The Dolphins’ Inactivity at the Deadline Paid Off

The Dolphins’ Inactivity at the Deadline Paid Off

The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills met in Miami yesterday, and, as many expected, it was a blowout. What many didn’t expect was that the Dolphins would be the ones blowing out the Bills. When it was all said and done, Miami improved its record to 3-7 with a 30-13 victory over the now 6-3 Bills. 

Heading into last week, many believed that the Dolphins would be heavy sellers at the deadline. I even predicted that Bradley Chubb and Minkah Fitzpatrick would be moved. Others wanted De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle to be dealt for high draft picks.

Ultimately, only Jaelen Phillips would be moved to Philadelphia for a 2026 3rd-round pick. Some were unsatisfied with the inactivity of the Dolphins at the deadline, myself among them. All four of the players most mentioned in potential trades ended up having outstanding performances that allowed Miami to get the upset win. 

Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball with Minkah Fitzpatrick. He led the team in tackles with 6, none bigger than his stop on Kahlil Shakir early in the fourth quarter. Buffalo had just scored their first touchdown of the day to cut the lead to 16-6. In an attempt to make it a one-score game, they went for 2 with a screen pass to Shakir, who sprinted towards the end zone but was met by Fitzpatrick, inches away from the goal line.

It was a moment that took the wind out of Buffalo’s sails. He also came up clutch earlier in the game, knocking down a Josh Allen pass on fourth down when the Bills faked a tush push in favor of allowing Allen to throw it deep. Both moments were pivotal in maintaining the momentum for Miami. 

Bradley Chubb harassed Allen all day, only recording two tackles and a sack, but was constantly in Allen’s face and punished him with hits when he would try to extend plays. It all sort of came to a head when he was penalized for taunting, a call that left many scratching their heads.

I suppose it could be seen as a sort of make-up call for his borderline late hits. While it was disappointing in the moment, Chubb’s aggressive play made it so Allen was never comfortable, and contributed to his lackluster play. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Jaylen Waddle came to play. The broadcast reported that the Dolphins had turned down an offer from the Bills to acquire Waddle. Watching him lead the team in receiving yesterday with five receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, it became clear just how disappointing that would have been from a fan’s perspective.

Had the roles been reversed with Buffalo dominating and Waddle having a solid game, I think many fans would have been close to rioting.

Fortunately, we don’t live in that reality, and Waddle continued his comeback season, now only trailing his 2024 reception total by 12 and his yardage total by 74. He’s already far surpassed his two touchdowns from last season, with five on the year. 

De’Von Achane was the MVP of the day and showed why letting him go would have been the worst move the Dolphins could have made. He had 22 carries for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns. The first was a 59-yarder to put the Dolphins up 23-6 with a bit over 6:30 left in the fourth quarter.

The second was a 35-yard run, which followed Buffalo scoring their second touchdown and made the score 30-13, acting as the proverbial dagger. 

While the Dolphins’ season isn’t saved as they’re still four games under five hundred, you must give credit to the coaching staff and players for coming together to beat Buffalo for the first time since 2022.

If the team can play like they did on Sunday, they could make a run at finishing the season positively, as the remaining games are winnable. If they are going to turn their season around, Fitzpatrick, Chubb, Waddle, and Achane will be huge parts of the process. 

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