The Five Biggest Storylines for the Week 2 Dolphins-Bills Matchup ... And How They Played Out
Before the Dolphins faced the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 2 of the 2021 regular season, we examined five key storylines heading into the game.
We revisit those storylines and examine how they played out in the aftermath of the Dolphins' 35-0 loss.
1. CAN THE DOLPHINS STOP JOSH ALLEN?
BEFORE THE GAME: It truly is remarkable how much success John Allen has had against the Dolphins since he entered the NFL as a first-round pick in 2018. After rushing for 135 yards in his first game against Miami when the Dolphins escaped with a 21-17 victory, Allen has produced five games with a passer rating above 110 and led the Bills to wins in all those games. If the Dolphins don't do a better job against him in this game, they have no shot.
IN THE GAME: In retrospect, maybe "stop" was too strong a word. But did the Dolphins contain Allen? Actually, yes, they did — despite Buffalo scoring 35 points. Allen finished the game completing barely more than 50 percent of his passes (17-of-33), he threw for only 179 yards and had 35 rushing yards. Let's be honest, how many Dolphins fans before the game would have been happy to see those numbers from Allen?
2. DEFENSE ON TAKEAWAY TEAR
BEFORE THE GAME: The Dolphins have a 14-9 record over their past 23 games, and it's probably not a coincidence that they have at least one takeaway in all of those games. Xavien Howard's late fumble recovery played a huge part in the season-opening victory at New England, and it's likely the Dolphins defense will need to create some turnovers to win this game. It should be pointed out, though, that the last team to face the Dolphins without committing a turnover was those same Buffalo Bills, who did while defeating Miami 37-20 on Nov. 24, 2019.
IN THE GAME: No issues here. The Dolphins defense did it again, with not one but two takeaways in the first half when there still was a chance to make it a game after falling into that quick 14-0 hole. The first turnover came courtesy of Jerome Baker, the second the result of a brilliant interception by Xavien Howard. Yeah, sure, more takeaways would have helped, but this wasn't an issue in this game.
3. REDEMPTION DAY FOR DEFENSE
BEFORE THE GAME: As one would expect, Dolphins defensive players downplayed the idea of wanting to redeem themselves after the collapse in Buffalo in the 2020 season finale when the Bills hung 56 on Miami — after being shut out in the first quarter. But one can't help but think that it had to serve as extra motivation — as if any more were needed — for this early-season AFC East showdown.
IN THE GAME: Again, it's hard to feel any satisfaction after a 35-point loss, but the defense had its best showing against the Buffalo since Allen's rookie year in 2018. So maybe that's something to take out of this game, particularly when it comes down to the rematch in Buffalo on Halloween.
4. THE SOUTH FLORIDA HEAT
BEFORE THE GAME: There once was a time when the Dolphins enjoyed tremendous success at home in the early part of the season, and some of it always was attributed to the South Florida heat, which can be daunting for teams from the Northeast. But there also was something to be said for the Dolphins have really good teams during those years, and the hope certainly is that the present Dolphins can prove they have the talent to maximize whatever advantage the weather provides them because of their familiarity with those elements.
IN THE GAME: The good folks at FOX doing the game certainly did make it a point to mention the heat and the fact the Buffalo sideline was going to be in the sun and not in the shade like the Miami sideline. But that advantage, plus being more accustomed to those kind of conditions, can only do so much for the Dolphins if they're going to play the way they did in this game. Also remember that the previous time the Dolphins were shut out also was at home in September — in 2019 against New England.
5. ROUND 2 FOR THE OFFENSE
BEFORE THE GAME: The Dolphins offense put together two really good touchdown drives in the victory at New England, but didn't produce a whole lot outside of that. And that clearly won't be good enough against a Buffalo team looking to rebound on offense after being stifled by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The onus is on everybody, starting with Tua Tagovailoa and the offensive line, to produce a more consistent offensive performance against the Bills to leave Hard Rock Stadium with a win.
IN THE GAME: Yikes! Talk about taking a step backward. Tua didn't get to stay in the game long enough to take a big step forward from the opener and the offensive line was consistent all right — consistently bad. And obviously that kind of performance is not only never going to be good enough to beat Buffalo, it'll never be good enough to beat any team.
