The Buffalo Bills will look to make it two straight wins against Florida teams when they travel south to take on the Miami Dolphins. They’ll also look to put their AFC East record above .500 for the first time this season and get the first three-game winning streak of the McDermott era. Here’s what I’m looking forward to watching on Sunday.
Here's what we'll be watching for on Sunday when the Bills take on the Dolphins in Miami. pic.twitter.com/m9u4AzCUWt
— Buffalo Rumblings (@BuffRumblings) November 30, 2018
Josh Allen’s continued progression
Ever since Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott made Josh Allen the seventh overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft, we knew the 2018 season would be all about Allen. It has been a roller-coaster of a season for him so far, but right now he’s coming off one heck of high point. His game against the Jacksonville Jaguars was the most impressive he’s looked to this point in the red, white, and blue. It was not a great game, though—passing for only 160 yards is not usually going to get you a win in today’s NFL. Increasing his completion percentage and passing yards would be a great away to keep that roller coaster rolling upwards.
Run defense improvements
In Week 12, the Jacksonville Jaguars racked up 226 yards on the ground. They’re the second team this season and the third in the McDermott era to total more than 200 yards rushing against the Bills (the Indianapolis Colts did it this year, the New Orleans Saints did it last year). I may sound like a broken record, but that just isn’t a recipe for success in the NFL. Since 2013, teams that have given up over 200 yards rushing have a .201 winning percentage. An improved performance from Leslie Frazier’s unit will likely be needed to get a win at Hard Rock Stadium.
Young talent emerging on offense
Allen has been, and will continue to be, the main attraction on offense, but he has some fellow rookies developing nicely alongside him. In recent weeks 2018 undrafted free-agent Robert Foster, 2017 fifth-round pick and former member of the Denver Broncos practice squad Isaiah McKenzie, and 2018 fifth-round pick Wyatt Teller have all made great strides in their play and proven integral to the Bills’ back-to-back wins. If they can continue to improve, Allen will be happy and they’ll have a bright future in Buffalo.