Bills’ Fold Continues, This Time to Dolphins

The Buffalo Bills’ slump is so severe that they can’t even beat the Miami Dolphins.

Needing a victory to clinch a playoff berth, the Bills instead lost their third game in a row Monday night. Dan Marino passed for 263 yards and the Dolphins won, 16-14, for their first late-season victory against Buffalo since 1986.

The Bills (9-6) had beaten Miami (7-8) 11 consecutive times in November, December and January over the past decade.

“This was there for the taking,” Buffalo defensive end Phil Hansen said. “It’s disappointing, disheartening, a bad way to lose--not the Buffalo Bills I know. We had every opportunity presented to us in the last three weeks.”

With Buffalo’s defeat, New England (10-5) clinched the AFC East title.

Buffalo fell into a tie with Kansas City and Indianapolis for the best record in the wild-card race. The Bills can still earn a wild-card berth if they win their final regular-season game Sunday at home against the Chiefs, or if Jacksonville (8-7) loses or ties its final game against Atlanta.

“The playoffs start next week for this team,” Bill center Kent Hull said.

If the second-year Jaguars beat Atlanta, they’ll clinch a playoff berth--unless the Buffalo-Kansas City game ends in a tie.

The Dolphins, who were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, controlled the ball for 42 minutes to end a three-game losing streak.

“I don’t understand people saying we don’t have something to play for,” said Trace Armstrong, who sacked Jim Kelly twice. “This is my life, and there’s always something to play for. This is Monday night and the Buffalo Bills, and that’s plenty.”

Miami won two in a row against Buffalo for the first time in 10 years.

“We’re on track with this team overall,” Dolphin Coach Jimmy Johnson said. “I don’t think it’s any secret to anybody we’re trying to put together a team that is going to be outstanding the next couple of years.

“We approached the week like any other game. We want to finish on a positive note. Our guys know we’re playing for the future.”

For the fifth consecutive game, Miami’s offense scored only one touchdown, but that was enough because of a stout defensive effort. Buffalo had the ball for only 18 minutes, scoring on Kelly’s touchdown passes of 67 yards to Andre Reed and 16 yards to Eric Moulds.

“We got beat probably worse than the score says,” Coach Marv Levy said. “We didn’t get the ball enough, and didn’t do enough with it when we had it.”

After Moulds scored with 4:09 left, Miami caught a break when the officials ruled the ball was dead on an apparent fumble by O.J. McDuffie at the Dolphins’ 25.

Marino completed 26 of 37 passes. His five-yard touchdown pass to McDuffie made the score 16-7 with 11 minutes left.

Miami outrushed Buffalo, 145-51, and Joe Nedney kicked three field goals for the Dolphins, including an 18-yarder to give them a 9-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

Buffalo missed a chance to take the lead later in the quarter. A 42-yard pass interference penalty on Calvin Jackson gave Buffalo a first down at the Miami three, but the Dolphins held, and Steve Christie missed a 20-yard field goal attempt when his kick deflected off the right upright.

“They made a field goal from the one-yard line, and we couldn’t,” Levy said.

Buffalo had the ball for less than 8 1/2 minutes in the first half but led, 7-6, because of Kelly’s longest completion of the season, a 67-yard touchdown pass play with Reed.