Week 3 in the Rearview: Not Even a Butt Punt Can Stop These Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins came into Sunday's Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills as the talk of the NFL. Between a thrilling comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, a flashy and enjoyable style of play, and Tua Tagovailoa blossoming as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, the Dolphins have been in the news more than in any early season in memory.

Heading into Sunday, it didn't seem as if things could get much better for Phins, or that more attention could be directed their way.

Then a Butt Punt was born, and Miami pulled out an epic 21-19 home win over Buffalo in one of the most exciting Dolphins games since last week.

Yup. Things still had room to escalate, and they did.

Overcoming All-Pro Bills QB Josh Allen and a Bills offense that ran 90 plays to the Dolphins 39 should have been the story to come out of a marquee undefeated matchup win on a usual Monday morning. Instead, a quirky play that occurred toward the end of the game photobombed its way into the spotlight. And it's only totally chill now because the Dolphins ended up winning.

Up 21-17 with 1:33 remaining in the game, Miami was forced to punt from its own end zone. Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead had little room to pull off the most important play of the game, and the result indicated as much as his punt bounced off the butt of teammate Trent Sherfield and out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

And so the Butt Punt was born. And at that juncture, for Dolphins fans convinced the mishap spelled doom, it was, Lord, please take the wheel.

THE PUNT GOES OUT THE REAR OF THE END ZONE! #FinsUp

📺: #BUFvsMIA on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AgvEitKLgz pic.twitter.com/Ry39X0bkrK

— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2022

The butt-punt pic.twitter.com/wFvwWKxuq5

— Mike Cugno (@MikeCugnoCBS4) September 25, 2022

I’m telling my kids this is how footballs are born pic.twitter.com/HKqGOWcobi

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) September 26, 2022

Obviously, everyone loves a Butt Punt, even if it's your own team kicking a football off their own asses. In the NFL, Butt Punts sell. It's a marketing tactic as old as time.

Predictably, the Butt Punt was a huge hit for those covering the game. The Dolphins' huge win, which put them atop the AFC as the conference's only remaining undefeated team, was delegated to sidelight of most headlines coming out of the win.
Luckily, the Dolphins kicking their own butt wasn't the only viral clip to come out of their win against Buffalo. Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey — yes, the ex-Miami Hurricanes QB — took some of the edge off the Dolphins' silly moment with his tantrum when the clock ran out on Buffalo as the team was desperately attempting to get in position for a game-ending field goal.

Behold: a man broken by a Dolphins team that just refuses to lose.

Hoooooo boy Ken Dorsey was PISSSSSSED pic.twitter.com/eTfxFuziM0

— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) September 25, 2022

The best part is the assistant trying to block the camera at the end pic.twitter.com/4ovAhCr5OU

— Matt Reed (@MattReedNews) September 25, 2022

🎵: @DragonForce pic.twitter.com/3qNqstkzPX

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 25, 2022

Jokes and Twitter clips aside, the Miami Dolphins are a problem in the AFC. They're for real and have a monumental chance to cement themselves as a Super Bowl favorite on Thursday night against last year's AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.

Miami Dolphins football on Sundays is newsy and entertaining again. What a time to be alive!