DOLPHINS GET ONE IN THE WIN COLUMN BY BEATING BILLS

The Miami Dolphins won their first game of the 2009 NFL season the old fashioned way—by playing tough defense and keeping possession of the football.  The Dolphins’ defense held Buffalo to 206 yards of total offense and just 10 first downs while their offense held the ball for just over 37 minutes en route to a 38-10 drubbing of the Buffalo Bills.  Both teams are now 1-3 on the NFL season, and of particular concern for Buffalo is their sputtering offense.  It was a trouble spot all last season, and Buffalo has now scored a mere 17 points in their last two games.

Miami easily covered the number as -1 home favorites, earning their first NFL pointspread victory of the season.  Despite their 1-3 record, Buffalo has fared better against the number and the loss to the Dolphins evened their ATS mark on the season at 2-2.  The Miami win/cover also narrowed the Bills advantage in the head to head ATS record between the two teams—since 1992 Buffalo holds a 21-17 pointspread record edge.  The 48 points scored went OVER the posted total of 37.  Buffalo now has gone OVER in three of four this season, while Miami evened their 2009 NFL over/under mark at 2-2.

For the Miami offense, their running game was the big catalyst for victory.   The Dolphins punished the Buffalo defense for 250 yards rushing, and only needed 86 yards through the air to earn the victory. The potent running attack also contributed greatly to Miami’s time of possession advantage—the Dolphins controlled the football for 37:09 to 22:41 for the Bills. The 28 point margin of victory was Miami’s largest since 2002.
 
Chad Henne was solid in his first career NFL start, throwing for 115 yards and a touchdown.  He got the starting gig after Chad Pennington went down with a season ending shoulder injury last week.  While his numbers don’t look particularly impressive on paper, he earned high marks for managing the game well.  And with the way his team was running the football, the passing attack simply wasn’t needed to earn the lopsided victory.

Running back Ronnie Brown carried the bulk of the rushing load for Miami, finishing with 115 yards and two touchdowns.  Ricky Williams also had a solid game, finishing with 85 yards and one score.  The defense also got in on the act, with Vontae Davis intercepting Trent Edwards in the first half and returning the ball 23 yards for a touchdown.  It was the first Miami interception of the season, one of three on the day.

Miami will now face the New York Jets next Monday night before a bye week.  After their break, they’ll return to action on October 25th hosting the New Orleans Saints.  The Bills will host Cleveland next Sunday before a pair of road games to finish out October.  They’ll play the New York Jets at The Meadowlands the following Sunday, and head to Charlotte, NC for a game against the Carolina Panthers on October 25th.