Damar Hamlin was on the other end of a serious injury in primetime on Thursday night.
In a dreadful night for the Miami Dolphins, a 31-10 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills included a concussion to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter. The hit that caused Tagovailoa’s concussion came on a tackle by Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered an on-field cardiac arrest in January 2023.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is assisted on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Tua had only passed for 145 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions prior to the injury, as Miami fell into a 31-10 hole.
With Tagovailoa out, Dolphins backup Skylar Thompson came in and failed to lead a touchdown drive. His first series resulted in a sack on a critical fourth down deep inside Buffalo territory.
Second-year running back De’Von Achane’s performance was one of the few bright spots for Miami. Achane was questionable with an ankle issue coming into the game, but looked completely healthy on the field. He finished the game with 96 rushing yards, 69 receiving yards and the Dolphins’ only touchdown.
DOLPHINS’ TUA TAGOVAILOA CONSIDERED RETIREMENT ‘FOR A TIME’ AFTER HIS MULTIPLE CONCUSSIONS
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In contrast, the Bills walked away with a lot to be happy about.
Quarterback Josh Allen has proven he can lead an explosive offense without wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who left in the offseason to join the Houston Texans. Diggs was Allen’s primary target on the outside for Buffalo’s run of playoff seasons from 2020-23. Fellow wideout Gabe Davis left the team this offseason too.
But now Allen has found reliable targets in Khalil Shakir and Ty Davis through the first two games of the season.
Buffalo running back James Cook was a big force on the ground against Miami, rushing for 78 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
The Bills have now beaten the Dolphins in 12 of their last 13 meetings. It’s one of the most lopsided chapters in the rivalry’s history and has been particularly cruel to Miami’s playoff teams under head coach Mike McDaniel.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) looks to pass the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The Dolphins lost the Bills in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 after squandering The division lead. Then last season, with a chance to win the division in Week 18 against the Bills, Miami lost 21-14 and fell into a wild card spot.
And despite all the motivation of that recent history, the Dolphins came up nearly blank again on Thursday night, losing their quarterback in the process.
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