Bills 19, Dolphins 0
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Embracing their role as spoiler, the Buffalo Bills defeated the division rival Dolphins, 19-0, Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium, a devastating blow to Miami's postseason chances.
The Bills improved to 6-9, while the Dolphins, who had won three straight, dropped to 8-7 and limp home to face the New York Jets with quarterback Ryan Tannehill nursing a knee injury.
Buffalo relied on its defense, sacking quarterback Ryan Tannehill seven times before knocking him out of the game in the fourth quarter. The Bills limited Miami to 14 yards rushing.
Running back Fred Jackson powered the Bills offense, rushing for 111 and a touchdown on 19 carries. It was the 15th 100-yard game of Jackson's career. Thurman Thomas and O.J. Simpson are the only Bills with more. C.J. Spiller added 77 yards rushing and 26 receiving. Bills kicker Dan Carpenter provided the bulk of the scoring with four field goals.
Tannehill entered the game as one of the NFL's hottest quarterbacks. He had completed 68 percent of his passes for 843 yards and eight touchdowns, while throwing only two picks, in his previous three games. Against Buffalo, he was 10 of 27 for 82 yards.
Thad Lewis, filling in for injured Bills quarterback EJ Manuel, improved to 2-2 as a starter with his second victory this season against Miami. Lewis was 15 of 25 for 193 yards.
Carpenter kicked a 45-yard field goal with 6:42 left in the first quarter to give the Bills the lead. Buffalo had driven from its five, the big play coming on a 57-yard pass from Lewis to Robert Woods.
Buffalo went up 10-0 with 13:18 remaining in the half on a 9-yard touchdown run by Jackson. During the nine-play, 57-yard drive, Lewis relied on his tight ends with a 24-yard completion to Lee Smith and a 15-yard toss to Scott Chandler.
The Bills' defense bottled up the Dolphins in the first half, limiting them to just 56 yards on 30 plays. Miami converted only one of eight third downs and punted on all seven possessions.
Buffalo increased its lead to 13-0 on a 21-yard Carpenter field goal with 12:01 left in the game. The three-pointer capped a 19-play, 92-yard drive.
Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams' second sack of the game knocked Tannehill out of the game on Miami's next series. He was replaced by Matt Moore, who was picked off by Bills safety Jim Leonhard. Seven plays later, Carpenter added his third field goal, a 22-yarder, to put Buffalo up 16-0.
Carpenter made it 19-0 when he connected from 26 yards with 2:26 to go.
NOTES: DT Kyle Williams' sack of QB Ryan Tannehill on the game's second series was the Bills 51st, breaking the franchise single-season record set in 1964. ... Bills WR Woods was ejected from the game with just under 10 minutes remaining when he threw a punch at Dolphins S Reshad Jones at the end of a play. ... Miami's Brandon Fields had punts of 74 and 67 yards. ... Dolphins CB Nolan Carroll intercepted his third pass of the season. ... Bills rookie WR Marquise Goodwin left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
