Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer says illegal hit was ‘pure play’

ORCHARD PARK, NY – The Miami Dolphins lost 30-27 to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, with a critical penalty late in the game setting up Tyler Bass’ 61-yard, game-winning field goal.

Facing third-and-9 from his own 31-yard line, Bills quarterback Josh Allen attempted a pass to wide receiver Keon Coleman, which would have set up Buffalo’s offense at the Dolphins’ 30-yard line. Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer knocked the ball loose with a hit to Coleman’s upper body, but was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play.

The penalty awarded 15 yards and a first down to Buffalo, which took the lead for good on Bass’ career-long kick with 10 seconds left in the game.

The crown of Poyer’s helmet made contact with Coleman’s facemask, sealing the penalty. After the match, he said he thought the game was clean in real time.

“I’m just playing football. I thought it was a clean play, it felt like I put my helmet right into his chest,” he said. “I’m just playing football, it’s tough… What can you do? I don’t know. I had a great post break, he went up for the ball and I literally didn’t stop my feet. I felt like I hit him where I was supposed to hit him. The judge obviously didn’t think so.”

The penalty on Poyer was one of eight committed by the Dolphins in Sunday’s loss, two of which came on the Bills’ game-winning drive.

Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell said those penalties are an unfortunate byproduct of a physical, aggressive game.

“This is a physical game. (If Coleman) catches that ball, it’s high time,” Campbell said. “(Poyer) tried to pick him apart, I know he went for the chest — when you go for the chest with your shoulder, sometimes you make contact with the helmet. But that’s an aggressive penalty. We don’t want to stop the guys from being aggressive. It’s a play that’s going to happen sometimes. You want it not to happen, but that’s football.

“I know Poyer, I know his heart, the way he prepares. He’s going to play 100 miles an hour and I’ll go to war with him every day because of that.”

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel echoed Campbell’s sentiment to some extent, agreeing that their goal is to play aggressively. But he didn’t dispute the call.

“You have to play aggressively in this game for success. I have no doubt that the intentionality was appropriate,” McDaniel said. “Po is a giant player for our team and has been phenomenal, really helping us take another step in how we prepare, how we play, how we communicate, all that. But he knows himself that you take it out of your hands and put it in the officials’ hands the second you don’t hit the strike zone … if you didn’t, it’s going to be called every time because it’s against the rules.”

Sunday’s loss dropped Miami to 2-6, effectively five games behind the AFC East-leading Bills, who secured a season sweep of the Dolphins for the second straight year.

ESPN’s Football Power Index gave Miami a 6.5% chance to make the playoffs for Sunday’s game. The Dolphins travel to Los Angeles next week to play the Rams on “Monday Night Football” before a two-game homestand against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots.

Dolphins players aren’t ready to call this season over, and their performance against a Bills team that has dominated them in recent years provided a sense of optimism.

“We’re playing good ball as a team,” Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill said. “It’s about getting better, you know what I’m saying? So going forward next week, a lot of guys are going to take responsibility for what they can get better at and we’re going to move on from that. That’s the only way, team and guys get better at.”