dolphins were shut out in the second half of the regular season was in that second Buffalo game. And the six points in the first meeting in Buffalo matched the second-lowest second-half total of the season. In the season finale, the Dolphins rushed for 101 yards on 17 carries in the first half but had only three rushing attempts in the second half despite carrying the lead into the fourth quarter. The rushing game may be where Mike McDaniel needs to stick with what’s working a bit longer. Regardless, the Dolphins need to close this game if they hope to get that big win against Buffalo.

During the Game

The scoreboard will show Buffalo outscoring the Dolphins 7-0 in the second half, though this comes with the major caveat of the Tua injury. It might not be realistic to suggest the Dolphins could have come back to win the game had he not gotten injured, but they did have a first-and-goal with 4:24 left in the third quarter. After his injury and the ensuing fourth-down sack of Skylar Thompson, the rest of the game felt like preseason, so we cannot draw conclusions about the second half.

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Miami, FL

Dolphins 2025 preseason schedule – The Splash Zone 5/24/25

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Dolphins 2025 preseason schedule – The Splash Zone 5/24/25


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The Miami Dolphins now know who and when they will play in the upcoming preseason. The Dolphins first two games will be on the road against the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions then finally finishing at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s expected that the Dolphins will have joint practices with their opponents leading up to their games.

You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.

Miami Dolphins Preseason Schedule Finalized
The Miami Dolphins will play two afternoon games in the 2025 preseason


Mike McDaniel

Kelly: Mike McDaniel’s steadying presence could stabilize Dolphins | Opinion – Yahoo Sports
Mike McDaniel allowed team to plan more activities together, to facilitate team bonding


Dolphins Special Teams

Miami Dolphins Special Teams Coordinator Craig Aukerman Discusses His Group
Aukerman became the first new special teams coordinator in seven years.

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Dolphins Offseason

Miami Dolphins focus on team chemistry; try out pilates and paintball – Yahoo Sports
After a disappointing season, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wants to improve team chemistry with outings such as paintball


Phinsider News You May Have Missed

Expectations for Dolphins offense in 2025 – Miami Dolphins News 5/22/25 – The Phinsider
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.

NFL schedule 2025: Dolphins preseason schedule announced – The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins have announced their three-game preseason schedule for 2025.

Miami Dolphins roster moves: Bradley-King waived, Gabbert signed – The Phinsider
(Not that one)

Your 2025-2026 Miami Dolphins Record Predictions – The Phinsider
Miami Dolphins fans share their win/loss predictions for the upcoming season.

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NFL schedule: Week 1 odds set for Dolphins at Colts – The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins will visit the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Who do the oddsmakers think will win?



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Phoenix Suns coach candidate Chris Quinn helped Miami Heat stay together this season

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Phoenix Suns coach candidate Chris Quinn helped Miami Heat stay together this season


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The Miami Heat experienced one of their toughest seasons in recent memory.

Going 37-45, Miami suffered its first losing record since 2018-19.

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The Jimmy Butler drama ultimately led to trading the star forward just two years removed from him leading the Heat to the 2023 NBA Finals.

The Heat emerged from the play-in to make the playoffs as an eighth seed only to have the Cleveland Cavaliers sweep them in the first round. Miami lost Game 4 by 55 points, suffering the worst margin of defeat in a game to close a series.

Through it all, Chris Quinn remained steady.

League sources say the Heat’s associate head coach helped keep Miami together and made sure the team didn’t go “sideways.”

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Now, Quinn is a head coach candidate for the Phoenix Suns, who also experienced a disappointing and drama-filled season that ended with just 36 wins and the firing of Mike Budenholzer after one season.

Cleveland Cavaliers assistants Jordan Ott and Johnnie Bryant, Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Brooklyn Nets assistant Steve Hetzel, Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Suns assistant David Fizdale and Quinn are candidates for the job, league sources confirmed to The Arizona Republic this week.

Quinn has been an assistant under Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra since 2015. He previously worked as an assistant for the Heat’s G League team, Sioux Falls Skyforce, in the 2014-15 season.

He also played three seasons for the Heat, with the first two under Pat Riley (2006-08) and the third one for Spoelstra (2008-09).

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Quinn is Spoelstra’s “right hand man” when it comes to in-game adjustments, sources say. He has been in contention for NBA head coaching vacancies in recent years.

Quinn’s ability to connect with players is deemed impressive. He’s big on player development as evidenced by him leading the charge to have coaches available 24/7 for players to work on their game.

A Notre Dame graduate, Quinn played a role in the development of shooting guard Tyler Herro, who became a first-time All-Star for the Heat this season.

Herro averaged a career-high 23.9 points in his sixth NBA season out of Kentucky.

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Quinn was a director of player development on the collegiate level at Northwestern before joining the Heat.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.





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Miami, FL

ICE nabs Venezuelan murder suspect in South Florida during CBS News Miami ride-along

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ICE nabs Venezuelan murder suspect in South Florida during CBS News Miami ride-along


A man wanted on two counts of murder in Venezuela was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Broward apartment building on Thursday.

CBS News Miami was there for the arrest of the man—whose identity ICE has asked us not to disclose—as part of a ride-along with the law enforcement agency.

With growing questions and concerns about immigration enforcement and removal operations, CBS Miami had been requesting a ride-along since the new administration took over in January.

That request was granted Thursday, and our cameras were rolling for the targeted enforcement operation arranged by ICE.

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CBS News Miami did not have any control over which operation we were allowed to witness.

Operation begins with briefing and strategy in Miramar

The day started around 10:30 a.m. at the agency’s facility in Miramar with a quick rundown of the plan.

“He’s a foreign fugitive wanted for double murder out of Venezuela,” one man explained to the team. “The other male, the friend who was helping him with the car issues—we’re going to try to arrest him too… He hasn’t been accounted for by us yet, so we’re going to try to get a two-for-one.”

After a moment for questions, the team geared up with protective equipment and headed out.

ICE Assistant Field Office Director Mitchell Diaz said they are simply continuing the work they’ve always done.

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“This is what we do every day,” Diaz said. “There’s no change from this current administration to the prior administration or any other administration before that. We want to make sure that we’re protecting the community, the public, and national security.”

Surveillance leads agents to Broward arrest

Thursday’s investigation led officers to an apartment building near Sunrise. Surveillance had suggested the target would leave for work around 1 p.m. By 1:50 p.m., agents had him in sight.

ICE requested that his name and face not be shared publicly as the case remains pending. Officials say the man, in his late twenties, is wanted in Venezuela for two counts of first-degree murder, organized crime, and aggravated assault.

Records indicate he traveled through Colombia and Brazil before entering the United States illegally. ICE reports he has been a fugitive since 2018. He will face an immigration judge in the U.S. before being returned to Venezuela to face charges.

Diaz emphasized that immigration arrests like this one are administrative, not criminal—though that doesn’t mean they’re without risk.

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“There are always nerves. The officer safety aspect of it—this is like every law enforcement agency,” Diaz said. “These are brave men that are going out there every day to ensure that not only national security but the community and the public are safe from these individuals.”

Questions surround immigration practices and public perception

ICE recently touted the arrest of more than 1,100 undocumented immigrants in Florida over the span of a week in an operation dubbed Operation Tidal Wave. But Diaz insisted that these were not “raids” as some critics describe.

“These are targeted enforcement actions. Raids are different,” he explained. “A raid could be based on employment inspections just to ensure that the employer is following U.S. laws and immigration laws. A lot of these individuals that may be part of a raid may be working with fraudulent documents, Social Security numbers, and fraudulent employment cards. So raids are completely different than what ICE does as to fugitive operations.”

During the ride-along, officers also arrested a second individual who admitted to being in the U.S. illegally.

Following the arrests, the team returned to Miramar, where both individuals were fingerprinted and processed to determine if they appear in any law enforcement databases. They will remain in ICE detention until they appear before an immigration judge in the coming days.

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CBS News Miami asked ICE about reports of people being arrested outside immigration courts. Officials stressed that such arrests are part of targeted enforcement, not random sweeps.

We also inquired about concerns over parents being deported without their children. ICE responded that parents are given the choice to take their children with them or to leave them in the custody of someone within the U.S.

According to ICE, individuals with a final order of removal—or who illegally re-entered the U.S. after being previously deported—are subject to immediate removal. Others, they say, are afforded due process under immigration law.

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