These are called “bold predictions” for a reason, and while they, most of the time, fall by the wayside, this series does breed the occasional correct forecast. For example, readers of this series knew that Amari Cooper was going to score in his first game with the Buffalo Bills before it happened. This series is a fun means through which to analyze upcoming games and think about possible—and feasible—outcomes by making specific predictions, and while they don’t always come to fruition, we hope that you come away from them having learned something about an imminent contest.
With that, here are three bold predictions for Buffalo’s Week 9 clash with the Miami Dolphins.
Josh Allen is currently tied with the Hall of Fame great Steve Young with four career games in which he has recorded at least two passing and two rushing touchdowns, tying the record back in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. He'll inevitably break the record, so why not against the Miami Dolphins in front of Bills Mafia? Allen has historically owned the Dolphins (he has a career passer rating of 110.0 against them and has scored four or more total touchdowns in a game against them on five separate occasions); his dominance doesn't look set to change this week, and another typical Allen performance could etch him in the record books.
You may question why six was chosen instead of a simpler, more memorable number like five. The answer? Buffalo tallied a season-high five team sacks against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is the last game in which Von Miller recorded a sack. The veteran is set to return from suspension this week, which should pave the way for the Bills’ pass rush to turn pressures into takedowns; the unit has been doing a decent job of generating pressure in Miller’s absence, with Greg Rosseau alone accounting for six quarterback hits in Week 7, but it could use a closer. Miami’s offensive line is the league’s 12th best according to Pro Football Focus, but again, these are bold predictions for a reason; we're expecting a big outing from the defensive front this Sunday.
Related: 4 Dolphins the Bills should be concerned about in Week 9 matchup
The Bills should attack the Miami defense with three-receiver looks more often than not, which will create mismatches in the Dolphins' coverage. This should place Khalil Shakir into an advantageous position to succeed, especially against a banged-up Miami defense that’s missing slot cornerback Kader Kohou and is likely down Jevon Holland. The Dolphins may shift Jalen Ramsey into the slot in Kohou’s absence, which could put a ceiling on Shakir’s production, but the slot is not the veteran’s primary position. If he’s consistently matched up against Cam Smith or former Buffalo special teamer Siran Neal, however, expect Shakir to feast; the third-year wideout is coming off his first 100-receiving yard game of the season, and he could be in line to replicate that feat at home this weekend.
