Five Buffalo Bills to watch vs. the Miami Dolphins

After one weekend without Buffalo Bills football, we’re happy to say that the Bills are back and ready to take on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday. The Bills are 4-2 coming out of their bye week, while the Dolphins have dropped six games in a row after starting the year with a 17-16 victory over the New England Patriots.

This is the second time the Bills and Dolphins have met this year, as Buffalo blew the doors off the Dolphins in Week 2, winning 35-0 in Miami Gardens. The Bills didn’t play their best game offensively that week, yet they still managed to score 35 points. With a week’s rest after a tough 34-31 loss at the Tennessee Titans in Week 6, the Bills will look to put a proverbial nail in Miami’s coffin on Halloween.

Which players are we watching this week? Here’s our list for the Halloween special.

QB Josh Allen

Josh Allen against Miami has been a sure bet for the duration of the star quarterback’s career. Nearly 25 percent of his career passing touchdowns (19 of the 82) have come in games against Miami. Allen has also rushed for three touchdowns in seven career games against the Dolphins, six of which have been Bills victories. Back in Week 2, Allen had his worst game of the season, completing just 51 percent of his passes for 179 yards, adding two touchdowns, one interception, and 35 rushing yards. In the four games since, Allen has completed 70 percent of his throws for 1,274 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions, with 135 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go with those numbers. He may not need to be Superman for the Bills to win, but it would be nice to watch him do Josh Allen things on Sunday. I expect a big day.

WR Stefon Diggs

Buffalo’s top wideout was outstanding before the bye, catching 37 of 58 targets for 463 yards and two touchdowns, but after his record-setting 2020 season, that pace doesn’t seem so great. Diggs is on pace to do less than he did last year, but his projected line of 99 catches, 1,235 yards, and five receiving touchdowns is no reason to scoff. He snagged four balls for 60 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. I expect a bigger game this week, as offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will look to establish a connection between his best two offensive players early in the contest.

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If rookie tackle Spencer Brown misses the game thanks to a back injury that has prevented him from practicing this week, I anticipate that Daryl Williams, who has been at right guard for the last few weeks, will kick back out to right tackle, which is where he played all last year and the first two weeks of this season. If that happens, the Bills will roll with either Cody Ford or Ike Boettger in the starting lineup. While the favorite in the clubhouse is Ford, don’t be surprised if the Bills go with Boettger or some kind of rotation instead. Any way you slice it, a new offensive lineman is a big deal, so that person will need to step up if Brown misses the game.

DE Gregory Rousseau

Groot leads the Bills in sacks so far with three on the year, and he’s been an absolute menace throughout his rookie campaign. His length gives Buffalo so many options on the edge, and his ability to both set the edge in run support and rush the passer is fantastic for such a young player. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is on the shorter side (he’s listed at 6’1”), so having someone like Rousseau charging at him with arms extended could make for some tipped balls, which could easily turn into interceptions with Buffalo’s opportunistic stop unit.

S Micah Hyde

The veteran is having one of his best seasons so far, as he already has three interceptions, five pass breakups, and an interception returned for a touchdown through three games. Hyde has always been one of the league’s best players who nobody talks about, but this year has shown just how important he is to the team’s defense. While Tagovailoa has played well in spurts since returning from the rib injury he suffered against Buffalo in September, he has shown a penchant for making questionable throws at bad times. When that happens on Sunday, it will be Hyde who makes Tagovailoa pay.