After winning two back-to-back games, the Buffalo Bills were back on track, but then they lost at the hands of the Miami Dolphins, 30-13, in the week 10 matchup. The Bills were dominated by the Dolphins in three quarters, and now, head coach Sean McDermott has pointed out what they lacked in the loss.

According to Bills Digest’s editor Alex Brasky, Bills head coach Sean McDermott has made it clear why the Bills’ passing game failed in moving the ball. 

McDermott said, “I felt like there were some times where we weren’t open”, as reported by Brasky.

The loss to the Dolphins has now moved the Bills behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East to 2nd position. What could have been a win against the struggling Dolphins turned out to be a reality check for the Bills, bringing quarterback Josh Allen into the spotlight.

Allen was also sacked three times, completing 28 of 40 passes for 306 yards, and had two touchdowns. Both of these touchdowns came during the final quarter. He also had a fumble. Allen’s night was defined by missed connections rather than turnovers. Midway through the second quarter, he overthrew Khalil Shakir on a short right route, killing what looked like a promising drive at Miami’s 47-yard line.

These numbers reinforce the coach’s indirect comments about Allen’s vision. The numbers only reinforced that claim. Allen threw with a 70 percent completion rate, yet Buffalo went scoreless through the first three quarters. While the stat line looked strong on paper, most of the production came in catch-up mode.

The rhythm McDermott perhaps wanted never truly arrived until the scoreboard pressure had already mounted. Especially with the defense not helping either. While the stat sheet may flatter Allen’s numbers, the timing and context of those yards reveal a deeper concern for Buffalo’s offense.

An unwanted record for the Buffalo Bills

During their game, the Bills were down 16–0 at halftime. This was their biggest halftime deficit since week 4 of the last season, when the Bills were trailing by 21-3 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Additionally, the Bills’ failure to put any points on the board in the first half was their first scoreless opening 30 minutes since 2023. Back then, the New York Giants led 6-0 at halftime.

Buffalo entered the game dealing with multiple injuries that disrupted their offense, including James Cook. However, this doesn’t mean that the halftime adjustments for Josh Allen, Sean McDermott, and the squad didn’t play a part.

After their statement win over the Chiefs, Buffalo’s offensive miscues against Miami quickly erased the optimism. With timing and execution still in question, all eyes now turn to Week 11, when the Bills host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.