Thursday Night Football Week 11: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Bills vs. Dolphins

The battle for separation in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots takes center stage in Week 11 under the national microscope of Thursday Night Football when the Miami Dolphins play host to the Buffalo Bills.

Both teams have used great defense this season to drum up 5-4 records to sit in a tie for second place in the division. A Week 2 encounter favored Buffalo via a 29-10 decision, but these are two drastically different teams since mid-September.

Buffalo has since turned to Kyle Orton under center and sustained a number of key injuries. The latter certainly applies to Miami, too, which is but one of a few things holding the team back from taking down some of the best teams in the NFL, such as Green Bay and Chicago.

As is usually the case between these two rivals, most goes out the window when they dance. Thursday's contest should prove one to remember as divisional foes that know each other well look to eliminate one another from the race. 

Game Info

When: Thursday, November 13, 8:25 p.m. ET

Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Watch: NFL Network

Live Stream: NFL.com

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 41.5
• Spread: Miami (-4)

Storylines to Watch

Familiar Issues Make a Return 

Like it or not, the Dolphins have yet to truly put their offensive line woes behind them one year removed from rolling with one of the worst units in league history due to a number of factors.

Things recently took another hit when it was announced that left tackle Branden Albert suffered a season-ending injury. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Albert ranked as the No. 3 overall tackle in the NFL over the course of his first nine starts.

Not only had Albert allowed just three sacks on the season, he was a downright jaw-dropping contributor when it came to the running game, as explained by NFL.com's Elliot Harrison:

For comparison's sake, rookie Ja'Wuan James will now step into the void on Ryan Tannehill's blind side and comes in on PFF's list at No. 49, having allowed two sacks, eight quarterback hits and 16 hurries despite playing on the right side.

"What you saw is probably what you're going to get (Thursday)," coach Joe Philbin said about his new-look lineup after Albert's injury, per STATS LLC, via ESPN.com. "Those guys weren't perfect, but overall I thought they held their own."

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

This is where the bad news gets even worse—Buffalo is great at rushing the passer. The team has tallied 34 sacks this season. Marcell Dareus has 10 on his own from the interior, while Jerry Hughes and Mario Williams have 7.5 and seven from the edges, respectively.

The line also helps to allow the Bills to rank eighth against the rush this year, surrendering just 96.1 yards per game on the ground. Lamar Miller has 528 yards and five scores on a 4.8 per-carry average, but shifts in front of him may spell doom to that encouraging productive clip.

Miami has shown well against most opposition this season, but a new (old) hurdle has presented itself on a short week. Whether the Dolphins can overcome it will decide their season.

Filling the Need

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

One of the key reasons the Bills were able to get that Week 2 win at home was because of an effective ground game that found success against a stingy Miami defense that currently ranks 10th against the run.

The Bills were able to gain 113 yards on the ground to balance the offense, led by C.J. Spiller's 12 carries for 69 yards. One problem—Spiller is out for the season with an injury.

This is an area where everything may fall apart for the Bills on the road. Veteran Fred Jackson was able to gain just 24 yards on 12 carries the last time he faced the Dolphins, and just last week he was on a pitch count while he recovers from an injury.

Last week, the Bills were able to get 62 yards from Anthony Dixon and 35 from Bryce Brown in a committee look, but that was against a Kansas City defense that does not exactly specialize in stopping the run in the same way the Dolphins do.

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

If a hodgepodge of names are not able to balance out the offense in Miami, it places more stress on Orton (1,387 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions) under center. Not only does that expose him to a strong rush that has generated 28 sacks so far, it means more looks against the league's No. 2 pass defense—otherwise known as exactly how the Dolphins want the Bills to play the game.

In order for Buffalo to pull off the sweep and take command of the second spot in the division, offensive inefficiencies will need to be addressed against one of the league's top defenses on the road.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).