Bills' Hobbled Hero: Kaiir Elam Saves Day vs. Dolphins, Healthy for Bengals?
The Buffalo Bills' usual suspects, as expected, came to play when the Miami Dolphins put up a surprisingly durable resistance in the AFC Wild Card playoffs. But a new playoff trip offered new heroes on all sides of the ball.
Freshman newcomers James Cook (scoring the second touchdown of the afternoon) and Khalil Shakir (51 yards on three grabs) each rose to the occasion with box score contributions on offense. But no Buffalo playoff virgin made a bigger impact on Sunday than first-round choice Kaiir Elam, whose Sunday efforts allowed Buffalo to keep its Super Bowl trek alive.
Elam introduced himself to the NFL postseason scene with an interception that yielded a Buffalo touchdown that gave them a permanent lead and the pass deflection that sealed the deal, allowing the Bills to escape from Western New York with a 34-31 victory.
The 23rd overall pick of last spring's draft has had a rollercoaster NFL debut campaign but things appear to be ending on a momentum-shifting note: it took only five plays for the Bills' offense to capitalize on Elam's takeaway, earned on an ill-advised desperation toss from Skylar Thompson on a 19-yard third-down inside the Miami 10. Cole Beasley earned the fateful score on a six-yard pass from Josh Allen, one that created a 24-20 Buffalo lead.
Elam's signature Buffalo moment came at the end, slamming the door on Miami's upset bid with a diving swat of a Thompson pass intended for Mike Gesicki at the first down marker that could've kept the game rolling.
Elam, alas, wasn't available for comment after the game, as he was checked for an injury after the knockdown, later revealed to be leg cramps. His defensive teammates were more than happy to analyze exactly where he's made the most improvement, with defensive lineman Shaq Lawson labeling his interception the result of becoming a film connoisseur.
“That’s somebody who has been studying his film and knew what was going on,” Lawson said. “He jumped that route. I always tell him, ‘Shoot, you’re a first-round pick, go out and be a dog.’ I’ve been preaching that, and I was proud when he got that pick because even though he’s a rookie, he’s been studying like he’s been in the league (for) three or four years."
“He’s such a student of the game,” cornerback Tre'Davious White said. “He really wants it. His desire to be the best is next to none. The success he had today was not a surprise.”
Elam perhaps fully proved his on-field mettle in the win, but truly defined the role of a hero long before kickoff, especially in the eyes of one supporter: prior to the game, the rookie went viral for all the right reasons, greeting nine-year cancer patient Sophia Benintende, one of his self-described biggest fans, on the Highmark Stadium sidelines as he prepped for the Dolphins' visit.
With its win, Buffalo (14-3) is now set to face the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional round next Sunday (3 p.m. ET, CBS). Elam was labeled questionable to return, though the Buffalo defense did not take the field for the final 2:22, as Miami's lack of timeouts allowed the offense to finish the game with a series of kneel downs.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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