Setting the Stage for the Dolphins-Bills Week 3 Matchup
The Miami Dolphins will look to improve to 3-0 on the season and end their seven-game losing streak against the Buffalo Bills when they take on Josh Allen and company at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 3 Dolphins-Bills matchup:
MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-0) vs. BUFFALO BILLS (2-0)
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 25
TIME: 1 p.m. ET
SITE: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
WEATHER FORECAST: The temperature between 1 and 4 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens will be 88-89 degrees, according to AccuWeather.com, with partly sunny skies and little chance of rain. The wind is expected to be 9 mph with gusts up to 16 mph.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Trent Green (color analyst), Melanie Collins (sidelines)
STREAMING: fuboTV (start your free trial)
SI Sportsbook betting line: Bills by 3.5 (over/under 53)
Dolphins — TE Cethan Carter (concussion) and TE Hunter Long (ankle) are out; T Terron Armstead (toe), DT Raekwon Davis (knee), CB Xavien Howard (groin) and WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (ribs/toe) are listed as questionable.
Bills — S Micah Hyde (neck), CB Dane Jackson (neck), DT Ed Oliver (ankle) and DT Jordan Phillips (hamstring) are listed as out; WR Gabe Davis (ankle), TE Dawson Knox (foot), C Mitch Morse (elbow), S Jordan Poyer (foot) and DT Tim Settle (calf) are listed as questionable.
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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM
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Regular season series history: The Dolphins lead 60-50-1
Last five meetings:
Oct. 31, 2021 at Buffalo — Bills 26, Dolphins 11
Sept. 19, 2021 at Miami — Bills 35, Dolphins 0
Jan. 3, 2021 at Buffalo — Bills 56, Dolphins 26
Sept. 20, 2020 at Miami — Bills 31, Dolphins 28
Nov. 17, 2019 at Miami — Bills 37, Dolphins 20
Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 38 (1970 at Miami; Dolphins 45, Bills 7)
Dolphins' largest margin of defeat: 35 (2021 at Miami; Bills 35, Dolphins 0)
Highest-scoring matchup: 82 points (1966 at Buffalo; Bills 58, Dolphins 24 ... 2020 season at Buffalo; Bills 56, Dolphins 26)
Lowest-scoring matchup: 12 points (1983 at Buffalo; Dolphins 12, Bills 0)
Former Bills players with the Dolphins:
None
Former Bills coaches with the Dolphins:
Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, associate head coach/running backs coach Eric Studesville
Former Dolphins players with the Bills:
RB Duke Johnson, DE Shaq Lawson, C/G Greg Mancz, DT Jordan Phillips
Former Dolphins coaches with the Bills:
None
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BILLS SCOUTING REPORT
The Bills entered the 2022 season with as the consensus favorite to end up winning the Super Bowl and they did nothing in the first two weeks to change that sentiment, actually only adding to it with dominating victories against the defending champion Rams and the 2021 AFC top seed Titans. This is a team with talent everywhere on the roster, starting with QB Josh Allen and WR Stefon Diggs, that only got better with the offseason addition of star pass rusher Von Miller.
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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN ...
The Bills will be at far less than their best when they face the Dolphins because of rash of injuries to starters and key players. The four players ruled out Friday included half the starting secondary, along with rising star defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Given the way the Dolphins passing game has looked so far this season, no team wants to have to deal with it with depleted forces. On the other side of the ball, we simply can't lose sight of the fact that the Dolphins defense handled the Buffalo offense in the first half of both games. While it didn't play out statistically last season, it's also a tough task for any team to go on the road after playing on Monday night.
THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE ...
As impressive as the Dolphins' comeback victory at Baltimore was, this is a major step up in competition against this juggernaut Buffalo team, whose defensive scheme still could make it challenging despite all the injuries in the secondary. The strength of the Buffalo defense is its pass rush and it dominated the Dolphins last year, and Tua Tagovailoa won't be able to connect with Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle if he's under pressure all game. While the Dolphins defense did stifle Josh Allen and company for a half both times last season, this Buffalo offense looks better because of the emergence of Gabe Davis at wide receiver and the addition of veteran Rodger Saffold along the offensive line, plus the defense isn't operating at peak efficiency yet.
FINAL DOLPHINS-BILLS PREDICTION
This is a huge opportunity for the Dolphins, who incredibly are involved in a matchup of 2-0 teams for the first time since 2001! A victory in this game would stamp the Dolphins as legitimate contenders in the AFC, regardless of the Buffalo injuries. Shoot, even staying close to the Bills until the end might do the trick. The Dolphins downplayed the significance of the game all week, as one would expect them to do because what happens to the psyche if you blow up this game and it ends up going badly. But it says here it won't blow up. In fact, we're thinking the other way. While we cautioned against making too much of the win at Baltimore beyond what it meant that day, we also could make the argument that everything worked out in the Bills' favor the first two weeks and that, while they are really good, maybe they're quite as invincible as they've shown. Or maybe we're just completely buying into what Mike McDaniel has done for this offense and think he'll come with the perfect scheme to deal with the Buffalo pass rush to where, yes, the Bills will get some sacks, but the Dolphins still will be able to produce in the passing game. And we're thinking the defense comes up with a performance that looks a lot more like it did in Week 1 than Week 2. Or maybe it's just a gut feeling that the time has come for the Dolphins losing streak has arrived. Whatever it is, it says here the Dolphins are going to be 3-0. Dolphins 27, Bills 24.
