Miami secured an 18-9 victory over Buffalo in Week 17 of the 2077 regular season at Miami's home field. The game featured a hard-fought defensive battle with Miami's special teams and defense making critical plays to secure the win.

Buffalo started the scoring with a safety early in the first quarter, given by Miami's Mike McCarthy sacking Buffalo's John Wade for a 10-yard loss resulting in 2 points. Buffalo's kicker Stephen Figaro missed a 38-yard field goal later in the quarter but managed to add a 47-yard field goal early in the second quarter to bring the score to 3-2 in Buffalo's favor.

Miami answered with a 35-yard field goal by Daniel Liller just before halftime, turning the score to 5-3. The third quarter saw Joel Espinoza run in a 6-yard touchdown, followed by Liller's successful extra point, pushing Miami ahead 12-3.

Despite Buffalo quarterback John Wade throwing for 238 yards and tight end Kirk Oakes hauling in 111 receiving yards, Buffalo's offense was unable to convert drives into touchdowns. Wade also recorded three interceptions during the contest, negatively impacting Buffalo's scoring opportunities. Miami quarterback Thomas Pugliese completed 19 of 40 passes for 150 yards with one interception, managing to keep Buffalo's offense in check.

Buffalo's defense recorded four sacks and forced three fumbles, with notable performances from Jose Huffman, Jeffrey Kelso, and Mark Ball, each contributing to forced turnovers and pressure on Miami's offense. However, Miami's defense proved resilient, recording 16 sacks on Buffalo's offense.

The home team also capitalized on Buffalo's penalties, as the Bulls were flagged nine times for 67 yards, which hampered their momentum. Neither team converted any third downs or scored touchdowns in the red zone.

Buffalo's rushing attack totaled 58 yards on 13 carries but failed to find the end zone. Miami gained 79 yards on 20 carries with Joel Espinoza contributing 17 rushing yards and scoring a receiving touchdown.

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 9-5-2 on the season, maintaining second place in their division. Miami improved to 3-13 but remained eliminated from playoff contention. Head coach Robert Craven's squad will look to refine their red zone efficiency and limit turnovers moving forward.

Buffalo's kicker, Stephen Figaro, recovered from an earlier miss to hit three of four field goals attempts, accounting for all nine points scored by the Bulls. Miami converted all three attempts, showcasing solid special teams performance.

The game demonstrated both teams' defensive strengths but highlighted Buffalo's struggles in capitalizing on scoring chances. Buffalo now heads into the final week of the regular season looking to close strong and improve their playoff positioning.