NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Are the Miami Dolphins ready to play with the Buffalo Bills?

By Russell S. Baxter

ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 31: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills drops back to throw a pass against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 31: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills drops back to throw a pass against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Miami Dolphins have won their first two games this season. But now the team looks to end a long losing streak against a powerful AFC East rival.

Mike McDaniel’s team has to be feeling pretty good about itself these days. The Miami Dolphins are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2018. They kicked off the season with the divisional win over the New England Patriots, the club’s fourth in a row over Bill Belichick’s club. And last Sunday at Baltimore, they scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to rally and stun the Ravens, 42-38.

Are the Miami Dolphins going to truly compete with the Bills for the AFC East crown?

That’s all well and good. But here come the Buffalo Bills. And if you thought the ‘Fins were off to a good start, check out what Sean McDermott’s team has done during the first two weeks of the season. They routed the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, 31-10, on a Thursday night in Los Angeles to kick off the season. And on Monday night at Orchard Park, they embarrassed the top seed in the AFC a year ago in humbling the Tennessee Titans, 41-7. Do the math and that’s a combined score of 72-17.

So the real topic here is whether these new-look Dolphins can come up with a competitive effort against the reigning AFC East champions this Sunday at South Florida. It’s worth noting that Miami has dropped seven consecutive games in this divisional series. And frankly, these contests have not been close for the most part.

Six of those seven losses have been by double digits. The Dolphins have been outscored 258-123 in those defeats. And to take it one step further, Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott is 9-1 vs. Miami since taking over in Buffalo in 2017.

But now the ‘Fins have a lot of new faces on offense, most notably wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson and offensive linemen Terron Armstead and Connor Williams. Hill and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle had a huge afternoon vs. the Ravens. And of course, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa comes off a career afternoon at Baltimore.

Meanwhile, Buffalo still has quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs. But on the other side of the ball, McDermott’s club will be down defensive linemen Ed Oliver and Jordan Phillips as well as safety Jordan Poyer on Sunday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Could McDaniel’s team be catching their AFC East rivals at the right time? In any case, this figures to be a tough test for both clubs and perhaps a gauge of whether these Dolphins are a better team or not in 2022.

Home/Miami Dolphins