Bills Coach Joe Brady Says Previous Win Over Dolphins Has 'No Bearing' in Week 18
The Buffalo Bills rolled to a dominant 48-20 win over the previously unbeaten Miami Dolphins on Oct. 1 at Highmark Stadium. Just over three months later, the stakes are even higher when they clash in the final game of the NFL regular season for the AFC East title.
While Buffalo turned in a dominant offensive display en route to one of its most emphatic wins of the season, interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady doesn't expect a carry-over effect in the second meeting against Miami.
Josh Allen and interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
© Gregory Fisher, USA TODAY
"Regardless of wins or losses, we know in-division games are always going to be tough," Brady said. "We know that the result of when we played them will have no bearing on this Sunday. We're going to have to be at our best and know that it's going to take our best to win this football game."
Josh Allen completed 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns and ran for one against the Dolphins. Receiver Stefon Diggs also had his best game of the season, with six catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
Diggs has become a focal point in headlines given his lack of usage in the second half of the season. After starting the season with over 100 receiving yards in five of the first six games, he hasn't eclipsed that mark since Oct. 15 vs. the New York Giants. He also hasn't caught a touchdown in four straight games.
Brady noted that part of Diggs' production dipping has been the playcalling or not being on the field as much and that the offense is better when he gets the ball.
"I know we're better when Stefon is on the field," Brady said. "There was three times when we threw the ball yesterday where the intent was Stefon on the field. When he's not on the field, Josh [Allen] trusts whoever is in that position to make the play. Anytime he's on the field, we're better off."
Much has changed for both teams since they last played. Both teams have lost key players on defense for the year, with the Bills losing cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano, and the Dolphins' top pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb also suffering season-ending injuries. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey didn't play in the first meeting because of knee surgery but is healthy heading into Week 18.
Brady's role has also changed from quarterbacks coach to offensive playcaller. But even with the sea of changes for both teams, they find themselves in a similar position to last year as they fight for the AFC East title, with the Dolphins already clinching a playoff berth and the Bills potentially being in a position to miss the playoffs entirely based on the results from earlier games.
"We've been having to play meaningful games for a while," Brady said. "We understand that at the end of the season, you can throw records out the window. None of that matters. This is the NFL. Every game is going to be a tough-fought one."
Buffalo and Miami meet for the AFC East crown on Sunday Night Football at Hard Rock Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET.
