Two AFC juggernauts will face off this week as the Miami Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football. Both teams started their seasons with impressive wins against the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively, and now they’ll look to get an early leg up for the lead in the AFC East.
The Bills have won their last four games against the Dolphins, but NFL Week 2 odds have Miami as a moneyline favorite. The slim margin against the spread (-2.5) suggests that the Bills could, as always, make life hard in Miami.
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Miami Dolphins favored over Buffalo Bills in AFC East showdown
How the Dolphins could win and cover the spread
Josh Allen has consistently been one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks for the last five years, and in week one, he reminded the Arizona Cardinals that he has the ability to take over the game at any point. Allen completed 18 of 23 pass attempts for 232 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards and another two touchdowns on the ground.
The Bills showed a lot more of a run-heavy side to their game in the first half against the Cardinals, and Allen had just five passing attempts at the half. The best way the Dolphins can take the ball out of Allen’s hands is to control the clock, something the Cardinals did well in the first half of Week 1.
The Dolphins don’t have the type of chew-up-the-clock ground game that can punish the Bills, but they can consistently move the ball on offense while killing the clock and controlling possession. They’ve also got the necessary pass-rushers to get in Allen’s face. Stopping one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL isn’t an easy task, but the Dolphins have the necessary tools to slow him down in this Thursday Night Football matchup.
How the Bills could win the game
The Dolphins’ offense has been electric since Mike McDaniel took over, utilizing a wealth of speedy playmakers to stretch the field horizontally and vertically while giving Tua Tagovailoa open lanes to throw into. Tagovailoa has taken a step forward himself and has played a big role in the success of the offense, but he still struggles when pressured. The Bills will likely need to find ways to get Tagovailoa off his spot and disrupt the flow of the offense.
Per PFF, Tagovailoa completed just one of four passes when pressured by the Jaguars’ defense on Sunday, and the Bills have a host of pass-rushers who can attack the Dolphins offensive line. Edge rushers Greg Rousseau and Von Miller combined for four sacks in Week 1, and they’ll be eager to make life a little tougher for Tagovailoa.
