This Time, New Defense Fills the Bill

The Buffalo Bills had six fumbles, one muffed punt, several bad plays and no touchdowns, and still, somehow, wound up beating the Miami Dolphins.

Steve Christie kicked three field goals and the Bills won for the second time in three weeks without reaching the end zone Sunday as they beat the Dolphins, 9-6, in a game that Dan Marino left in the third quarter.

“We got a win,” Buffalo quarterback Alex Van Pelt said. “It wasn’t pretty. The conditions weren’t great, but we got out of there with a division win, a big win against a rival. That’s all that matters.”

The Bills won because they recovered five of their own fumbles and held the Dolphins without a touchdown despite playing in a defense that was restructured Friday.

With linebackers Chris Spielman and Damien Covington out because of serious injuries, Buffalo switched from its 3-4 alignment to a 4-3. It held Miami to 230 total yards and the two field goals in a steady rain.

“There were so many heroes, I don’t even know where to begin,” Buffalo Coach Marv Levy said. “Our defense, under extremely trying circumstances, did a spectacular job.”

Marino sprained his left ankle in the first half before leaving the game for good with 11:25 left in the third quarter. Marino completed only four of 14 passes for 67 yards with one interception before being replaced by Craig Erickson, who also wasn’t effective.

Christie kicked field goals of 41, 40 and 39 yards for the Bills. The Dolphins moved into Buffalo territory in the final two minutes before Erickson was intercepted by Bill cornerback Jeff Burris at the Buffalo 19 with 1:01 left.

Buffalo (5-4) is tied for second place with Miami and New England in the AFC East, one game behind the New York Jets.