Top 3 things we learned from Bills vs. Dolphins | Week 3

1 – A gutsy battle to the end

The Bills knew they were going into Sunday's game supremely shorthanded missing four starters on defense as well as their starting center on offense. But it didn't impact their effort and mettle in oppressively hot conditions in Miami on Sunday.

The steamy and humid conditions sapped the roster of any depth it had left as players left the game due to heat exhaustion or an injury as the game neared halftime. Right tackle Spencer Brown was struggling with heat illness and exited the game in the first half as well with David Quessenberry coming on for him. TE Dawson Knox and WR Isaiah McKenzie also succumbed to the heat, though McKenzie was able to return to the game.

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"It was so hot," said McKenzie, a south Florida native. "It was hot the whole game. I started throwing up, so I'm like, 'Okay, I'm going to just take a breather.' So, I came out and had to come back to the locker room and get an IV. I thought was used to this just coming from Miami, but I guess I'm more familiar with Buffalo at this moment."

2 – Bills backs keep drives alive

On a day when Buffalo's passing game was forced to throw short and Miami remained aggressive with their pressure packages, Josh Allen relied heavily on his backs in Sunday's game. Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, and James Cook all made contributions to keep offensive drives alive.

Singletary's first catch of the day was on a checkdown throw from Allen that he caught and took for 19 yards. He then capped that drive with a short two-yard reception on fourth and goal to put Buffalo on the board first (7-0).

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"It felt good. Just doing my one eleventh," Singletary said. "Any way I can just help the team out. That's what it was just Josh checking it down and me trying to keep us on the field."

3 – Defense stands tall

For a defense that did not have their Pro Bowl caliber safeties, two of their top four defensive tackles and proceeded to lose another cornerback in Christian Benford to a hand injury, the performance they put on the field against the league's number one passing offense was remarkable.

"Those guys on the back end just holding it down, rookies out there, players we're elevating from the practice squad going out there and not even having a drop off in play," said Greg Rousseau, who contributed a sack and a half and two quarterback hits. "Obviously, we wish we could have gotten it done, held them to fewer points, but it is what it is. I feel like we fought out there though. It was hard, but we didn't blink, didn't back down, didn't flinch at all."

Miami's offense that had rolled up 547 total net yards on offense in Week 2, managed just 212 on Sunday against the depleted Bills defense. Tua Tagovailoa, who had 469 yards passing and six touchdowns last week, had just 186 passing yards and a touchdown as Miami ran just 39 plays from scrimmage on offense converting just three of their eight third down opportunities.