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Five Miami Dolphins to watch against the Buffalo Bills

Buffalo needs to hold these guys down in order to keep playoff hope alive

NFL: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills travel down to sunny South Florida this week to face the Miami Dolphins, potentially earning a playoff berth in the process. The Bills will need some help from around the league, but most importantly, Buffalo has to win. In order to have a shot at victory, they’ll have to keep an eye on these five Dolphins.

QB Jay Cutler

Many fans think Cutler is the kind of quarterback that has a meltdown like he did two weeks ago against the Bills, throwing three interceptions and basically giving the game to the Bills. However, Cutler, and Miami as a whole, performs much better at home. The Dolphins are 4-2 at home and could very easily be 6-0. The last time Cutler was in the confines of Hard Rock Stadium, he knocked off the New England Patriots. Cutler is the prime example of inconsistency, and with two bad weeks in a row, he could be due to set the world on fire in what will probably be his last game in a Dolphins uniform.

RB Kenyan Drake

Since Drake’s outstanding performance against the Patriots, the running back has come back down to earth a little bit. However, Drake gashed the Bills for over 50 yards in the first quarter two weeks ago. In order to ensure he doesn’t put together a full game like that, the Bills will need to tackle him in the backfield, put up points, and force Miami to abandon the run.

WR Jakeem Grant

The tiny wide receiver (5’6, 160) has speed to burn and showed that off last week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Grant had four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Grant wasn’t used much earlier in the season, but now with Miami out of the playoff hunt, it has become roster evaluation time. Look for the Dolphins to give Grant the ball in space and let him do the rest. Buffalo will have to be sure tacklers to keep Grant’s production to a minimum.

LB Kiko Alonso

Alonso isn’t exactly beloved by the fans in Miami, and he has taken a step back this season. It’s always fun to watch Bills’ running back LeSean McCoy go up against him because they’re not too fond of each other. As a Bills’ fan, it’s especially fun to watch, since Shady usually comes out on top of their personal matchup.

DE Cameron Wake

Wake has definitely become less feared, and with the lackluster season Miami has put up, he’s receiving less attention. However, even in his older age, Wake has been productive in 2017. He has nine sacks on the year, and he would have more if it weren’t for Buffalo’s elusive quarterback Tyrod Taylor escaping Wake’s arms a few times in the first meeting. Reaching double-digit sacks is a point of pride for all defensive linemen, so look for Wake to play out of his mind to try and hit the magic 10 this weekend.