MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver knew something was different toward the end of the Miami Dolphins’ lone touchdown drive of Thursday night’s game. At first, he couldn’t understand why everything felt — or, more importantly, sounded — different.

On the ninth play of the Dolphins’ drive, third-year linebacker Baylon Spector replaced Terrel Bernard, who injured his pectoral muscle and was unable to play. Oliver had no idea what the change was about, other than how it sounded.

“I’m used to listening to TB,” Oliver said. “I can just hear his voice. In all the noise of the crowd, I can just hear him out of everybody. He’s close, right, left, whatever. So the voice that’s speaking has changed.”

Spector came onto the field and a catastrophic error led to the Dolphins touchdown. Spector went right when he should have gone left to cover Miami running back De’Von Achane.

There was no time to panic, and no reinforcements were forthcoming. Spector was another name added to the list of Bills reserves forced into the starting rotation. Next to Spector is Dorian Williams at linebacker, replacing Matt Milano. Former University at Buffalo defensive backs Cam Lewis and Ja’Marcus Ingram are playing together in place of injured slot cornerback Taron Johnson.

The Bills’ backups stepped up and led Buffalo to a 31-10 drubbing of the Dolphins on their own turf. The Bills were 2.5-point underdogs going into kickoff, and four of five Amazon TV experts predicted Miami would win. Bills legend Ryan Fitzpatrick was the only analyst who went with Buffalo.

Bills coach Sean McDermott expects the next player to play the same game as the man he replaces.

“Baylon Spector knew the game plan, was prepared like he was going to start, and the results are the results,” McDermott said.

The Dolphins’ run game, led by Achane and his blazing speed, has been a top priority for Buffalo’s defense. Receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the passing game give Miami a bona fide track team on the football field. To beat the Dolphins, teams will need to deal with that speed and try to neutralize it.

Oliver was asked in the locker room after the game what the key was to keeping all that speed in check. He seemed surprised by the question.

“Let them run, I guess. I don’t know,” he said. “They don’t seem that fast to me.”

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Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a turnover machine, throwing three interceptions before leaving the game with a concussion in the third quarter. Tagovailoa was trying to get a first down on a run up the middle when his neck twisted awkwardly in a collision with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. It is the fourth documented concussion of Tagovailoa’s career.

Even before Tagovailoa left the game, the Dolphins’ offense seemed stuck in the mud. The Bills totaled 10 tackles for loss, and Spector helped turn the ship around. Even when he was thrown onto the field with the Dolphins about to score, Spector said his head wasn’t spinning. He was prepared. He just wanted to hit someone.

“I told (safety) Mike Edwards on the sideline … I feel like I just have to hit somebody,” Spector said. “I hadn’t hit anybody yet. On the kickoff (Spector plays on special teams), we shot the ball out of the back of the end zone and I hadn’t hit anybody yet. So you bend over, you get it. That happens and you’re ready to go. You just have to get the first one out of the way.”

Spector called the defense, but Ingram stole the show. He had two of Tagovailoa’s three interceptions, becoming the first UB player in school history to throw two or more interceptions in an NFL game. Ingram wasn’t even supposed to play last week when he made the game-winning pass breakup against the Arizona Cardinals. But he took his chance.

“My mindset is to prepare like I’m going to play, prepare like I’m going to start no matter what,” he said. “But it’s still things that I’m feeling and it’s a lot to be able to step up in those moments. The fact that they have confidence in me to be able to do that, it’s just a blessing to be a part of this organization to be able to step up in those moments and make plays.”

Hill and Waddle combined for seven catches and 65 total yards. The Dolphins went 1-for-4 in the red zone and converted just 47 percent of their third-down opportunities. The Bills defense wiped out Miami’s weapons, and they did it by playing solid, three-level football.

“All 11 guys play together,” Oliver said. “When everybody does their job, it’s easy for everybody. Nobody has a hard down.”

Spector said the Bills knew Miami liked to use its speed to get to the rim quickly and then run away from tacklers. But Buffalo was ready to answer the call.

Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas, who held Hill and Waddle in check, said the most important factor in the Bills’ success is the type of players McDermott and Bills general manager Brandon Beane have assembled.

“That’s what this defense is built on — smart, fast, physical players,” Douglas said. “That’s the motto … They (the coaches) tell us that every day and that’s what it came down to.”