Tagovailoa drama! Dolphins with fiasco against Bills

A demonstration of power on the one hand – huge worries on the other! The Buffalo Bills won an impressive 31:10 (7:7, 17:3, 7:0, 0:0) victory against the Miami Dolphins in the second Thursday night game of the young NFL season. Another concussion suffered by star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made the defeat of the Florida franchise even more bitter.

The 26-year-old, who recently signed the highest contract in the Dolphins' franchise history, was immediately taken out of the game in the third quarter after a collision with Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

The playmaker, who signed a new four-year contract through 2028 worth 212.4 million US dollars (just under 197 million euros) at the end of July, scrambled through the middle at the end of the third quarter, when the game was already decided, and wanted to gain a few more yards with his head first.

Hamlin stopped him with a clean tackle – Tagovailoa fell to the ground in pain and was only able to slowly leave the field with the help of his coaches. Skylar Thompson took over the role of quarterback for him.

His coach Mike McDaniel was close to tears when he suffered the concussion, and Josh Allen was also emotional after the game and addressed warm words to Tua: “I know what happened in the past, but I'm praying for him and his family. He's a great football player, but I've also gotten to know him off the football field and he's an even more amazing person… Hopefully everything is OK.”

James Cook became the Bills' match winner at Hard Rock Stadium: The running back scored three touchdown runs, while Ja'Marcus Ingram threw two interceptions, including a pick six.

Star quarterback Allen is usually the main player in the Bills' rushing touchdowns, but against Miami, Cook won that role and contributed to three touchdowns in the first two quarters.

First, the veteran converted a 17-yard pass from Allen, followed by a 1-yard run and a successful 49-yard run that put the Bills ahead 24-7. Cook ended the game with 78 yards on 11 attempts. Allen, on the other hand, remained turnover-free, completed 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards and threw a touchdown pass.

In addition, Ingram once again put in a brilliant defensive performance. The 27-year-old cornerback was responsible for two interceptions for the Dolphins, including a pick six, and carried the ball back into the end zone once.

According to coach Sean McDermott, the undrafted free agent from the University of Buffalo, who was previously on the Bills' practice squad, was originally not intended to be on the franchise's roster if Dawuane Smoot had not been injured.

The game-deciding play, however, was Allen's impressive 33-yard pass to running back Ty Johnson on third down. This play set up Cook's second touchdown and gave the Bills a comfortable lead that they never let go of.

Another setback for the Dolphins was the loss of Tagovailoa, who was diagnosed with a concussion for the third time in less than two years. This leaves uncertainty about his future career. For Tagovailoa, this is already the third concussion in his fifth NFL season.

The Dolphins face the challenge more than ever of protecting their franchise quarterback while remaining competitive.

The only bright spot for Miami was the performance of De'Von Achane, who shone in the absence of Raheem Mostert. Achane scored 96 yards on 22 carries and the only touchdown for his team. Regardless of Mostert's health, Achane is likely to play a central role next week against the Seattle Seahawks.

Star receiver Tyreek Hill, on the other hand, never really found his game. He was tackled seven times, but only completed three passes for 24 yards. Hill recently made headlines because he was briefly handcuffed by the police shortly before the first game of the season in Miami. As a result, a police officer was also suspended. Hill explained that he could have behaved better during the traffic stop.

The Bills face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3 of the NFL, while the Dolphins play at home against the Seattle Seahawks.