By Jay Skurski

Copyright buffalonews

Prior to Thursday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen posed on the field at Highmark Stadium for a picture with his family.

That image was shared on social media by Buffalo News photographer Harry Scull Jr.

A witty response followed from one of Scull’s followers on X: “Missing from the picture, Josh’s children, the Miami Dolphins.”

Allen is indeed the Dolphins’ daddy, as he showed again in leading a closer-than-it-should-have-been 28-21 win.

Allen finished 22 of 28 for 213 yards and three touchdown passes. He now has accounted for 48 touchdowns (43 passing, five rushing) against the Dolphins in his career, including the postseason, by far his most against any opponent (New England is next on the list with 29). Allen’s first touchdown pass Thursday gave him 43 total touchdowns in 15 regular-season games against Miami, surpassing former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino’s record of 42 touchdowns against the Jets for most total TDs by a quarterback in his 15 games against an opponent.

“They had a good plan today,” Allen said of the Dolphins. “I thought their offense did a good job of sustaining drives and really limiting our opportunities. I thought we had opportunities on the offensive side and we didn’t take advantage of some of them, but at the end of the day, we got the win.”

That’s become typical when Buffalo meets Miami. Some other numbers to know from the win:

The Bills stretched their home win streak against Miami to 10 games, including playoffs, extending the franchise’s longest such streak in team history against any opponent.The Bills have won 14 of their last 15 games against the Dolphins, including each of the last seven.The Bills have now won 13 straight home regular-season games, which marks the second-longest streak in team history behind a 15-game home winning streak from 1990-91.Since 2018, the Bills are one of only two teams to be undefeated on Thursdays, with Cleveland being the other.

Allen, of course, has been the constant and the main reason for much of that success. He surpassed the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes to become the fastest player in NFL history to reach 300 career touchdowns, including the postseason.

1. Cook keeps it up

James Cook continues to make big plays for the Bills. The running back scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season in the third quarter, crossing the goal line from 2 yards out to put Buffalo up, 21-14, after Matt Prater’s extra point.

It was the seventh straight game in the regular season that Cook rushed for a touchdown, tying a team record accomplished three times previously, but not since Robb Riddick in 1988. The other names on that list are on the team’s Wall of Fame – O.J. Simpson and Cookie Gilchrist.

Cook topped 100 rushing yards for the second straight game, finishing with 108 yards on 19 carries. The rest of Week 3 needs to play out, but for now, Cook leads the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, with 284 and four, respectively.

His contributions remain crucial to the Bills’ rushing attack. No. 2 running back Ray Davis did not log a carry against the Dolphins.

“The guy just attacks every time he touches the ball,” Allen said of Cook. “He looks like he’s been shot out of a cannon every time he touches it. He’s so fun to play with. Wants the ball, ultimate competitor.”

2. Elijah Moore carving out role

Through three quarters, here was the production from the Bills’ wide receivers: Khalil Shakir, three catches, 30 yards; Keon Coleman, three catches, 20 yards; Tyrell Shavers, two catches, 24 yards; Elijah Moore, one catch, 0 yards; Joshua Palmer, zero catches, 0 yards.

Said another way: Not much. The Bills needed more consistency from that group for most of Thursday night. Making matters worse, that’s against a Miami secondary that had gotten absolutely torched the first two weeks of the season.

They play four quarters, though, and Moore made a big impact before the clock hit zero. His 30-yard reception on a second-and-16 play gave the Bills a huge first down that took the clock to the two-minute warning.

Moore had two catches for 30 yards and one rush for 11 yards in the win.

“Every day, it’s doing my best whenever my number is called,” he said. “I’ve always got confidence. I trust in my ability and the work I put in. So wherever they need me, I’m just trying to advance my role every single week.”

While their numbers weren’t robust, the Bills did get important contributions from their receivers, none bigger than Shakir’s 15-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter that provided the game-winning points.

3. Dalton does it again

Just like in Week 1, the Bills got their first touchdown of the game Thursday night on a completion from Allen to tight end Dalton Kincaid. This one covered 20 yards, and included a magnificent effort by Kincaid to get into the end zone after making the catch at the Miami 8-yard line. Kincaid kept his balance, then absorbed a hit at the goal line from Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to get into the end zone.

That’s exactly the type of production the Bills have expected from him for some time.

“The guy works as hard as anyone in our building,” tight end Dawson Knox said of Kincaid. “His chemistry with Josh is awesome, and he’s an athlete, man.”

Early in the second quarter, Allen looked for Kincaid in the end zone. The pass was in the right spot, but Miami safety Ashtyn Davis was able to get a hand in to break up the pass. Nevertheless, it was telling that Allen again targeted Kincaid in the red zone. The Bills need Kincaid to be a consistent threat in that area of the field. Two touchdowns in the first three weeks of the season is a good start.

4. Taron Johnson returns

The Bills got a key part of their defense back against the Dolphins with the return of nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, who missed the team’s Week 2 win over the New York Jets with a quad injury. Johnson was listed as questionable on the final injury report, but indicated during the short practice week that he felt good and expected to be able to play.

On the first play from scrimmage, Johnson was alone in coverage and made a nice open-field tackle on Miami receiver Malik Washington.

Defensive back Cam Lewis (shoulder) and linebacker Shaq Thompson (hand/groin), the Bills’ other two players listed as questionable on the final injury report, also were in the lineup against the Dolphins. Thompson missed the Week 2 win over the Jets.

Lewis, who started in place of Johnson last week, was back in his usual role as part of the Bills’ dime package.

The Dolphins did not have a single play of 20-plus yards.

“I think we’re one of the most prepared teams in the league,” Johnson said. “We don’t really want to give up explosives. We want to force the offense, if they’ve got to dink and dunk all the way down the field, then so be it. We made plays when we needed to.”

5. Prater finishes it off

Veteran kicker Matt Prater started his Bills career by making his first 11 kicks − six field goals and five extra points. That included a game-winner at the gun against Baltimore in Week 1 and a 52-yarder against the Jets in Week 2.

With kicker Tyler Bass on injured reserve, Prater’s success led to an interesting question that has made the rounds on social media: Will he keep the job when Bass returns?

Prater’s consecutive kicks made streak came to an end in ugly fashion in the second quarter, when he yanked his attempt way wide to the left from 39 yards out.

Kicking to the same, scoreboard end of the stadium in the fourth quarter, however, he made amends, drilling a 48-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining that officially put the victory on ice.

It was the bright spot to what was an otherwise challenging night for the special teams and ensured that the conversation about the kicking position for the Bills will continue at least through Week 4. Bass is eligible to return after that game against the Saints, depending on his health.

Prater has done so well that it seems unlikely the Bills would be able to get him back onto their practice squad.