awayTeamLogo Miami 34 homeTeamLogo Buffalo 31
Saturday, December 24, 2016 01:00 PM (ET)

Ajayi, Franks fuel Dolphins past Bills

The Sports Xchange
Dec 24, 2016

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Andrew Franks drilled a 27-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in overtime after making a 55-yard kick late in regulation as the Miami Dolphins continued their playoff push with a 34-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday at New Era Field.

The loss eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention for the 17th straight season, extending the longest postseason drought in North American sports.

Jay Ajayi rushed for 206 yards and a touchdown. He set up the Franks' winning field goal with a 57-yard on the first play of the drive. In two games against the Bills this season, Ajayi has rushed for 420 yards.

Matt Moore started in place of injured quarterback Ryan Tannehill (knee) for the second straight week and was 16 of 30 passing for 233 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills each caught a touchdown pass and rookie Kenyan Drake scored on a long run.

The Bills got the ball first in overtime and reached the red zone before former Dolphin Dan Carpenter missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right.

Miami advanced to the Buffalo 45 before punting on its first overtime possession. The Bills punted from their own 41 on their next drive.

Franks atoned for hitting the upright on a 46-yard attempt earlier in the fourth quarter with his 55-yard kick with 6 seconds left in regulation. Bills players and coaches complained that they tried to call timeout before Franks' kick.

Buffalo trailed by 14 points three times in the game and scored 17 straight to take a 31-28 lead with1:25 remaining. Tyrod Taylor threw his second touchdown pass of the day to former Dolphin tight end Charles Clay to cap an 89-yard drive after Carpenter's 28-yard field goal brought the Bills within 28-24 at 5:51 of the fourth quarter.

The Bills set a franchise record with 589 yards of offense.

Taylor completed 26 of 39 passes for a career-high 329 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards and broke his own franchise record for quarterback rushing with 580 yards this season.

LeSean McCoy had 128 of the Bills' 272 rushing yards. Mike Gillislee rushed for 35 of his 91 yards in overtime.

Sammy Watkins had seven receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. Clay caught eight passes for 85 yards and scored twice for the first time in his two seasons with the Bills.

The two teams combined for 305 yards and four touchdowns during a thrilling third quarter.

Parker caught a short pass over the middle and bounced off a would-be-tackler on his way to a 56-yard touchdown that extended the Dolphins' lead to 21-7 three minutes into the second half.

McCoy made it 21-14 with his 19-yard touchdown run, but the Dolphins went back up by two touchdowns on Moore's 6-yard pass to Stills.

The Bills responded quickly, driving 78 yards on four plays and cutting the lead to 28-21 on Taylor's 18-yard touchdown pass to Clay.

Ajayi rushed for 81 yards in the first half, exceeding his total from each of the last six games, and the Dolphins led 14-7 at halftime.

Ajayi had 47 yards of his yards in the first quarter and gave the Dolphins' an early lead when he broke two tackles on a 2-yard touchdown run. On the Dolphins' next drive, Drake circled out of an inside run and sprinted 45 yards up the sideline to make it 14-0 early in the second quarter.

Buffalo got on the scoreboard with 5:06 left in the second quarter when Watkins hauled in a 38-yard touchdown pass from Taylor. Carpenter missed a 46-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Miami squandered a scoring chance late in the first half when Moore was intercepted in the end zone by Corey White.

NOTES: CB Byron Maxwell (ankle) and LB Jelani Jenkins (knee) missed the game for Miami. ... The Bills were without LT Cordy Glenn (back). ... Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino and Jim Kelly attended the game. Kelly was joined on the sideline by his nephew, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
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