DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins kept their playoff hopes alive with a 22-9 victory over Buffalo in a Thursday night game that saw them outscore the Bills 19-3 in the second half.

The Dolphins (6-4) thrived despite a matchup that featured a shuffled offensive line going against the NFL leader in sacks. Miami gave up five sacks, but none was of the game-changing variety. And the offensive line cleared the way for 125 yards rushing, 86 of those by ailing running back Lamar Miller, who was playing with an injured left shoulder.

The combination of rugged defense, the running game and quarterback Ryan Tannehill (26-for-34, 240 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) posting a 114.8 passer rating spelled doom for the Bills.

Make no mistake, it was a bigger victory for the Dolphins, who had lost three consecutive games and four of the last five to the Bills.

“That was a big game, a division game in this league — you know how big they are — playoff implications and all that,” said cornerback Brent Grimes, who shadowed Buffalo rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins and held him to three receptions for 32 yards.

“It was a huge win for us. We’re happy about it. I know they’re hurting. That’s a good team over there. We knew we were coming into a tough game. We’re proud of how we played.”

The winning offensive formula for the Dolphins so far has been a strong ground game and efficient passing by Tannehill. The combination has produced effective results.

“It keeps the chains moving,” said Tannehill, who has posted a passer rating of more than 100 in three of the last five games, all victories.

“I think that’s the biggest thing (because) when you keep drives alive and keep the chains moving, it keeps your defense off of the field. It tires out the other defense. Ultimately, if you keep doing that, you’re going to score points.

“I think that the defense played great once we got the lead. The defense really stepped up and held them where they were at.”

Buffalo only gained 86 yards in the second half and the Dolphins scored 19 unanswered points. The biggest score might have been the safety in the third quarter. Bills quarterback Kyle Orton was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone as he tried to avoid the rush of defensive end Olivier Vernon. That gave the Dolphins a 12-9 lead they extended to 19-9, and eventually, the final score of 22-9.

The biggest surprise of the game wasn’t the victory, but the performance of the makeshift offensive line. Left tackle Ja’Wuan James was making his first start at the position, having shifted from right tackle. Right tackle Dallas Thomas was making his first start at the position, having shifted from left guard. And left guard Shelley Smith was making his first start at the position, having come off the bench.

And somehow they held up against the Bills’ formidable defensive line.

“I thought that they played well,” Tannehill said of the line. “Most of the night, I was able to get the ball out of my hands (and) get through my reads. (There were a couple plays) where there was nobody open. I went through my progressions and I would go back to my (fourth read) and then the sack happened.

“It’s not just that the offensive line gave up five sacks; it’s me getting the ball out of my hands (and) receivers running and them blocking. It’s a full picture.”

But thanks largely to the offensive line, the Dolphins remain in the playoff picture.

Notes: Cornerback Will Davis (knee) will be placed on season-ending injured reserve after sustaining the injury Thursday night. . . Linebacker Jonathan Freeny (hamstring) didn’t return after leaving in fourth quarter.

REPORT CARD vs. BILLS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B — QB Ryan Tannehill (two touchdowns, no interceptions, 114.8 passer rating) had one of his best days in the NFL by completing passes to eight receivers. Miami gave up five sacks but that’s not bad considering the offensive line was re-worked and Buffalo was the opponent.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: A — RB Lamar Miller (86 yards) led the way for a ground game that gained 125 yards. Miami kept the chains moving and stayed in workable third-down situations. The offensive line continues to do good work.

–PASS DEFENSE: A — CB Brent Grimes shadowed WR Sammy Watkins (three receptions, 32 yards) and shut him down. The defense posted just two sacks, but the Dolphins held QB Kyle Orton to a 69.7 passer rating and were generally disruptive.

–RUSH DEFENSE: A — The Bills rushed for 54 yards, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. True, they were missing RBs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, but they were still stymied. Miami made Buffalo one dimensional offensively.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: B — KR Jarvis Landry lost a fumble. Fortunately for Miami it didn’t lead to points, but it’s troubling. Landry has lost two punts this season. In all other areas, special teams continues to improve.

–COACHING: A — Having Grimes shadow Watkins was a good idea. And scoring 19 second-half points was good, too. The Dolphins are still getting off to slow starts (they had three points in the first half), but they squashed an AFC East opponent that had beaten them three consecutive games, and they did it with a makeshift offensive line.