Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins preview
Bills look for 6-1 start in Miami on Sunday
The Bills open up their divisional schedule this week with a match-up in Miami against the struggling Dolphins. Buffalo is the only team left in the NFL who has yet to play a divisional opponent, and in franchise history, week 8 is the longest the Bills have ever had to wait before facing an AFC East foe. The Bills took advantage of this scheduling oddity by jumping out to a head start. At 5-1, the Bills sit in first place, 1 game ahead of Matt Cassle and the Pats, 2-games up on Brett Farve and the Jets (who might of thought about New York’s game plan this week, considering Green Bay has a bye-week, hence no opponents for him to tutor), and three-games up on the Phins, who Buffalo plays this week. They follow this match-up, with games against the Jets and Pats the next two weeks, so after two months of not playing anyone in the division, they will see all of them over the next three weeks. There is no question that at this point Buffalo has a great shot of winning the AFC East, and ending their franchise worse 8-year playoff drought. There is also no question that with a good three weeks of football, their chances could be much, much better.
In Miami on Sunday, the Dolphins will basically play an elimination game against Buffalo. The Bills lead Miami by three games in the division, with a win on Sunday it would be four. Being back 4-games with 9 to play in the NFL virtually puts you out of the picture (not like they had a chance anyway). With a win on the other hand, Miami would be 2-games out and right back in the thick of things (not like they’ll have a chance anyway). If they can beat the Phins on Sunday, who they should, the next week they host the Jets, with at least a two game lead. If they can win that home game against New York, they will go up three games on them with eight to play. Again, not easy to comeback from in the NFL. Then they travel to New England, but we’ll worry about that when we get there.
The Bills come into this stretch of the schedule, coming off what very well might be their best win of the season. Despite the fact that San Diego has been hot and cold all year, and definitely not where most people thought they would be, it was still a huge game for Buffalo to solidify itself as one of the best teams in the AFC. The Buffalo defense had a whole bye-week to try to rebound off of their first and really only bad performance of the year, giving up 41 points to the Cardinals, the leagues second highest scoring team. On Sunday, Buffalo matched-up with the number one scoring team in the league, the San Diego Chargers who averages just over 29points a game. Buffalo held them to 14. But most importantly, Buffalo took a high scoring/fast paced/ extremely talented team, and forced them into a Buffalo Bills style brawl of football game. It was a tough back and fourth game, which saw four lead changes, and a couple of big plays that decided the outcome. The biggest of which being Super Bowl Champion Kawika Mitchell’s interception on their own goal line, thwarting the Chargers attempt of scoring the go ahead TD with 6mins left. The way the game was unfolding you totally thought S.D. was gonna score on that possession, and give the Buffalo offense a chance to top them. After marching all the way down to the field, they were right there, then Mitchell made the play. After a little bit of a runback, Buffalo got itself into field-goal range on the back of a fantastic Marshawn Lynch 25yd run. Rain Lindell made it a two possession game, and then on the ensuing S.D. offensive set, in hurry up mode, Mitchell forced a fumble on a would be sack of Phillip Rivers, causing his second turnover in three minuets of game clock. That was the game. Once again, the best run defense in the league held a good running team, and a good running back to under 100-yds, and virtually no impact. Although Ladanion is obviously no longer the same player, he’s still dangerous, and Buffalo held him to 49yds. As a team, the Chargers average 98 rush yards a game, the Bills held them to just 72. The lack of run game forced Rivers to force the action, which resulted in him committing three turnovers, including two in the last 6mins. But that’s what Buffalo has done to teams all year, and that’s where Miami comes into things.
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Despite the fact that Chad Pennington has been great all year, completing over 68% of his passes, and playing like the Chad Pennington of back when he was good, the most dangerous thing in Miami is RB Ronnie Brown. This guys averaging about 5yds a carry, and has scored 7 TD’s. Also his success at the “wildcat” QB set has turned the league upside down. By the way, at this point if any team falls for the wildcat thing….they’re retarded. Guess what, he’s not going deep, he’s in there to run. As a team, Miami is averaging 111yds a game, but a great running game hasn’t exactly been the way to beat the Bills this season. Every team they’ve played this season, except Arizona, and San Diego (who has a great running game anyway), would rather beat you with the run than the pass. Buffalo has beaten every team this year except Arizona. Running the ball isn’t the way to beat Buffalo. Also, at this point you have to start thinking of the Bills as more then just a defensive team. Through 6games this season, the Bills have put up over 277 yards in every game, last season they only did it 6 times the entire season. Last week they put up 370 yards on San Diego, the week before San Diego held the team trailing the Bills by 1-game in the division, the New England Patriots to, 10 points. The biggest reason for this offensive turn-around is without a doubt QB Trent Edwards. Edwards has emerged as one of the leagues most consistent and efficient QB in the league. He came back to the field after missing pretty much the entire Arizona game with a concussion (no coincidently the only game they lost by the way). He returned to set the Bills all time single game completion record, going 20-25. He completed passes to 7 different receivers, including 8 to Lee Evans. And most importantly big plays, like a third down scramble for a first, and big passes, like the strike he threw to Roscoe Parrish to pro-long a drive, when his team needs them most. Bills fans absolutely have a QB they can believe into carry them far during his career.
There is no question that Buffalo is the kind of team that can beat you with their defense and also with their offense. There is also no question that Buffalo can beat Miami, not just this year, but past years too. Buffalo is 4-0 the past two seasons against Miami. They haven’t lost to Miami since December of ’05, they’ve also beat them 7 out of there last 8. And this year Buffalo is just flat out better than Miami. Now that doesn’t guarantee them a victory. But I really don’t think Buffalo is the kind of team that will take a game off, or take a game for granted. This is a hard working, tough, old school team and they’re gonna fight hard every game all year. I expect them to win big in Miami on Sunday. 1.5 is the greatest thing I've ever seen.
By Liam Whalen
ProFootball-fans.com Buffalo Bills Correspondent