Bills Use Mistakes to Beat Dolphins : Pro football: Buffalo takes advantage of fumble, interception and three penalties in 26-20 victory.

L.A. Times Archives

Nov. 17, 1992 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

MIAMI — The last time Miami played Buffalo, mistakes beat the Bills. This time, mistakes beat the Dolphins.

The Bills took advantage of two Miami turnovers and three key defensive penalties to beat the Dolphins, 26-20, in an AFC East game Monday night. Buffalo, which had five turnovers in a 37-10 loss to Miami last month, this time had none.

Buffalo improved to 8-2, and the Dolphins fell to 7-3. Because of the NFL’s tiebreaker system to settle playoff slots, the victory, in effect, gave the Bills a two-game lead because they have two fewer losses than Miami within the division.

“We’re thrilled with the victory, but we know we’ve got a lot of season left,” said Bills Coach Marv Levy, who earned his 100th NFL victory. “We know we can only be thrilled for a short time.”

Said Miami running back Mark Higgs: “We’ll meet again in the playoffs, and we’ll be ready for them.”

Defensive penalties against the Dolphins helped set up two Buffalo scores, and a pass interference call against rookie Troy Vincent with three minutes to play negated a third-down incompletion at the Buffalo 18.

Four Buffalo sacks helped to cool Dan Marino after he completed his first 11 passes, including touchdown throws to cap Miami’s first two possessions. The scoring plays covered one yard to Greg Baty and 19 yards to Mark Clayton.

“The fact that we were able to get some pressure on Marino and get some turnovers was a big factor,” said Bruce Smith, who had one sack.

The Bills, who trailed, 14-3, in the second quarter, took their first lead at 20-17 with a 46-yard touchdown drive after a short punt by Reggie Roby. A dead-ball personal foul against Miami’s Marco Coleman erased a second-and-13 situation and gave Buffalo a first down at the 12.

Then came the Dolphins’ turnovers. Cornelius Bennett recovered Higgs’ fumble, Henry Jones intercepted a pass that slipped through Keith Jackson’s hands and Buffalo converted both Miami mistakes with short field goals by Steve Christie.

Christie also kicked two field goals in the first half, including a team-record 54-yarder.

Jones’ interception was his seventh of the year, most in the NFL.

“To beat Buffalo, you have to take the ball away and not give it up,” Miami Coach Don Shula said. “In this game we gave it up and didn’t take it away.”

Buffalo’s Jim Kelly, who had four passes intercepted by Miami in last month’s loss, this time completed 19 of 32 for 212 yards with no interceptions.

“I think we were well prepared the last time we played them. We just didn’t play well,” Kelly said. “If you looked at the films, things were there. We just didn’t execute. Tonight we did.”

Miami’s Pete Stoyanovich hit two field goals, including a 50-yarder with 4:04 to play. But the penalty on Vincent gave the Bills a first down; they then ran out the clock after Thurman Thomas leaped for a five-yard gain on third and four.

“I’ve never had a bigger run--not in junior high, high school, college or the pros,” Thomas said.

Vincent was also called for holding in the first half in a third-and-three situation, which led to a field goal by Christie. Miami was penalized 10 times for 99 yards.

“We start out like a house afire. Then we just stopped scoring,” Shula said. “We started to shoot ourselves in the foot.”