The seasons have gone in completely opposite directions for the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo is 6-2 with a dominant lead in the division at the halfway mark, and the Miami Dolphins, who saw quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffer a concussion in their Week 2 meeting with Buffalo, are 2-5 with losses to the Titans, Colts, and Cardinals in the last month.
Tagovailoa is back and healthy, which has the attention of Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
"I think they're back to being that offense that we know. They're so explosive, so dynamic, so potent, and what they do and how they do things, I think Coach McDaniel does a great job of, you know, putting them into great positions. They're very tough," McDermott said on Wednesday.
"I think Coach McDaniel does a great job, along with his staff, of being really creative and putting these guys in positions, and making a lot of big plays. The speed that they have, as I've said before, is is unmatched around the league," he continued.
McDermott has always been very complimentary of the Dolphins, especially of their wide receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who, as McDermott has stated, have speed for days.
Despite the Dolphins being 2-5 and going through a rough stretch, Tagovailoa being back under center instantly makes them an offense that Buffalo needs to respect.
The last time the two sides met, the defense did an outstanding job of shutting down the Miami offense. They held Hill and Waddle to a combined 65 receiving yards, which was the lowest mark from that duo since Hill joined Miami before the 2022 NFL season.
Buffalo's defense is coming off a masterpiece on the road in Seattle, holding the league's best passing offense to 212 passing yards, and only gave up a touchdown late when the game was already well in hand. Buffalo's 31-10 win was their second blowout in a row after beating Tennessee 34-10 the week prior.
Another victory over Miami would essentially put the Dolphins to rest before the trade deadline has even hit, and would continue to distance Buffalo's lead in their division. This time at home, Bills Mafia will be eager to make it a difficult environment for the visiting Dolphins.