Buffalo Bills 10, Miami Dolphins 24
The Miami Dolphins avenged a mid-season defeat to the Buffalo Bills by beating the Bills 24-10 in Sun Life Stadium. Miami got off to a slow start but eventually took control of the game and won in convincing fashion. Miami used ball control tactics to weaken Buffalo’s pass coverage by mixing a combination of running backs Reggie Bush and Lamar Miller.
Miami’s defense helped out the offense by holding Buffalo to just 10 points. Bush finished the game with three touchdowns. Shortly after the victory, the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention by virtue of the Cincinnati Bengals victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills came into the game already eliminated from playoff contention and with the loss dropped 5-10 on the year. The Bills have missed the playoffs once again, something that is all too familiar to Buffalo fans. The Bills have had a difficult time stopping the run this year and last Sunday against the Dolphins was no exception. Miami dominated the ground game accumulating an impressive 182 yards rushing. The Dolphins averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
The Dolphins will look to close out their season with consecutive victories as they travel north to New England and face the division champion Patriots. Having been officially eliminated from the post season the Dolphins will look to split the division series with the rival Patriots. The Bills will try to finish out a disappointing season on a high note as they face the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo will be facing another struggling team in the Jets and may need a win to save head coach Chan Gailey’s job.
New England Patriots 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
The typically dominant New England Patriots were almost caught by surprise as they narrowly escaped with a victory over the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. New England quarterback Tom Brady threw two first quarter interceptions and gave the Jaguars an early lead 10-0 lead. The patriots rallied in the second quarter and tied the game 13-13 by halftime.
In the second half the Jaguars offense stalled. This gave the New England offense a chance to take the lead and this is exactly what they did. The Patriots outscored the Jaguars 10-3 in the second half and this was enough to win the game. The Jaguars had one final chance to tie the game with five seconds remaining but a Chad Henne pass was intercepted by the Patriots.
Brady finished the game throwing for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Henne finished the game with 348 yards and a touchdown. Wes Welker led all receivers with 88 yards and a touchdown
The Jaguars fall to 2-13 and have now lost 11 of their last 12 games. The Patriots up their record to 11-4 as they get ready for the start of the post season. The division champions will close out the season at home against the division rival Miami Dolphins.
New York Jets 17, San Diego Chargers 27
The New York Jets season has been on a downward spiral lately. Quarterback Mark Sanchez has been benched the remainder of the season and the team has turned to third string quarterback Greg McElroy. Most of the talk prior to the game was about who was going to backup McElroy, would it be Sanchez or Tim Tebow. The Jets have been reluctant to reveal the reasons backup quarterback Tebow has been kept on the bench. Many believe Tebow refused to play in the Wildcat plays, which was the reason they traded for him in the first place.
No matter who is under center for the Jets, the results have been the same. Last Sunday the Jets faced off against the San Diego Chargers. McElroy had his turn under center. The Chargers defense had a field day. The Chargers defense recorded 11 sacks and made life miserable for the New York quarterback. The Chargers defeated the Jets 27-17 with a stellar defensive performance.
The Chargers football team faces uncertainty this off season and recording 11 sacks brings a small bright spot to an otherwise dismal season. The Jets struggled to move the ball and faced pressure from the San Diego defense all game. With the loss the Jets dropped to 6-9 and face division rival Buffalo Bills next week to close out the season.