EditorsNote: rewords eighth graf
Josh Allen fired a 20-yard, fourth-quarter dart to John Brown for the go-ahead touchdown, leading the host Buffalo Bills to a 31-21 win over the winless Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Cornerback Tre'Davious White had a goal-line interception in the third quarter and a forced fumble in the fourth to help hold off Miami. The interception was White's third of the season, and the fumble was recovered by Jerry Hughes.
Allen completed 16 of 26 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, with two sacks and no interceptions. He also ran for 32 yards.
Buffalo (5-1) was favored by 17 points, the largest pro-Bills spread since Jim Kelly was the quarterback in 1992. This is Buffalo's best six-game start since 2008.
The Dolphins (0-6) have lost nine straight games dating to last season. No team in the NFL has a longer active losing streak.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who went 20-33 as Buffalo's starter from 2009-12, completed 23 of 35 passes for 282 yards and one touchdown on Sunday. He was intercepted once and ran for a late touchdown.
Miami got off to a poor start as rookie defensive tackle Christian Wilkins -- the team's first-round pick -- was ejected after the game's second scrimmage play. Wilkins threw a punch at offensive tackle Cody Ford to earn one of the fastest ejections in NFL history.
Buffalo led 6-0 after first-quarter field goals by Stephen Hauschka from 39 and 43 yards.
Miami, which entered the game having had just one lead all season, surged ahead 7-6 on Kalen Ballage's 3-yard run to start the second quarter.
After another Hauschka field goal -- this one from 45 -- Miami took a 14-9 second-quarter lead on Fitzpatrick's 12-yard pass to DeVante Parker, who broke safety Jordan Poyer's attempt at a tackle near the goal line.
The highlight of a scoreless third quarter was Miami's 16-play, 63-yard drive that ended up with White's interception at the 2-yard line. That drive included a fake field goal during which holder Matt Haack ran for a first down.
With 13:50 left in the fourth quarter, Buffalo took a 17-14 lead on Allen's touchdown pass to Brown and the quarterback's two-point conversion run. Allen was 6-for-6 for 73 yards on that 12-play, 98-yard drive.
Miami tried to rally, but rookie Preston Williams caught a short pass before White's hit forced a fumble. Hughes recovered and ran it back to Miami's 16, setting up Allen's 3-yard TD pass to Cole Beasley for a 24-14 lead.
Fitzpatrick scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown run with 1:45 left, breaking safety Micah Hyde's tackle at the goal line.
Hyde got his revenge on the next play as he jumped up to grab an onside kick, racing 45 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.
--Field Level Media
