AFC Notes: Bills, Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins, Patriots

The Bills squeaked by the Dolphins in an ugly game, winning 34-31 despite being two-touchdown favorites against a Miami team starting their third-string rookie quarterback. Bills QB Josh Allen says the big takeaway from the game is there are no style points, and the only thing that matters is moving on to the divisional round. 

“One week seasons man that’s it. Gotta take it ‘1-and-0’, one game at a time,” Allen said via WGR. “Thought we did some good things today and I did some bad things today. Some stuff to clean up, some things to learn from, but we’ll grow from it. All that matters is surviving and advancing. It doesn’t matter how we win, it’s if we win and proud of our guys for playing the way they did.”

Dolphins

• ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reports the Dolphins haven’t had any conversations about moving on from HC Mike McDaniel, GM Chris Grier or QB Tua Tagovailoa next season.
• Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald expects the Dolphins to restructure WR Tyreek Hill this offseason to create cap space. 
• McDaniel on Tagovailoa’s absence from the first round of the playoffs: “Every team I’ve ever been on the mantra is if you look at what you could have done better. That was the hand that was dealt. That was a part of the story. But we thought we were good enough to win the game.” (Joe Schad)
• Dolphins CB Nik Needham is an impending free agent and says the Dolphins have told him of their interest in re-signing him. (Jackson)
• Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins on entering the final year of his rookie deal: “I’m not paying attention to that. I’m not in control of that. That’s up to the powers that be … If I do what I can around the building and things like that, then that’ll all take care of itself.” (Marcel Louis-Jacques)
• Grier on the future of CB Byron Jones, who he adds tried to play but could not: “The season just ended. We’re not there yet. Byron did everything he could to try to play.” (Adam Beasley)
• Grier on Tagovailoa, noting the team will eventually make a decision on his fifth-year option: “Tua is our starting quarterback. Talking to doctors, we fully expect him back next year 100 percent.” (Jackson)
• As for offensive linemen Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson, Grier said the following: “They’re both parts of the plan and we will give them an opportunity to grow and compete.” (Jackson)
• McDaniel on DC Josh Boyer‘s performance this season: “I was very, very proud of the defense, particularly at the end of the season. In a place of adversity, they found their best self. I couldn’t have been prouder of yesterday specifically.” (Beasley)

Patriots

• The Athletic’s Chad Graff mentions two names that would be interesting for the Patriots’ offensive coordinator vacancy are former Broncos and Texans HC Gary Kubiak and Rams QB coach Zac Robinson. 
• Kubiak has a lot of NFL experience which Graff thinks could appeal to Patriots HC Bill Belichick in lieu of actual experience working together, which has been a prerequisite for Belichick in the past. Robinson was drafted by New England in 2010 but didn’t make the team. 
• Graff points out Kubiak and Robinson also are both familiar with the wide zone rushing scheme that the Patriots tried to implement this offseason but abandoned during camp.