The Miami Dolphins suffered a disappointing 33-17 loss to their division-rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday, dropping them to just 3-5 on the season. Here are three things we learned about the Dolphins in the game:
3) The loss of Cameron Wake hurts
Miami's pass rush, which was supposed to be incredible, failed to get consistent pressure on Bills QB Tyrod Taylor for most of the game - and when they did, Taylor was often able to break containment and make a play. A large part of that had to do with the loss of defensive end Cameron Wake, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles. Not only would he have been able to apply more pressure on Taylor, but his speed and athleticism would have kept Taylor in the pocket more.
2) The running game is still an issue
The season debut of rookie Jay Ajayi helped Miami on the ground, but they were unable to consistently open holes for him and starter Lamar Miller. Neither back reached the 45-yard mark in this game, marking just the latest in a troubling trend for this team. Both backs have talent, so the blame lies directly on the play of the offensive line.
1) Miami HAS to get better in the division
In order for the Dolphins to take the next step and become the Super Bowl contender we all expected them to be, they need to put more of an emphasis on division games. They're 0-4 against other AFC East teams this year, and have been outscored a whopping 137-52 in those games. That needs to change sooner rather than later.