Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills Week 2 Preview

Both the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins were underdogs in Week 1, but both manage to come out on to top with a victory. Now the two teams will meet each other to determine who will have a chance to gain early supremacy in the AFC East.

Both the Bills and Dolphins were able to run the ball effectively in their regular season debuts. Buffalo rushed for 193 yards on a subpar Chicago Bears’ defense. Fred Jackson led the Bills in rushing with 61 yards while C.J. Spiller also chipped in 53 yards on the ground.

The Dolphins were shockingly able to rack up 191 rushing yards on the New England Patriots  last week. In his Dolphins debut, Knowshon Moreno rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Lamar Miller was also was able to add 58 yards on 11 rushes.

The key matchup on offense could be the way both young quarterback perform on Sunday. Bills quarterback EJ Manuel was more of a game manager last week as he finished the game 16 of 22 for 173 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Dolphins defensive line is one of the best in the NFL, so Manuel will have to do a lot more this week if the Bills are to win the game on Sunday.

The Dolphins’ defense held Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to 4.45 yards per attempt, which was the seventh-lowest single-game mark of his career. So Manuel and the Bills offensive line will have their hands full.

Speaking of offensive lines, the Dolphins’ line performed very well against the Patriots in Week 1. The unit only allowed quarterback Ryan Tannehill to be sacked one time. Tannehill had been sacked 93 times over the last two seasons combined. While the Dolphins were able to protect Tannehill in their season debut, that doesn’t mean they will be able to in Week 2.

Bills defensive linemen Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus all made the Pro Bowl in 2013. You also have to account for Jerry Hughes, who finished 2013 with 10 sacks. All four defensive linemen have the ability to dominate the Dolphins offensive line. It is hard to see the Dolphins having as much success running the football as they did against the Patriots last week. That’s why Tannehill will need protection in order to make plays in the passing game.

Chicago was able to record 427 yards on the Buffalo defense last week. With Keith Rivers ruled out for the Bills, expect the Dolphins to try and exploit the Bills’ linebackers with tight end Charles Clay and short passes to the running backs.

Buffalo won both meetings with Miami last season, including a 19-0 victory on Dec. 22 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. On that day, Tannehill was sacked seven times and the Bills limited the Dolphins to 103 yards of offense. So the focus and motivation to beat the Bills should be there for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins are the more talented team, but it should a close game. Manuel has been inconsistent throughout his career, and that could be the difference in a close game like this.

Prediction: Dolphins 21-17