Bills vs. Dolphins: Breaking Down Buffalo's Game Plan

This year was supposed to be different for the Buffalo Bills. Sure, Bills fans say that every year, but this year things seemed to be going in the right direction.

The Bills made an aggressive move in the draft to land Sammy Watkins, and so far he has been a candidate for Rookie of the Year. Buffalo also got the owner it wanted when Sabres owner Terry Pegula bought the team and vowed to keep the Bills in Buffalo. And heading into the bye week, the Bills were 5-3 and very much in playoff contention.

Then the Kansas City Chiefs came to town, and the Bills seemed to revert back to old times. In a battle of 5-3 (at the time) teams, the game with the Chiefs had a lot of playoff implications. Much like last year, when the Chiefs came in 9-0, the Bills were in control heading to halftime with a 10-3 lead.

Then the Bills got the ball to start the third quarter and drove deep into Chiefs territory. And before they knew what hit them, the Bills committed a costly turnover that completely swung the game in the Chiefs' favor.

Last year it was a pick-six by Jeff Tuel, this year it was a Bryce Brown fumble on his way to the end zone that Scott Chandler couldn't simply fall on to salvage the touchdown.

After a fumbled punt by Leodis McKelvin and struggles in the red zone, the Bills left Ralph Wilson Stadium at 5-4 with a major playoff setback. Now the Bills have a quick turnaround and head to Miami to face the Dolphins on Thursday night.

The Bills already beat the Dolphins once, 29-10, at home in Week 2. But winners of three of their last four, the Dolphins look like a much different team. What do the Bills have to do to sweep the Dolphins for the second straight season? Let's break down their game plan.

Do Some Plumbing

Both teams are headed into this game at 5-4. The winning team keeps its head above water in the playoff pool, while the loser, dropping to 5-5, starts so flounder.

The Bills, especially, would lose a lot of ground if they fell to 5-5. Their schedule after Thursday isn't easy, with games against the Patriots, Broncos, Packers, Browns and a road game against the Raiders mixed in.

The Dolphins have a bit of a softer final stretch, with two games against the Jets and winnable home games against the Ravens and Vikings remaining. 

Therefore, if there were ever a kitchen sink game for the Bills, this is it. They can't hold anything back. If they have any trick plays in their back pocket or aggressive calls on fourth down, this is the week to pull them out.

The Bills were conservative at times against the Chiefs, and it ended up costing them. With their playoff chances shrinking, the Bills need to employ a little aggression.

Get Back to the Original Plan

The Bills started out the season with plans to be a run-heavy offense. It worked to an extent, except the offensive line struggled to create space for the running backs.

Then C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson went down, and the plan changed and the Bills looked to air it out more, especially to the phenom Watkins. But against the Dolphins, the Bills should consider getting back to a commitment on the ground.

The main reason is the Dolphins, statistically anyway, employ one of the NFL's best pass defenses. Miami is second in the league in passing yards allowed per game at 211. Riding a juiced-up home crowd, the Dolphins will look to lock down the Bills' passing attack.

The Bills have shown they can still run the ball with success without Spiller and with a hobbled Jackson.

NFL Game Rewind

Here, the Bills are lined up in a two-tight end set with Boobie Dixon behind Kyle Orton. Instead of a simple run between the tackles, the Bills use a little misdirection with success.

NFL Game Rewind

NFL Game Rewind

As you can see, the right side of the line blocks down (to the left), and the left guard pulls and seals the edge. The Bills are able to spring Dixon for a 27-yard gain. 

Contain Tannehill

We know by now the Bills are going to rely on their defensive line to get pressure on Ryan Tannehill. The front four has been dominating lately, and with Branden Albert headed to IR, Marcell Dareus and his comrades will be licking their chops against a thinner Dolphins offensive front.

But the Bills have to be sure they bring Tannehill down, and they have to have ways to contain him should he escape the pocket. Tannehill has the athleticism to make teams pay with his legs. In the Dolphins' last three wins, the signal-caller has had a lot of success on the ground.

at Bears	6 rush	48 yards
at Jaguars	5 rush	48 yards
vs. Chargers	4 rush	47 yards

Those numbers are admittedly bolstered by a couple 30-yard runs, but it still shows how dangerous Tannehill can be if he gets out of the pocket.

Lost in the beatdown of the Jets was the fact that Michael Vick rushed for 69 yards on eight carries. Most of those yards came after Vick escaped the clutches of a defender and got to the outside.

The Bills certainly have to come after Tannehill. Getting after the quarterback is what has kept this team in games. But the Bills need to make sure they have a fail-safe on the back end in case Tannehill breaks free.

Thursday's game is without a doubt the biggest game of the season for the Bills. A win would simultaneously keep them in the playoff hunt and put a divisional opponent at a serious disadvantage.

If the Bills can get another stellar defensive performance and come through with some aggressive plays, they can leave South Florida with a win and use the upcoming 10 days off to prepare for the home stretch.