The Miami Dolphins face a must win on Thursday night as the divisional nemesis Buffalo Bills visit Sun Life Stadium. With both teams sitting at 5-4, any hope of remaining in the playoff chase hinges on victory.
Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin made waves in the wake of his team’s loss last Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs by colorfully guaranteeing a victory over Miami. While the Dolphins have done a great job dismissing McKelvin’s comments, what can’t be ignored is Buffalo’s recent dominance in the rivalry.
When the two teams met back in Week 2, the Bills looked like a complete team, while the Dolphins looked nothing like the squad that steamrolled the New England Patriots in the second half the week before. The 29-10 defeat was the Dolphins’ third straight loss to Buffalo and epitomized the blueprint for beating Miami: win at the line of scrimmage and win the game.
Last week, the Bills were able to consistently get to Alex Smith, sacking him six times, and expanding their NFL team sack lead to 34. With Branden Albert out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL, the Dolphins are scrambling to find an offensive line that can stop Mario Williams and Kyle Williams, both of whom have been the bane of Ryan Tannehill’s existence in the last few meetings. If the Fins’ patchwork offensive line can’t keep Tannehill upright, it will be a long night for Miami.
On the other side of the ball, the Dolphins’ defensive line has had an amazing year of its own. Cameron Wake has been nothing short of dominant, and Bills QB Kyle Orton is not known for his mobility. If Wake and company can limit the amount of time that Orton has to get the ball to his explosive weapons like Sammy Watkins, even if Tannehill struggles, the game should remain close.
As has been the trend in this rivalry of late, the battle of the lines will determine which team remains alive in the playoff hunt. Dropping to 5-5 in the AFC is tantamount to a death sentence this year and could spell a downward spiral that has the potential to destroy what was once a promising season.
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