Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills: Complete Week 2 Preview for Buffalo
The Buffalo Bills are preparing to face their division rival Miami Dolphins on Sunday and hope to cap off what is arguably the best 10-day stretch in franchise history. It started on Thursday with news of Jim Kelly being cleared of cancer followed up with an overtime win in Chicago.
The biggest news of the week was that an agreement had been reached for Terry and Kim Pegula to become the new owners of the Buffalo Bills. After years of worrying, the fans of Western New York can rest easy knowing they have an owner who is committed to keeping the organization in the area.
The organization, team and fans would like to put an exclamation point on the week with a win over the Dolphins, a 2-0 record and claim first place within the division. The following slides will break down everything you need to know heading into this divisional showdown with Miami.
Buffalo Bills' Week 1 Recap
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The Buffalo Bills entered their game against the Chicago Bears surrounded by turmoil, with reports of fighting between front office and coaches to a starting quarterback already on the hot seat. The Bills were able to tune all the noise out and came away with a victory over the Bears in Chicago.
It certainly wasn't easy, and at the end of the third quarter this team had a look of being those same ol' Bills, as they watched a 10 point lead disappear.
They were able to regroup, holding the Bears to only three points in the final quarter and forcing overtime. After stopping their offense on the opening drive, the Bills put together a drive of their own, thanks mainly to a 38-yard run by Fred Jackson that put them in field-goal range for the game-winning field goal by Dan Carpenter.
The Bills won the game thanks in large part to their defense, who forced three turnovers, which the offense was able to turn into 13 points. Similar to Jay Cutler, the Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill has a tendency to turn the ball over a lot (23 turnovers in 2013), which is something the Bills should take advantage of.
The most impressive thing from Sunday was how EJ Manuel and the Bills offense looked, generating 360 yards on offense and using a very balanced attack between run and pass. Manuel finished the game 16-of-22 for 173 yards with two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) and only one interception.
The best part of his game, though, was the fact that he looked down the field, completing four passes of 20 yards or more. Last season, Manuel at times looked afraid to take shots down the field and was too quick to look for his checkdown. If the second-year quarterback is able to continue to complete these bigger plays, it will make this offense much more dangerous and tougher on opposing defenses.
News and Notes
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The Buffalo Bills Have a New Owner
The biggest news of the week came on Tuesday when it was announced an agreement had been reached for Terry and Kim Pegula to purchase the Buffalo Bills. There is still one final hurdle left, which is to get approval from league owners in October before this transaction can become official.
The Pegulas currently own the Buffalo Sabres and have already demonstrated their commitment to Buffalo and Western New York. While it is tough to go through the process of purchasing an NFL team, they are now faced with a task that may be much tougher. It is their responsibility to find a way to lead this organization to the playoffs and snap what is a 14-year drought.
What the Bills Learned in Win over the Bears
Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com got quotes from four Bills players (Kyle Williams, Eric Wood, Mike Williams and Sammy Watkins) after their win over Chicago. Aside from Watkins, who talked about how the offense was able to effectively communicate information, the other three players talked about the team's resiliency.
The start of the second half was a nightmare for the Bills, with their first three drives ending in an interception and two punts. The Bears, on the other hand, quickly capitalized with a field goal and a touchdown in their first two drives. After trading punts, the Bears looked like they were on their way to a game-winning score in the fourth quarter when Kyle Williams stepped in and intercepted Jay Cutler.
This play seemed to breathe new life into the team, and the Bills were able to put together a drive of their own that led to a field goal and eventually a win in overtime. This is the kind of fight the Bills are going to need all season to be competitive.
Injury Report
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| Name | Position | Injury | Status |
| Stephon Gilmore | CB | Groin | Probable |
| Chris Hogan | WR | Ankle | Probable |
| Jonathan Meeks | S | Groin | Doubtful |
| Keith Rivers | LB | Groin | Out |
| Lee Smith | TE | Toe | Doubtful |
| Sammy Watkins | WR | Ribs | Probable |
| Aaron Williams | S | Concussion/MTBI | Probable |
*All injury statuses from Buffalobills.com (Updated Saturday 9/13)
The biggest concerns on the injury list this week are linebacker Keith Rivers and safety Aaron Williams. Both players suffered their injuries in the game against Chicago.
If Rivers is not able to go on Sunday, the Bills will look to rookie Preston Brown to fill in for the second week in a row. Last week, he played in place of the suspended Nigel Bradham, and while he did finish the game as the team's second leading tackler (seven total tackles), he looked outmatched in pass coverage.
Aaron Williams suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or concussion. Williams is still going through the concussion protocol, but the fact that he has been able to participate even in a limited capacity is a good sign. If he is not cleared to play on Sunday, the Bills will most likely turn to a safety duo of Da'Norris Searcy and Duke Williams.
Update: The Bills have already ruled out Keith Rivers for this game and it looks unlikely that he will be available for next week against the Chargers as well, according to ESPN's James Walker. Injuries is something that has plagued Rivers for a majority of his six-year career and he has only played in a full season once.
The safety position should also concern the Bills, especially if Aaron Williams is not able to go on Sunday. The Bills only have four safeties on their roster and if the team is without Williams and Jonathan Meeks, they will be thin. If both players are out, it would not be a surprise to see the coaching staff turn to Corey Graham if the need arises.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Mario Williams v. Ja'Wuan James
In Ryan Tannehill's four-game career against Buffalo he has been sacked a total of 16 times, with Mario Williams accounting for four of those. The Bills Pro Bowl defensive end could be in line for another big game as he will be going up against rookie right tackle Ja'Wuan James.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in the Dolphins' Week 1 matchup with the New England Patriots, James gave one quarterback hit and three quarterback pressures. This is one matchup the Bills and Williams can take advantage of and put pressure on Tannehill.
C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson v. Dolphins Linebackers
The Dolphins were hit hard at linebacker by the injury bug last week with injuries to Dannell Ellerbe and Koa Misi, who are both expected to miss the game against Buffalo. The team will have Philip Wheeler back for this game, according to this report by Miami Herald's Armando Salguero.
This is a matchup the Bills offense could exploit, particularly in the passing game, with C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson. Both running backs are excellent catching the ball out of the backfield, and if the Bills can find a way to get them in space one-on-one against the Dolphins linebackers, they should have a lot of success.
Bills X-Factor of the Week: Seantrel Henderson
Similar to Miami, the Bills have a rookie right tackle who will be going up against an excellent pass-rusher in Cameron Wake. The Dolphins defensive end almost single-handedly led the Dolphins comeback with two strip-sacks.
This is going to be a true test for rookie Seantrel Henderson, but if he is able to contain Wake and give Manuel time in the pocket, the Dolphins defense becomes much easier to beat.
Henderson did struggle a bit against the Bears, giving up the only sack the Bills had all game. He also gave up one quarterback hit and two quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. The rookie was thrown into the starting lineup almost immediately when he was asked to fill in for Cordy Glenn on the left side but moved to right tackle when Glenn returned.
Henderson always had the physical skills to be a talented tackle in the NFL; the question was always about his mental makeup and the issues off the field. This week will be a good test for Henderson in terms of where he is in his development, as he is going to go up against one of the best in the league right now.
Prediction
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In the NFL, divisional games are some of the toughest and usually the closest games teams will play all year. The Buffalo Bills last year swept the Miami Dolphins, but these were much different teams from a season ago.
For Miami, it finally has a run game with the addition of Knowshon Moreno, who ran for over 100 yards against the Patriots and can complement the passing game. Its defense has been decimated by injuries and suspensions (Reshad Jones and Dion Jordan both suspended this week), but a steady pass rush from Cameron Wake will mask some of its weaknesses.
For the Bills, this will be the first time they face Miami with their starting quarterback, EJ Manuel, who is coming off a respectable performance against Chicago.
At the very least, he silenced the critics for one week with his win against the Bears. The Bills defense should be the deciding factor in this game with the pass rush, led by Mario Williams, and its ability to create turnovers should lead Buffalo to first place in the AFC East.
Prediction: Bills 24, Dolphins 10
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