Dolphins eliminated despite beating Bills 24-10

Reggie Bush caught two touchdown passes and scored on a short run Sunday to help beat the hapless Bills 24-10. But a few minutes later, the Dolphins (7-8) were out of the postseason chase because of Cincinnati's 13-10 win at Pittsburgh.

Miami began the weekend with only a slim chance at the playoffs and will sit them out for the 10th time in 11 years.

"The NFL has a system in place — six teams earn a spot in the playoffs," first-year coach Joe Philbin said. "It is what it is."

Philbin didn't make the playoff race a point of emphasis in December, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill said he was unaware the Dolphins had been eliminated until he emerged from the locker room.

"We just have to move forward and learn from past experiences," Tannehill said.

"It's definitely a setback," linebacker Karlos Dansby said. "We're definitely disappointed. But we had plenty of opportunities."

The Bills (5-10) came into the game assured of missing the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. Coach Chan Gailey's team reached a double-digit loss total for the third year in a row, but he said he's not worried about his job security.

"No, I worry about getting better ... playing to our abilities, which we haven't done," he said. "And that's my responsibility to get that done."

While Bush led an efficient offense, safety Reshad Jones recovered two fumbles and made an interception at the Miami 1 with 71 seconds left to seal the victory. The Dolphins forced four turnovers playing with a patchwork secondary that included starting cornerback Dimitri Patterson, acquired Tuesday after being waived by Cleveland.

Bush's first TD catches of the year covered 17 and 12 yards from Tannehill, helping Miami build a 24-3 lead. Bush also ran for 65 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown.

"Reggie is a versatile player," Tannehill said. "When you have a guy like that, he's a real weapon."

The Dolphins took advantage of Buffalo's woeful run defense by netting 182 yards on the ground while averaging 5.2 per carry. Backup Lamar Miller had 73 and Tannehill added 44, including 31 on a dash that set up a touchdown.