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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Miami Dolphins’ Andrew Franks (3) kicks a field goal to tie the game during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, in Orchard Park, N.Y.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. >> Jay Ajayi ran for 206 yards and broke loose for a 53-yarder in overtime to set up Andrew Franks’ 27-yard field goal with 47 seconds left to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 34-31 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
In winning for the ninth time in 10 games, the Dolphins (10-5) inched closer to their first playoff berth since 2008.
Miami can secure the AFC’s final wild-card berth as early as Sunday if Denver loses to Kansas City.
Denver needs to win its final two games to make the postseason and Baltimore is eliminated from the wild-card race and can only make the playoffs as the AFC North champion.
The Bills (7-8) were eliminated from contention and extended the NFL’s longest active playoff drought to 17 seasons.
Buffalo’s drought is tied for the fifth longest in NFL history, and longest since the New Orleans Saints went 20 years before qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1987.
Ajayi is the fourth player in NFL history to have at least three games with at least 200 rushing yards in a season. Earl Campbell, OJ Simpson, Tiki Barber are the others.
Franks forced overtime by hitting a career-best 55-yard field goal with 6 seconds remaining.
The Bills overcame a 14-point deficit three times before taking their first lead of the game with 1:20 left. That’s when Tyrod Taylor converted a fourth-and-7 by completing a pass to Charles Clay in the end zone.
The Bills squandered a scoring chance on the first possession of overtime when Dan Carpenter missed wide right from 45 yards with 10:03 remaining. Carpenter also missed wide right on a 46-yard attempt in the first quarter.
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