The Dolphins play the Bills on Halloween. It has been a nightmarish matchup for Miami
The last time the Dolphins played the Buffalo Bills, they weren’t just served an embarrassing 35-0 loss at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 2. They were left in a state of turmoil that has come to define the first half of their 2021 season.
Miami was shut out for the first time since 2019 and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was knocked out with a fractured ribs injury that sidelined him for three games.
And, unfortunately for the Dolphins, that defeat hasn’t even been the nadir of a season now in the midst of six consecutive losses, three of which have come courtesy of game-winning field goals.
“There’s actually a really good pop and a sense of focus and a sense of urgency to get it right,” cornerback Byron Jones said, a consistent message among players and coaches throughout the losing skid. “I think we all understand how hard it is to be in this position, just to be an NFL player, and we’re not trying to squander this opportunity so the sense of urgency is very high. It’s actually nice to see.”
The Dolphins (1-6) will play the Bills (4-2) again in Orchard Park, New York, on Halloween. And if they hope to turn their season around Sunday, it will have to come in a matchup that has bedeviled Miami in recent years.
Buffalo has won its last six meetings against the Dolphins, and in convincing fashion, outscoring Miami 232-112. The Bills’ recent success over the Dolphins doesn’t match Miami’s dominance in the 1970s, which included 20 consecutive victories, but it has nonetheless left head coach Brian Flores, winless against Buffalo during his Dolphins tenure, searching for answers after every game.
“Buffalo — this is a historic game for the Dolphins,” offensive lineman Jesse Davis said. “It’s always kind of a dogfight, I guess. But yeah, the last couple four, five or six times we’ve played them, it hasn’t been very good. I’m looking forward to this one just because it’s the next one. It’s going to be a good environment up there and we’re ready for the challenge. I think we have a good game plan ahead of us.”
The Dolphins’ recent demons against the Bills have mainly come with fourth-year quarterback Josh Allen under center. Allen is 6-1 against Miami, completing 62 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns. Miami’s defense has intercepted Allen five times but sacked him just eight times in their meetings. The defense having success against Allen once again is a key to a win for the Dolphins, who are 131/2-point road underdogs.
So too is the play of Tagovailoa, who has looked sharp in his two games back from injury. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons, he has completed 74.7 percent of his passes for 620 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
The caveat: Jacksonville and Atlanta rank 32nd and 30th in defensive efficiency, respectively, according to Football Outsiders. The Bills rank first and are allowing the fewest passing yards per game in the NFL.
Looming over the Dolphins is the NFL trade deadline, which comes about 48 hours after the team will conclude its game against the Bills. Tagovailoa and Flores continued to field questions this week about a potential trade for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Pressured further about his inability to publicly rule out a trade for Watson, who hasn’t played this season in the wake of 22 civil suits alleging sexual harassment or misconduct, Flores again committed to Tagovailoa as “our quarterback” and said that barring injury, Tagovailoa will be the starter for the rest of the 2021 season.
Of course, there’s no telling how another disappointing showing could change the outlook of a front office already grappling with the state of a rebuild that hasn’t continued its progression in Year 3.
“No one ever comes into the season and thinks you’re going to have a six-game losing streak at all,” Jones said. “I think we understand what our issues are and now it’s about correcting those. It’s no easy task, but that’s a challenge that we all accept as NFL and professional players. So no, no one envisioned this. We didn’t want this. But let’s dig ourselves out. Let’s see what we can do and let’s see what we can shake from this point forward.”
