Bills Central

2 winners & 3 losers in Bills ridiculous loss to Dolphins in Week 10

Who stood out as winners and losers as the Buffalo Bills lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 10?
Randy Gurzi|
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen hands off to RB James Cook III during the first half against the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen hands off to RB James Cook III during the first half against the Miami Dolphins. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It was an ugly game for the Buffalo Bills, who went into the first half trailing the Miami Dolphins 16-0. It was the first time since they played the New York Giants in Week 6 of the 2023 season that Buffalo was shut out in the first half.

Buffalo knew it could be rough when they went into the game without two of their key defenders, but no one expected the Dolphins to be the more aggressive team.

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That was the case from the opening snap as the Bills left South Beach with an unforgivable loss. Let's take a moment to look back at this one and see who stood out as winners and loser for the Bills.

Loser: Maxwell Hairston, CB

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle makes a touchdown catch against Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle makes a touchdown catch against Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Week 9 was a huge win for Maxwell Hairston, but Week 10 wasn't as much fun for the rookie. He was tormented by Jaylen Waddle all day, including being on the wrong side of a 38-yard touchdown. Adding insult to injury, Hairston was flagged for pass interference and Waddle still hauled in the score.

Hairston recovered with a late pick, but Waddle made it a long day for the rookie.

Winner: Khalil Shakir, WR

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Keon Coleman and Jackson Hawes deserve honorable mentions for catching touchdown passes, but outside of those receptions, they did very little. That wasn't the case for Khalil Shakir.

The veteran wideout caught seven of nine targets for 58 yards, including a 25-yarder on fourth-and-15. Shakir remains the most reliable option in the passing attack and deserves praise for his efforts in this one.

Loser: James Cook

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

James Cook was dealing with an ankle injury this week, but still suited up. Unfortunately, he didn't have his best outing.

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Cook struggled to find room for much of the first half, gaining 21 yards on seven attempts. His lone big gain was a nine-yard run deep in Miami territory, but that ended in disaster when Cook fumbled the ball. The Dolphins recovered, which ended the Bills' best chance to score in the first half.

It wasn't much better in the second half as Cook finished with 53 yards in 13 rushing attempts.

Winner: Joey Bosa, EDGE

Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa enters the field to warm up before a game against the New England Patriots.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa enters the field to warm up before a game against the New England Patriots. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Defensively, the Bills were a mess this weekend. One player was able to stand out positively, however.

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Joey Bosa, who was playing with a club on his left hand, was able to generate pressure and recorded two tackles for a loss. His effort was easy to overlook, but he gave them all he had.

Loser: Josh Allen, QB

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen scrambles against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen scrambles against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

This was another one of those games where the Bills put way too much on the shoulders of Josh Allen. He's delivered far more often than not, but this wasn't his day.

Allen had multiple turnovers in this game, throwing an ugly interception in the third quarter and fumbling the ball away in the fourth. To his credit, Allen made multiple "Superman" plays, but this might have been his worst outing of the season.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.