After many games this season, Bills fans have been left scratching their heads on Sunday evenings trying to figure out how this team could claw, fight and scratch through three quarters then wilt away in the final frame. But on Sunday, the Dolphins were the ones left scratching their heads, trying to piece together where it all went wrong.

For the first time in more than two months, Buffalo was victorious at Ralph Wilson Stadium crushing their AFC East rival Miami 31-14, giving interim head coach Perry Fewell his first career win as a head coach. The Bills exploded in the fourth quarter, erupting for 24 points while holding the Dolphins scoreless in the last stanza. The victory evened Fewell’s record at 1-1.

To say the Bills have exercised a few demons would be a great understatement. After all, you’d have to go all the back to Sept.20th, Week 2 against Tampa Bay, to last recall a Bills win at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Lately, home has been anything but sweet for Buffalo. In their previous three home games following Week 2, the Bills turned in three stinkers with losses to New Orleans, Cleveland and Houston. And three ugly losses I might add. Before Sunday’s victory, the Bills managed to just 20 points in their previous three home contests, while surrendering more than 60 points. And let’s not forget the magic carpet ride it’s been in the fourth quarter.

It’s been a problem for the Bills all season, finding an answer to finishing games. They’ve come close many times before, but this isn’t horseshoes so close hasn’t meant a hill of beans. Entering Sunday, the Bills have been outscored in the fourth quarter 109-40 this season. They were outscored 42-0 in the final quarter in their three straight home losses and were shutout in the fourth quarter in those losses.

But then something happened. It was a 15 minute ‘where the heck has that been all season?’ final quarter that saw the Bills’ offense putting the game away. I had pretty much forgotten what that felt like saying that previous sentence aloud. The Bills’ motto in the fourth quarter was keep the pedal to the metal. And boy did they ever.

It wasn’t all sunshine and puppy dogs for the Bills. Miami engineered an 83-yard drive after halftime that ate up more than nine minutes of game clock. With 5:53 left in the third, Ricky Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run put Miami in front, 14-7. The signs weren’t good. We began to squirm in our seats, simultaneously thinking, yep here we go again.

With the dark clouds looming over the Ralph, the Bills were in gut check mode. We knew they needed to respond to Miami’s lengthy drive. Three and out would’ve probably sealed their fate. Staring despair square in the face, Buffalo didn’t blink. The Bills gave the Dolphins a taste of their own medicine, going 75 yards down the field in 13 plays, chewing up more slightly more than seven minutes. With Miami clinging to a 14-7 lead as the fourth quarter began, it took the Bills just 1:11 to tie the game at 14 on a Fred Jackson 3-yard run, his first rushing touchdown of the season. The game remained knotted at 14 with 3:40 left, and rather than play it safe, Fewell elected to give Rian Lindell the chance at a 56-yard field goal.

The thinnest line between genius and moron lies in the NFL every week. Sure conventional wisdom probably says punt. If you miss the kick, it becomes backbreaking for you and a huge momentum swing for your opponent. It’s well documented the troubles Buffalo has had this season stopping the run, and had the Bills punted the ball back to Miami, the Bills would’ve been in for a steady diet of Williams. Fortunately, Lindell made his coach out to be a genius.

Lindell blasted a 56-yard field goal, the longest of his career, to give the Bills their first lead of the afternoon, 17-14 with 3:35 left to play in the game. And then, like we’ve seen so many times before from these Bills, the Dolphins’ offense imploded and left the defense to hang out to dry.

On the next series with Miami trailing by three, defensive end Chris Kelsay harassed Miami quarterback Chad Henne, forcing him to throw an errant pass that was intercepted by Bills cornerback Drayton Florence. The Bills were in business at their own 49. And who would’ve thought, but the Bills went for the jugular. Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with Terrell Owens on a 51-yard strike to put Buffalo ahead for good, 24-14. Let the party begin in the Ralph. The Bills put the nail in the coffin against the hated Dolphins. Just for good measure, Fred Jackson’s second score of the day came on a 7-yard run with 1:20 to play, sealing the deal 31-14.

In last week’s loss there were heroes that were for naught, but this week those heroes can proudly stand tall and be recognized. Fitzpatrick finished the afternoon 17 of 26 for 246 yards and two touchdowns. He got the scoring started for Buffalo with a surprising 31-yard run and his 51-yard bomb to Owens put the game out of reach for Miami. His 31-yard touchdown run was the longest for the Bills this season and the longest since 2007

There was Owens, who has found a great rapport with Fitzpatrick the past two weeks. He finished the game with 5 receptions for 96 yards and a score. It’s the second week in a row Fitzpatrick has found Owens on a deep scoring bomb. Owens has accumulated 293 receiving yards on 14 catches and two touchdowns with Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback the past two games.

There was Fred Jackson. Jackson finally got the monkey off his back and found the end zone for his first two rushing scores this season. With Fewell giving the starting nod to Jackson, Jackson finished with 73 yards on 15 carries.

There was the Bills defense that fought like mad dogs. With the game tied 14-14, the Bills only allowed Miami four first downs over the final 13 minutes of the fourth quarter. Buffalo picked off Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne three times and held Henne to 175 passing yards. There was Rian Lindell’s 56-yard field goal that broke Miami’s spirit and put the Bills in charge for the rest of the day. And there was Perry Fewell. His gutsy, aggressive play calling has allowed the Bills to put their close to the vest, by the book ways out with the trash.

The Bills are now 4-7 and have snapped their three game losing streak, but Buffalo won’t have much time to pat themselves on the back and enjoy it. Buffalo will head to Toronto this Thursday night to face the New York Jets.