Payments vs Dolphins prediction, keys to the sport: Can Buffalo hold momentum in primetime? – Democrat and Chronicle

ORCHARD PARK – There have been no doubts in regards to the damaging capabilities of the Buffalo Bills offense heading into the 2025 season, and that outlook actually hasn’t modified after two weeks.
Josh Allen and his mates have put up the second-most factors within the league with 71, doing that in basically seven quarters as a result of they took off virtually all the fourth quarter final Sunday while routing the Jets, and identical to final season, the Payments really feel like a staff that can routinely put up at the least 30 factors each day out.
There have been a number of doubts in regards to the protection, although, and when the Ravens ran all over Buffalo in the opener, alarms had been blaring at Highmark Stadium and several other gamers had been within the crosshairs, none extra so than safeties Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop.
However then alongside got here the anemic New York Jets who supplied the Payments with an incredible alternative to get again on monitor and so they did so, limiting Gang Inexperienced to 154 yards and 0-for-11 on third down.
“The protection was unbelievable all day,” Payments tight finish Dawson Knox mentioned. “I really feel just like the offense had 50 performs within the first half simply because the protection was getting off the sector so fast. The protection balled out, and it’s superior, man. Once we can hearth on all cylinders, if we are able to have three phases working with one another, it’s going to be fairly enjoyable.”
Next up are the Miami Dolphins, a staff the Payments at all times appear to have enjoyable enjoying, particularly at house the place they haven’t misplaced to them since 2016 in what turned out to be the final recreation Rex Ryan served as Buffalo’s head coach.
Whereas they’re not as harmful because the Ravens, the Dolphins are positively extra problematic than the Jets and Bobby Babich’s protection – which is able to seemingly be with out two key starters – will as soon as once more be put to the check, notably when you think about Miami is a determined 0-2 staff maybe enjoying to save lots of its season earlier than the official begin of autumn.
“Yeah, they have lots of pace on their staff general, particularly on their offense and their returners as nicely,” mentioned coach Sean McDermott who has a report of 15-2 counting the postseason in opposition to the Dolphins. “They do quite a bit various things. I believe coach (Mike) McDaniel is without doubt one of the higher coaches within the league offensively in how he schemes issues up. Onerous to defend, explosive. So it makes for a giant problem, particularly on a brief week.”
Nickel CB Taron Johnson mentioned Tuesday he’ll be good to go after sitting out the Jets recreation, however Buffalo will in all probability not have DT Ed Oliver and LB Matt Milano. The Payments didn’t miss these gamers in New York, however their absences may very well be felt Thursday. When he will get right into a rhythm and his offensive line holds up, QB Tua Tagovailoa is usually a problem as a result of he’s sometimes correct and he has dynamic talent place gamers in WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and RB De’Von Achane, all of whom can break a giant play at any second.
“I simply suppose we have been speaking quite a bit about our connectivity on protection,” mentioned Babich, whose protection gave up method too many explosive performs in opposition to Baltimore. “The factor I will say about our guys is there’s lots of delight in that room, and you are not gonna have 17 to twenty video games of good soccer. It is not gonna occur … and the fellows actually responded (final week). We have a brand new problem forward of us, actually a really tough problem.”
Right here’s my preview of the sport, followed by my prediction:
Based mostly on previous historical past, it couldn’t be extra of a mismatch. Of their 9 head-to-head conferences, Tagovailoa is 1-8 in opposition to Allen. He has accomplished a decent 64.7% of his passes however has managed simply 9 TDs in comparison with 10 interceptions, essentially the most picks he has thrown in opposition to a single opponent.
On the flip facet, Allen – who will put on a transparent visor for the primary time within the NFL to guard his busted nostril – has tortured the Dolphins for the reason that second he entered the NFL as he owns a 13-2 report in opposition to them counting the postseason. He misplaced his first begin at Miami as a rookie in 2018 in a recreation he may need gained had Charles Clay not dropped a go-ahead landing move with 53 seconds left to play. And in Week 3 of 2022 on a horrifically scorching and humid day in South Florida, the Payments dominated the sport in each method as Allen threw for 400 yards and rushed for 47, however Buffalo ran out of time on a last-ditch drive and misplaced 21-19.
Former Payments LB Tyrel Dodson is now with the Dolphins, and after a number of years of being on the identical facet as Allen, Dodson break up time final 12 months with the Seahawks and Dolphins and he performed 76 snaps in opposition to Allen for Seattle in a 31-10 Buffalo victory. He was requested the opposite day what the bottom line is to manage Allen and he mentioned, “Simply getting him off schedule, sustaining him within the pocket, and simply attempt to fluster him. I believe if we do these issues, I believe we’ll come out with the (win).”
Dodson and the Seahawks failed miserably in that endeavor, and it’s robust to see Dodson and his new staff – which has been shredded within the first two weeks by the Colts’ Daniel Jones and the Patriots’ Drake Maye – doing significantly better in opposition to the reigning league MVP.
“He’s prime tier,” Tagovailoa mentioned of Allen. “If it’s not along with his arm, it’s along with his legs. That dude can do actually something he desires. Undoubtedly totally different talent set for me. I can’t do half of what he does in terms of working the ball and any of that, after which with how he can simply chuck a ball down the sector and the arm power that he has, he’s supreme in terms of that. It’s going to be enjoyable to get to see him, get to play him once more and we’ll see.”
▶ The tight ends: You’ll be able to’t simply decide one as a result of all three on the roster – Knox, Dalton Kincaid and Jackson Hawes – have made key contributions within the first two weeks. They’ve mixed to catch 14 passes for 158 yards and a TD, however simply as essential, they’ve been nice blocking within the run recreation and all three, however particularly Hawes, have the PFF grades to indicate for it. There have been 12 snaps the place all three had been on the sector on the identical time and offensive coordinator Joe Brady has already utilized 69 totally different 11-man combos, most of any staff within the league.
▶ WR Joshua Palmer: He hasn’t gotten off to a blazing begin in his first two video games, however he does have a pair of 32-yard receptions, each of which proved to be huge performs in every recreation. The Payments must discover a option to get him extra concerned and this may very well be a chance in opposition to a Miami move protection that has allowed an astonishing 78.5% completion fee which ranks useless final within the NFL.
▶ DE Greg Rousseau: The Dolphins misplaced RT Austin Jackson in Week 1 and so they needed to begin journeyman Larry Borom in opposition to the Patriots. He was charged with two sacks by PFF together with the one which ended the sport with the Dolphins on the Patriots 28-yard-line. Rousseau has not had a fantastic begin to the season with simply two pressures and a ten% move rush win fee, however that might change on this recreation.
▶ CB Christian Benford: Miami has two No. 1-type WRs in Hill and Waddle so each Benford and Tre’Davious White will probably be examined. Benford is the higher of the 2 so it will be useful if he can lock down whoever involves his facet, enabling the Payments to shade their security assist to White’s facet if it turns into clear the Dolphins are going after him.
▶ RB De’Von Achane: He’s a two-way risk with blazing pace and that’s not nice for a Buffalo protection that lacks pace. Achane is averaging 4.7 yards per rush and leads Miami with 11 catches on 14 targets for 92 yards and two TDs. He’s an ideal weapon for Tagovailoa who throws so many balls beneath. The Payments have to ensure they rally to the ball and never let Achane get into house.
▶ WR Tyreek Hill: He could also be auditioning for his outdated staff, the Chiefs, as a result of there have been rumors that Kansas Metropolis is curious about re-acquiring him if the Dolphins wish to transfer on. After a “down” 2024 season when he totaled 954 yards, one 12 months after main the NFL with 1,799 yards and 13 TDs, Hill has been scorching via two weeks with 10 catches for 149 yards and he’s nonetheless harmful.
▶ S Minkah Fitzpatrick: Miami picked him No. 11 general within the 2018 draft, traded him to Pittsburgh in 2019 the place he grew to become a two-time All-Professional and four-time Professional Bowler, then reacquired him within the offseason. Not surprisingly, he’s nonetheless a fantastic participant regardless of the Dolphins’ early struggles in opposition to the move.
▶ DT Zach Sieler: It has been an uninspiring begin for a participant who was in all probability Miami’s greatest general defender final season. If he emerges on this recreation, he is usually a relentless distinction maker in the course of the road each as a run stopper and somebody who can push the center of the pocket as he had a team-high 10 sacks and 46 pressures final season.
There are a few probably harmful parts that might come into play. First, the Dolphins are a determined staff and that’s at all times one thing to concentrate to, particularly in a division recreation. Second, the regulation of averages has to catch up sooner or later for the Payments, proper? They’ve owned Miami the best way New England as soon as owned Buffalo and in the end, the squirrel goes to seek out the nut.
Nonetheless, that in all probability isn’t going to occur on a brief week on the street in Orchard Park in opposition to a Payments staff that’s already making a powerful case that it’s the greatest within the AFC, perhaps even the NFL, although the Eagles and Packers absolutely would argue that final level. If the Patriots might put up 33 factors, go 8-of-13 on third/fourth down, and common 6.1 yards per play in opposition to Miami, the Payments ought to be capable to do greater than sufficient on offense to outscore the Dolphins.
Sal Maiorana has lined the Buffalo Payments for 4 a long time together with 35 years because the full-time beat author for the D&C, he has written quite a few books in regards to the historical past of the staff, and he’s additionally co-host of the BLEAV in Payments podcast/YouTube present. He could be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you’ll comply with him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.

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