Explosive punt return triggers Dolphins collapse against Bills: 'You all saw it'
MIAMI GARDENS — Players said it was an obvious momentum-shifter. Head coach Mike McDaniel called it a "gut punch."
For the Dolphins' hopes of winning the AFC East and hosting an NFL playoff game, Deonte Harty's 96-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter may as well have been a knockout blow.
Miami's 21-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Sunday night's regular-season finale saw the Dolphins' division rivals celebrate an AFC East title on their home field, sending Hard Rock Stadium into the offseason far earlier than anyone would've expected just one month ago.
"It was unfortunate. It looked like we had an opportunity to pin them back," McDaniel said of the punt-return touchdown.
"It was a gut punch, for sure. I don't know the exact player that had a shot at the very beginning of the play, but that was probably our best shot. It looked like they won the matchup game after that."
How it happened
The Dolphins were forced to punt four plays after Christian Wilkins sacked and stripped Josh Allen for a fumble at the end of the third quarter.
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Dolphins punter Jake Bailey boomed a punt 58 yards, which Harty fielded at the Bills 4-yard line.
The Dolphins gunners were quickly beaten: Elijah Campbell by Bills blockers and veteran special teamer Justin Bethel in a 1-on-1 against the agile Harty.
Linebacker Channing Tindall was next in pursuit. He managed to get a hand on Harty, the only Dolphin to do so on the return, but couldn't make the tackle.
"From there he just took the crease," Tindall said. "He wasn't even touched anymore. We just have to make that play."
It proved to be the turning point in the Dolphins' final chance to secure an AFC East title.
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"You all saw it," Dolphins defensive back Jalen Ramsey said. "The momentum shifted."
Fullback Alec Ingold, who collided with linebacker Cam Goode during the play in a moment that forced Goode to be carted off with an injury, credited Harty's explosiveness.
"That's a talented returner," Ingold said. "Once you get behind the ball it's really hard to redirect."
The Dolphins saw their AFC East lead slip away for good later in the fourth quarter after Josh Allen's touchdown pass to Dawson Knox and Tua Tagovailoa's game-sealing interception on Miami's final drive.
It completed the Dolphins' relinquishment of a three-game division lead over the final five games of the NFL regular season.
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Instead of hosting the Bills again next Sunday in the NFL playoff opener, the Dolphins will now travel to face the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night.
They'll do so with more than few questions lingering over the special teams unit.
"It's very frustrating to all parties involved who care about the Dolphins," McDaniel said of the team's poor regular-season finish.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins stunned by Deonte Harty punt return touchdown in Bills loss
