LeSean McCoy leads all NFL running backs with 12 runs of 20 yards or more.

Even with a decent day, the Bills passing game sunk to dead last in the NFL.

On the flip side, the Bills have improved to sixth in the NFL in rushing.

ORCHARD PARK – Whenever this season ends for the Buffalo Bills, be it on New Year's Eve in Miami, or at some point in January after the Bills have played their first playoff game in 18 years, the conversation will immediately shift to the roster.

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Who will be back, who will be gone, which quarterback are the Bills going to draft in the first round?

We’ve spent some time in the past week debating what defensive tackle Kyle Williams’ future holds, and that remains a mystery due to an expiring contract and the possibility that he may decide to retire. What should not be a mystery, what should not be up for any debate, is LeSean McCoy’s inclusion on the 2018 Bills.

I don’t care if he’s going to be 30 years old when training camp opens in July, and I don’t care that he will count $8.95 million against the salary cap. McCoy is the Bills’ best player on offense, maybe on either side of the ball, and Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott would be making a huge mistake to even consider dumping him to save some money.

McCoy didn’t have his best game Sunday in Buffalo’s 24-16 victory over Miami, and still, he was the most dynamic player in a Buffalo uniform as he scored two touchdowns, one on the ground, one through the air. He now ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,057), fifth in first downs achieved via the rush (51) and first in runs of 20 yards or more with 12.

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Add to the mix his team-leading 52 receptions, and he represents 33.7 percent of the Bills’ total offense, which puts him in the same category as the rest of the elite backs. By comparison, Todd Gurley of the Rams is responsible for 35.4 percent of Los Angeles’ offense, Pittsburgh’s LeVeon Bell comes in at 34.1 percent, and Kansas City’s flashy rookie, Kareem Hunt, is good for 31.4 percent of the Chiefs' total yardage. Bell is the oldest of those three players at 25.

While it’s true that running backs often hit a wall when they reach 30, McCoy remains a physical specimen who is still quick and shifty and capable of explosive plays. If the Bills do as we expect and draft a quarterback, and then decide to play him right away next year, McCoy’s presence will be vital, and he’ll be worth every penny.

Also, he’s long past his dismay over being traded to the Bills in March 2015, and he said Sunday, “I would love to end my career here. I look at Buffalo like home. The city and fans have embraced me with open arms and I’m thankful for that. I’d love to end my career here with a ring.”

As untouchables on this team go, McCoy has to be at the top of the list.

Upon Further Review, here are some other thoughts I had about the victory.

Three things I liked

1. Red zone efficiency. In the first half, the Bills offense was tremendous as it scored touchdowns on all three of its red zone penetrations to cap drives of 81, 75 and 80 yards. This was the first time Tyrod Taylor has produced three first-half TDs since the Houston game in December 2015, and he was efficient as the Bills ran only four plays once they got inside the 20, and three of them went for touchdowns. On defense, for the game, the Bills allowed just one TD in three Miami red zone trips, and that came thanks to a drive start at the Buffalo 13 following a lengthy punt return and penalty set the Dolphins up. If the Bills hope to beat the Patriots, this has to happen again.

2. Taylor’s performance. He does it in every game he plays, escaping a perilous situation that looks destined to end in a sack. He had a couple of beauties in this game, and if indeed Taylor is gone in 2018, I will certainly miss his wild, Houdini-like scrambles. Taylor played as well as he’s capable of in the first half, and it was nice to see was his willingness to throw the ball over the middle. He showed some patience and poise and he delivered. He also threw two nice touch passes, one for a 29-yard gain to Charles Clay, the other to McCoy for a 16-yard TD. If only this was the norm for Taylor, and not the exception.

3. Jay Cutler being Jay Cutler. The Miami QB had quite a day. Not only did he throw three interceptions, he also fumbled four times (though he didn’t lose any). According to Elias, no player has had a game with as many interceptions and fumbles since Kurt Warner when he was with Arizona in 2008. The Cardinals lost that game to the Jets 56-35. The last player to do this without throwing a touchdown pass was Boomer Esiason of the Bengals in a 30–16 home loss to the Steelers in 1987. Cutler continues to be one of the most inconsistent QBs in the league.

Three things I didn't like

1. The struggle to close out the game. Last week against the Colts, the Bills wasted a 7-0 lead with just over a minute left thanks to a 19-play, 77-yard TD drive that forced overtime. Sunday, the Bills were in a more comfortable position going into the fourth quarter, but Miami scored 10 points — three coming after a 17-play, 78-yard drive — and then recovered an onside kick with 37 seconds left. Cutler threw a pick on the first play to end the drama, but the lesson is that the Bills need to finish off their opponents when they’ve got them down. That got a little too close at the end.

2. The Adolphus Washington penalty. Leading 24-6 and in control, the Bills had just stuffed Kenyan Drake at the 1-yard-line and Miami was faced with fourth-and-goal with about eight minutes left. That is, until the second-year DT decided to slap the ball out of Drake’s hands while they were jawing on the sideline after the play. Washington was nailed with unsportsmanlike conduct which gave Miami a first down, and Drake scored two plays later to make it a one-possession game. McDermott was not happy, and he had a conversation with the player, which he chose to keep quiet, though he added, “We’ve got to play disciplined.”

3. The E.J. Gaines injury. When he has been on the field, the Bills’ defense has been noticeably better and it can play a little more man coverage on both sides of the field when necessary. Without Gaines, the Bills have to play primarily zone and are more predictable in coverage. Gaines suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and he was carted off, so that doesn’t look good. He has already missed four full games this season, and there’s a chance that he won't be available for the closing stretch.

Stat pack

1 – Player in NFL history, McCoy, to have compiled the following stat line: At least 10,000 yards rushing, 400 pass receptions, a 4.5 average per carry, and 80 touchdowns.

10 – Games in which Taylor has rushed and thrown for a touchdown, one of only three QBs with that many since 2015, Kirk Cousins and Cam Newton being the others.

6 – Head coaches in Bills history who have won at least eight games in their first full season with the team as McDermott joined Joe Collier (1966), Kay Stephenson (1983), Wade Phillips (1998), Mike Mularkey (2004), and Rex Ryan (2015).

Snap count analysis

► WR Zay Jones played 44 snaps, was targeted twice, and did not make a catch. It’s the second game in a row without a catch and his third this season.

► LB Lorenzo Alexander played 60 snaps in all, 40 on defense and a team-high 20 on special teams. The fact that a 34-year-old is playing that much on special teams, willingly, and is contributing, is impressive.

► WR Kelvin Benjamin played 37 snaps, or 59 percent of the time on offense, and he had two catches for 20 yards. He’s not close to healthy and won’t be until next year after he undergoes offseason surgery. He was primarily a decoy against Miami.

MAIORANA@Gannett.com