Josh Allen tossed for 359 yards and two touchdowns, and Deonte Harty established a franchise mark for the longest punt return touchdown, as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 21-14 on Sunday night in Miami Gardens, Fla., to win the AFC East for the fourth consecutive season. Buffalo (11-6) won its fifth straight game when Allen threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Dawson Knox midway through the fourth quarter. Taylor Rapp’s interception with 1:13 remaining sealed the victory. Trent Sherfield also scored, and Khalil Shakir had 105 yards receiving for the second-seeded Bills, who will face the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs next Sunday.
Allen gained 67 yards on the ground and completed 30 of 38 throws with two interceptions. He is 11-2 as a starter against Miami (including a playoff victory last season) and has thrown 36 touchdown passes in those 13 games. For the Dolphins (11-6), Tua Tagovailoa completed 17 of 27 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Tyreek Hill caught seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, while De’Von Achane scored on the ground. Miami fell for the third time in five games while missing running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) for the second week in a row. The sixth-seeded Miami Dolphins will face the third-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the first round.
Buffalo’s sole offensive touchdown in the second half came on the final play of an eight-play, 74-yard drive. With 7:16 remaining, Allen connected with Knox on a 5-yard pass to give the Bills a 21-14 lead. On their next possession, the Dolphins went three-and-out and didn’t see the ball again until 1:53 remaining. But Rapp’s selection 40 seconds later put an end to any suspense. With 13:42 remaining in the game, Hardy’s 96-yard punt return tied the score at 14. Keith Moody set the old team record of 91 yards against the Cleveland Browns on October
Hardy received the ball at his own 4-yard line and surged into the middle, moving into the clear as Miami teammates Cameron Goode and Alec Engold were entangled. Hardy swerved to the left and ran down the sideline, with no Dolphins in sight. With 8:51 left in the first half, Achane scored on a 25-yard run for the Dolphins. Sherfield grabbed a 6-yard scoring pass with 4:31 left in the half to tie the score. Allen’s pass hit Miami’s Andrew Van Ginkel’s helmet and ricocheted high in the air, allowing Sherfield to grab it in the back of the end zone while keeping both feet down. When Tagovailoa threw a touchdown pass, Miami led 14-7.
