Bills Balanced & Motivated: Playoff Power Rankings

The Buffalo Bills have a date with the Miami Dolphins, who have a question mark at quarterback.

Author:
Bri Amaranthus
Updated:
Jan 9, 2023 5:41 PM EST
Original:
Jan 9, 2023

The Buffalo Bills are one of 14 NFL teams left with a chance to make it to Super Bowl XLVII in Glendale, Arizona. Buffalo finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, good for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

The Bills have a date with the Miami Dolphins, who have a question mark at quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa is recovering from a second official concussion and Teddy Bridgewater is dealing with a finger injury. Tagovailoa has missed the last two games and rookie Skylar Thompson got the start in Buffalo's regular season finale.

In an emotional win, the Bills ended the New England Patriots playoff hopes. Buffalo rallied after last week's canceled game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in light of Damar Hamlin’s terrifying on-field collapse. Hamlin has now been released from the hospital exactly a week after suffering from cardiac arrest.

The Dolphins and Bills split their two regular season games in exciting fashion: with Miami winning 21-19 in Week 3 and Buffalo taking the rematch 32-29 in Week 15.

Buffalo and Miami face off on Sunday from Highmark Stadium. Here is how Bleacher Report ranked Buffalo and Miami, heading into the postseason:

Buffalo at No. 2:

"The Bills were already going to be a tough out," Bleacher Report NFL analyst Gary Davenport said. "The offense is explosive. The defense can be stifling. The Bills might be the most balanced team in the league. And now the entire team—and entire city of Buffalo—is rallying around their fallen teammate.

"The atmosphere at Highmark Stadium is going to be off the chain. The team is going to be that much more motivated. The Dolphins are about to walk into a buzzsaw."

Miami at No. 14:

"With a healthy Tagovailoa out there," Davenport said, "we have already seen the Dolphins beat the Bills this season. Miami's offense can be as explosive as any in the NFL when firing on all cylinders. But the Dolphins aren't good enough defensively to limit good teams in games where the offense isn't playing well.

"Unless Tagovailoa is somehow cleared for the game with Buffalo, Miami is a hurtling toward a quick exit from the postseason tournament."

WHO: Buffalo Bills (13-3) vs. Miami Dolphins (9-8)

ODDS: The Bills are 10.5-point favorites vs. the Dolphins.

GAME TIME: Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EST

LOCATION: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)

TV/RADIO: CBS | WGR 550

Full Wild Card Round Schedule:

Saturday, January 14

NFC: 3:30 PM (CT) - 7 Seattle at 2 San Francisco (FOX, FOX Deportes)

AFC: 7:15 PM (CT) - 5 Los Angeles Chargers at 4 Jacksonville (NBC, Peacock, Universo)

Sunday, January 15

AFC: 12:00 PM (CT) - 7 Miami at 2 Buffalo (CBS, Paramount+)