Game 15: Dolphins Embarrass Bumbling Bills 20-3
Offense puts together another pathetic effort in latest loss.
by Steve Saslow

at Game 15 Dolphins   20 Bills    3 Gameday Grades

Today's 20-3 loss at the hands of the dreaded Fish at home was a microcosm of the entire season. The Offense put together another pathetic effort while the defense tried to keep the team in the game to no avail. The Bills managed just 177 yards in total offense and Drew Bledsoe was sacked six times, fumbled the ball away once, and had an interception returned 74 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter when the Bills were trying to get back into the game.

While the offense was turning the ball over four times the defense was busy playing inspired ball trying to keep the team in it. They forced two takeaways of their own, the second one led to the Bills lone points, a Rian Lindell 23 yard field goal early in the third quarter. 13 of the 20 points given up by the Bills are handed on the offensive ledger as they kept putting the ball on the turf. Travis Henry fumbled twice but lost only one thanks to heady play by Josh Reed that kept the Bills field goal drive alive. The only points given up cleanly by the defense as Miami's touchdown on their opening possession and that came after a poor punt into the wind by Brian Moorman. The Dolphins had to go just 36 yards to the opening score, a 23 yard pass to Chris Chambers that beat Antoine Winfield to give them what would be an insurmountable 7-0 lead.

Miami would add a field goal after Nate Clements muffed a punt, it was the second time that he put the ball on the carpet returning punts in the game. They would make it 13-0 after Bledsoe lost another fumble.

It would turn out to be way too many points for this pathetic offense to overcome. Bledsoe was running for his life all day, being sacked six times behind a patchwork offensive line missing Mike Williams. How bad was it? The team had four negative drives. They had only 80 yards total offense before their final two drives of the game in garbage time. The last drive was with Travis Brown at quarterback. The Dolphins average drive start was their 43 thanks to a pathetic offense. The Bills averaged only 2.6 yards a carry on the ground and Bledsoe had a QB rating of 46.2.

The defense shut down Miami holding them to only 169 yards offense, including just 37 net yards passing. Ricky Williams had his usual 100 yard game. Gaining 114 on 29 carries. They kept the Bills in the game. Ryan Denney atoned for an early roughing the passer penalty, that negated an interception, by forcing a fumble setting the Bills up deep in Miami territory early in the third quarter. The offense couldn't get it into the end zone and the field goal was just not going to be enough. Especially, after Bledsoe through his worst pass of the day, that was right to Buckley for the final score of the game.

It is really frustrating for Bills fans to watch the anemic offense week in and week out. It is definitely a foregone conclusion that at the very least the offensive coaching staff will be gone and most likely the entire coaching staff. Now the cries are getting louder to change the quarterback. Bledsoe just doesn't have it anymore and needs to be replaced. That isn't going to happen as the owner is firmly in his corner instead blaming it on the offensive line. Granted, the line is awful to but Bledsoe just doesn't make the right decisions anymore.

The team heads to New England to get blown out by the Patriots before the ripping apart of the coaching staff and the offense begins. Here are our exclusive gameballs and goats it is pretty cut and dry:

London Fletcher - The player of the game was the leading tackler on a solid defense. He led the way with 14 tackles.

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