Dolphins-Bills on 'Thursday Night Football': What We Learned from Buffalo's 31-21 win over Miami

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• REWATCH: Dolphins-Bills on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Bills' Allen throws 200th career TD pass
• READ: Tagovailoa on late INT: Bills LB made a great play
• READ: RB Cook, 'shot out of a cannon,' powers Bills' win

1. Bernard’s INT bailed out Bills late. Terrel Bernard stepped up with a big performance and just the play the Bills needed as their defense was fading. With the Dolphins trying to tie the game with just over three minutes left, Bernard stepped in front of a Tua Tagovailoa pass to force the first turnover of the game. Credit Deone Walker with the pressure on that play, too. Bernard’s 24-yard return didn’t hurt, either, giving the offense some breathing room and allowing it to drain the clock and kick the game-clinching field goal. Bernard was everywhere Thursday, made a TD-saving tackle on the first drive (even though Miami scored the next play) and a great stuff of Ollie Gordon II. With Matt Milano and Ed Oliver out, and Miami flexing its muscles on a few drives, Bernard’s clutch play was massive. Remember, he’s the one who recovered the late Derrick Henry fumble in Week 1.
2. Two massive penalties hurt Dolphins’ chances to end winless streak. The Dolphins were battered and bruised defensively, coming off two rough games in the 0-2 start, and yet they somehow had forced a third straight punt in the second half. The game appeared to be swinging back in Miami’s favor with 10 minutes to go in a 21-all game … until Zach Sieler committed a brutal roughing the kicker penalty, giving the Bills new life. They’d drain another three minutes, score the go-ahead touchdown and then force the game-sealing INT on the following possession. That penalty was a killer. Earlier in the game, the Dolphins sacked Josh Allen on first-and-goal for a 3-yard loss, but Jordyn Brooks inexplicably hit Allen late with no real intent. The Bills scored on the next play, and who knows what happens if Brooks just lets Allen go? When you’re 0-2, it’s the little things that seem to come back to bite you the hardest. 
3. Bills offense overcame second-half stalls. The Bills have now scored over 30 points in every game this season, all wins, but there was quiet alarm at how the offense stalled at times in the second half. After coming out with a crisp drive to start the second half, they gained only one first down in their next two possessions, punting both times. Keon Coleman and Ty Johnson dropped passes on back-to-back plays, and Josh Allen missed some throws. The Dolphins’ shorthanded defense even appeared to force a third straight punt, prior to a roughing call saving the Bills' bacon. Credit the Bills for finishing this one off, with a TD after the reprieve and a clock-milking field goal. But they didn’t look crisp much of the night, especially after a first-half sack (followed by a missed field goal), nibbling at the edges of the Dolphins defense and taking few second-level shots. It was a curiously safe plan, and yet they also got away from the run for stretches, too.
4. McDaniel had Dolphins ready, but game slipped away. Credit Mike McDaniel for this: In a short week when the noise was loud, with locals calling for his job, the Dolphins came out ready to play. They scored impressively on the first drive of the game and tied it up with a brilliantly called and timed possession, bleeding out the clock. Even after Miami fell behind twice in the second half, his team showed fight, forcing stops with a shorthanded defense and driving down the field in must-have situations. Tua Tagovailoa’s pick was a bad one, and he’d just begun to heat up after dinking and dunking much of the night. The Dolphins had a great chance to pull a stunner, and it slipped through their fingers. The heat might not be off McDaniel, but you can’t say they’re not improving -- even with those gutting penalties. There was an edge to their game, but sometimes it went beyond. It’ll be interesting to see what the reaction is to this team now. There are winnable games upcoming, with three of their next four opponents currently owning 0-2 records.
5. Cook might need the ball even more. James Cook is already well ahead of his workload pace from any prior season, and he’s making a case to get the ball even more -- despite missing part of training camp during a contract standoff. Cook touched it 22 times Thursday and was the Bills’ most consistent offensive source. He ran it 19 times for 108 yards, which included a pretty 26-yarder. But Cook also made some brilliant runs for minimal or no gains, jump-cutting or side-stepping potential tackles for loss. He only caught three passes, which could be something the Bills look at improving. Dalton Kincaid made some big catches Thursday, and Jackson Hawes scored another TD, but the Bills were having a hard time generating big plays. Cook was a consistent gainer against the Dolphins, and if he can keep up this expanded role, the Bills might regain some of their offensive mojo.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Dolphins-Bills (via NFL Pro): Miami’s Dee Eskridge hit a max speed of 20.19 mph on his 54-yard kickoff return to open the game. 

NFL Research: The Bills have scored 30-plus points in each of their first three games for the second straight season. The only other team to do so in back-to-back seasons was the 1948-49 49ers.