Buffalo fans were so loud at Hard Rock Stadium that Bills coach Sean McDermott was asked if it was a home game.
It wasn’t, but the Bills gave the fans who traveled to South Florida a lot to cheer about on Thursday night.
James Cook scored three touchdowns—one receiving and two rushing—as the Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-10. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had to leave the game early due to a concussion.
Tagovailoa went out in the third quarter after a hit from defensive back Damar Hamlin, which caused him to hit the back of his head on the ground. The concussion diagnosis raises concerns about his season, especially given his previous head injuries.
“Very sad. It’s the worst part of the game,” said Bills quarterback Josh Allen. “Nothing but love and prayers to him and his family, and hopefully everyone is sending those because he’s going to need them.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did not confirm whether Tagovailoa will be put on injured reserve, mentioning the team would assess him further on Friday.
“I’m just worried about my teammate like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and then take it day by day from there.”
Allen, playing with a glove on his non-throwing hand after an injury in Buffalo’s opener, completed 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards. He has a strong record against the Dolphins, and the Bills have performed well against Miami since McDermott became head coach in 2017.
McDermott praised his defense, which forced three turnovers and limited Miami’s offense to just one touchdown and a field goal, despite missing several starters.
“Next man up. The guys did a great job,” McDermott said. “These guys work hard. Good things happen when you work hard, and sometimes the ball finds you like that.”
Cook caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Allen and ran for scores of 1 and 49 yards in the first half, including a flip into the end zone to give the Bills a 24-7 lead. His three first-half touchdowns matched a team record.
“As long as they trust me, I’m going to get in the end zone,” Cook said.
Allen didn’t seem affected by the left hand he injured while jumping over safety Budda Baker in Buffalo’s opener against the Cardinals. His hand was heavily wrapped before he finished that game and he practiced all week with a glove to protect it.
After the game, Allen showed his hand to fans, flexing it to prove it wasn’t broken.
“Feels great,” Allen said later.
Backup Mitchell Trubisky took over for Allen late in the fourth quarter with Buffalo ahead by 21 points.
Miami’s top receiver Tyreek Hill was limited to three catches for 24 yards during a week when he was in the news for other reasons.
Hill was pulled from his sports car, pushed face-first onto the street, and handcuffed by Miami-Dade County police officers during a traffic stop outside the Dolphins’ stadium hours before their season opener.
Officer Danny Torres was put on administrative leave while the department’s director began an internal investigation. Hill wants the officer fired but also admitted he could have handled the situation better.
Buffalo capitalized on two turnovers by Tagovailoa in the first half, scoring 10 points. Ja’Marcus Ingram intercepted Tagovailoa’s pass on a deflected ball intended for receiver Grant DuBose on Miami’s first drive.
Christian Benford also picked off a pass during what seemed to be a miscommunication between Tagovailoa and receiver Robbie Chosen. Both DuBose and Chosen joined the team after the preseason.
