1995 · Wild Card Round · Game 2

All seasons › 1995 › Wild Card Round › Game 2

Wild Card Round

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills

Sat December 30, 1995 · Rich Stadium, kickoff 12:30pm

Pregame

Pregame: Wild Card Round
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild Card Round: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Rich Stadium), the bracket opens here. Kickoff: Sat December 30, 1995 at 12:30pm. Winner advances to the divisional round. Loser starts the offseason early.[1][2]

Columnist
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild card weekend is the most chaotic football the calendar produces. Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills at Rich Stadium is the kind of game that decides whether a season was a long buildup or a quick exit. These are the games where the second-tier playoff teams have to prove they belong. Most don't. The few who do define the rest of January.

Around the league
AI summary based on verified facts

The bracket has narrowed to the teams that survived the regular season. Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills are two of them; the rest of the league is in scouting mode for the offseason. What happens in Rich Stadium shifts the rest of the tree: a road favorite winning rearranges seeding expectations; a home upset shows the bracket math underweights heart.

Trend analyst
AI summary based on verified facts

Miami Dolphins versus Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. The teams who reach this round have already proven they survive a long schedule; the stats that matter most now are the ones that compress: scoring differential, red-zone efficiency, turnover margin. At this stage of the year, the simple math is that defenses tighten and the team that protects the ball wins more often than the team that scores the most. Whichever side of Miami Dolphins-Buffalo Bills cleans up the careless plays first usually walks out with the result. Conservative-game expectations should not surprise the reader; both staffs know exactly what worked all season and will lean hard on what travels. The early answer is the kicking game, where any swing of field position compounds.

League standings entering Week 18

Standings as of kickoff, Week 18 (no future-game spoilers)

Around the league

  • Best record league-wide: Kansas City Chiefs (13-3).

AFC

AFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Pittsburgh Steelers11-5L1
Cincinnati Bengals7-9W1
Houston Oilers7-9W2
Cleveland Browns5-11L1
Jacksonville Jaguars4-12W1

AFC East

TeamRecStrk
Buffalo Bills10-6L1
Indianapolis Colts9-7W1
Miami Dolphins9-7W1
New England Patriots6-10L2
New York Jets3-13L4

AFC West

TeamRecStrk
Kansas City Chiefs13-3W2
San Diego Chargers9-7W5
Denver Broncos8-8W1
Oakland Raiders8-8L6
Seattle Seahawks8-8L1

NFC

NFC West

TeamRecStrk
San Francisco 49ers11-5L1
Atlanta Falcons9-7W1
Carolina Panthers7-9L1
New Orleans Saints7-9W1
St. Louis Rams7-9L3

NFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Green Bay Packers11-5W2
Detroit Lions10-6W7
Chicago Bears9-7W2
Minnesota Vikings8-8L2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers7-9L2

NFC East

TeamRecStrk
Dallas Cowboys12-4W2
Philadelphia Eagles10-6L1
Washington Redskins6-10W2
New York Giants5-11L2
Arizona Cardinals4-12--

Game video

▶ Open in YouTube 1995 - AFC Wild Card - Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills · channel: Jean-Paul Müller

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More of this game (12):
1995-12-30 AFC Wildcard Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills1995-12-30 AFC Wildcard Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills1995 AFC Wild Card Playoffs Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills Dec 30. Full game NFL.1995 AFC Wild Card Playoffs Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills Dec 30. Full game NFL.1995 Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills AFC Wild Card Playoff1995 Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills AFC Wild Card PlayoffTim Tindale TD - 1995 AFC Wildcard Game Bills vs. DolphinsTim Tindale TD - 1995 AFC Wildcard Game Bills vs. Dolphins1995 Wild Card Dolphins @ Bills1995 Wild Card Dolphins @ BillsWGRZ TV (NBC) Coverage- Bills beat the Dolphins in the 1995 AFC Wild Card 12/30/95WGRZ TV (NBC) Coverage- Bills beat the Dolphins in the 1995 AFC Wild Card 12/30/95WKBW TV (ABC) Coverage - Bills beat Dolphins, 1995 AFC Wild CardWKBW TV (ABC) Coverage - Bills beat Dolphins, 1995 AFC Wild CardBuffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins - 1995 AFC Playoffs | December 30, 1995Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins - 1995 AFC Playoffs | December 30, 1995Darick Holmes Touchdown - 1995 AFC Wild Card Game Bills vs. DolphinsDarick Holmes Touchdown - 1995 AFC Wild Card Game Bills vs. DolphinsSteve Tasker Touchdown - 1995 AFC Wildcard Game Bills vs. DolphinsSteve Tasker Touchdown - 1995 AFC Wildcard Game Bills vs. DolphinsWIVB TV (CBS) Coverage - Bills beat the Dolphins in the 1995 AFC Wild Card 12/30/95WIVB TV (CBS) Coverage - Bills beat the Dolphins in the 1995 AFC Wild Card 12/30/951995 AFC Wild Card Miami v Buffalo1995 AFC Wild Card Miami v Buffalo

Game info

Roof
outdoors
Surface
astroturf
Weather
26°F, 77% humidity, wind 14 mph
Vegas line
Buffalo Bills -3.5
Over/Under
42.5 (over)

Score

Reveal through:

Miami Dolphins None, Buffalo Bills None

1234T
Miami Dolphins000220002222
Buffalo Bills10143101024273737

Scoring plays

Q1

TeamPlayScore
BillsThurman Thomas 1 yard rush ( Steve Christie kick)0-7
BillsSteve Christie 48 yard field goal0-10

Q2

TeamPlayScore
BillsDarick Holmes 21 yard rush ( Steve Christie kick)0-17
BillsSteve Tasker 37 yard pass from Jim Kelly ( Steve Christie kick)0-24

Q3

TeamPlayScore
BillsSteve Christie 23 yard field goal0-27

Q4

TeamPlayScore
DolphinsO.J. McDuffie 5 yard pass from Dan Marino ( Pete Stoyanovich kick)7-27
BillsTim Tindale 44 yard rush ( Steve Christie kick)7-34
DolphinsRandal Hill 45 yard pass from Dan Marino ( Pete Stoyanovich kick)14-34
BillsSteve Christie 42 yard field goal14-37
DolphinsTerry Kirby 1 yard rush ( O.J. McDuffie pass from Dan Marino )22-37

Recap

Recap
AI summary based on verified facts

Buffalo Bills defeated Miami Dolphins 37-22 at Rich Stadium in the Wild Card Round. The final scoring play was Dolphins: Terry Kirby 1 yard rush ( O.J. McDuffie pass from Dan Marino ). Top line of the day: Dan Marino: 422 pass yards on 33-of-64, 2 TD, 3 INT. Buffalo Bills advance to the divisional round.[1][2]

Columnist recap
AI summary based on verified facts

Buffalo Bills walked out of Rich Stadium as the team that survived a Wild Card Round Miami Dolphins will replay in its head for the entire offseason. The scoreboard says 37-22. The final scoring play came from Dolphins: Terry Kirby 1 yard rush ( O.J. McDuffie pass from Dan Marino ). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier. Buffalo Bills advance to the divisional round.

By the numbers
AI summary based on verified facts

Buffalo Bills 37, Miami Dolphins 22. Round: Wild Card Round. Attendance: 73103. Q1: 2 scoring plays. Q2: 2 scoring plays. Q3: 1 scoring play. Q4: 5 scoring plays. Top performers:
- Dan Marino: 422 pass yards on 33-of-64, 2 TD, 3 INT
- Thurman Thomas: 158 rush yards on 25 carries
- O.J. McDuffie: 11 catches for 154 yards

Film room
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild Card Round, played at Rich Stadium. Final: Miami Dolphins 22, Buffalo Bills 37, with Buffalo Bills taking the result by 15. **First quarter**

- Bills: Thurman Thomas 1 yard rush ( Steve Christie kick)
- Bills: Steve Christie 48 yard field goal

Second quarter

- Bills: Darick Holmes 21 yard rush ( Steve Christie kick)
- Bills: Steve Tasker 37 yard pass from Jim Kelly ( Steve Christie kick)

Third quarter

- Bills: Steve Christie 23 yard field goal

Fourth quarter

- Dolphins: O.J. McDuffie 5 yard pass from Dan Marino ( Pete Stoyanovich kick)
- Bills: Tim Tindale 44 yard rush ( Steve Christie kick)
- Dolphins: Randal Hill 45 yard pass from Dan Marino ( Pete Stoyanovich kick)
- Bills: Steve Christie 42 yard field goal
- Dolphins: Terry Kirby 1 yard rush ( O.J. McDuffie pass from Dan Marino )

Top performers

- Dan Marino: 422 pass yards on 33-of-64, 2 TD, 3 INT
- Thurman Thomas: 158 rush yards on 25 carries
- O.J. McDuffie: 11 catches for 154 yards

Box score

DolphinsBills
Team totals
First Downs2627
Total Yards502536
Turnovers42
Passing
Comp/Att34/6612/22
Pass yards432195
Pass TD21
Interceptions32
Sacks taken00
Sack yards lost00
Net pass yards432195
Rushing
Rushes1452
Rush yards70341
Rush TD13
Discipline
Fumbles21
Fumbles lost10
Penalties45
Penalty yards1529

Passing

PlayerC/AYdsTDIntRate
MIA
Dan Marino33/6442223
Bernie Kosar1/11000
O.J. McDuffie0/1000
BUF
Jim Kelly12/2219512

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsTDLong
MIA
Keith Byars422010
John Kidd118018
Bernie Parmalee51307
O.J. McDuffie1909
Terry Kirby2817
Dan Marino1000
BUF
Thurman Thomas25158132
Darick Holmes1587134
Tim Tindale468144
Bill Brooks228021
Steve Tasker2703
Jim Kelly3-30-1
Russell Copeland1-40-4

Receiving

PlayerRecYdsTDLong
MIA
O.J. McDuffie11154131
Terry Kirby868019
Randal Hill259145
Bernie Parmalee451019
Gary Clark241031
Keith Byars430012
Irving Fryar329015
BUF
Steve Tasker5108137
Thurman Thomas342018
Tony Cline232021
Bill Brooks21307

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