MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- There was little reason to believe the Miami Dolphins would beat the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. Considering the Bills had won 14 of the teams' previous 15 matchups, you could reasonably be labeled "delusional" if you had predicted a Dolphins win.
But that's exactly how Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb described the team's locker room.
Miami snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Bills with a resounding 30-13 victory Sunday. The win marked the third-largest upset in the NFL this season. The Dolphins were an 8.5-point underdog entering the game.
Several football pundits believed the Dolphins' season was over, and the team was criticized for not actively trading away players at the deadline to accumulate more draft capital. But Chubb, who was considered a deadline target, said the team's belief in itself hasn't wavered despite its 3-7 start to the season.
"It didn't matter. We just showed up to work," he said after Sunday's game. "Everybody had that same mindset, and that's why I used the word 'delusional' because nobody on the outside's going to believe it. But all of us in there knew and came out and showed it today.
"It's just about the belief, man, everybody there believing in each other, believing in the process, believing in how we're going to take the field, and that's what worked."
Miami opened a 16-0 lead to start the game, holding the Bills scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2007. Reigning MVP Josh Allen found Keon Coleman for a 35-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter for the Bills' first points of the day, but the Dolphins responded with a 59-yard De'Von Achane touchdown that extended their lead to three scores.
Buffalo cut its deficit to 10 with 3:36 remaining in the game, but Achane scored his second touchdown three plays later on a 35-yard run to seal the win.
"They've chosen to believe throughout the whole thing, throughout the whole season," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. "They've made that decision to continue to believe and continue to invest in each other. So, my belief just in football and in life is that that is paid back to you.
"I think it's pretty obvious from their play that they didn't believe their season was over -- that's difficult to do when everyone's talking to you about the season being over."
Miami was blown out by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 and parted ways with general manager Chris Grier the next day. Interim GM Champ Kelly opted to trade linebacker Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick but declined to make any other moves.
McDaniel said Wednesday that nothing "moved the needle" for the Dolphins at the deadline, and that the team's brain trust of himself, Kelly and senior vice president of football Brandon Shore were in agreement on the moves the team made and didn't make.
Miami had lost seven straight games to Buffalo when McDaniel was hired in 2022 but snapped the losing streak in his first matchup against the five-time reigning AFC East champions. However, the Dolphins hadn't beaten the Bills since that game and lost 31-21 earlier this season.
Sunday's result marked the Dolphins' biggest win over Buffalo since a 35-8 victory in 2011. It also marked the second time McDaniel's team has responded to one of its worst games of the season with one of its best.
Miami beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-10 in Week 8, one week after losing to the Cleveland Browns 31-6.
"I'm very happy that everyone gets to see the side that I see," McDaniel said. "I see guys -- win, lose or draw -- focus and lean in and buy in. And I think eventually you have games where it comes together in situations like that. So, I think it's awesome because they deserve it. Not a surprise to me. ... We knew that if we wanted to gain some respect from that team, we had to earn it."
Achane, who finished with 225 total yards and two touchdowns, said beating the Bills "for sure" felt different from any other win, while offensive lineman Patrick Paul said the mood in the locker room after the game was "a lot of craziness" with guys "just having fun like kids."
On Monday, the Dolphins will fly to Madrid, where they'll face the Washington Commanders in the NFL's first-ever game in Spain. Miami then plays the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets immediately following its Week 12 bye, so each of the Dolphins' next three opponents will sport a record under .500.
Chubb said a win over Buffalo could help springboard Miami toward turning its season around.
"We all know what we can do, and we believe that if we put our minds to it, we can play complementary football like we did," he said. "The sky's the limit, man. You know what I mean? It's not delusional -- at the end of the day, we know we can do it."