Path To The Playoffs At Stake For Dolphins In Bills Showdown
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This Sunday, it’s all about perspective when it comes to the Miami Dolphins.
On the one hand, every personnel move that has been the past three seasons has been in the
service of closing the talent gap with the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo has outright dominated Miami in
recent years, and Josh Allen has looked unstoppable against them. They’ve won seven straight,
and most of them haven’t been close.
So if this season is going to be any different, Miami has to prove they can beat Buffalo.
Viewed another way though, Miami is 2-0. They’ve already beaten two wild card contenders.
You’d be hard pressed to find a single expert who picked a team other than Buffalo to win the
AFC East, and they are a popular Super Bowl choice. Coming into the season, it was always
about the wildcard path to the playoffs for the Dolphins. A loss this Sunday will do nothing to
change that. In fact, the prevailing sense among most Dolphins fans seems to be glee that a 2-1
start is even on the table given the brutal opening schedule they were dealt.
But what if the Dolphins win?
But what if the Dolphins win?
What if, despite starting the season facing four elite quarterbacks, facing three 2021 playoff
teams, and doing so without one of their two best corners, the Dolphins actually find themselves
sitting at 3-0 Sunday night? Undefeated, and 2-0 in the AFC East? Having unquestionably
proved, just three weeks into the 2022 season, that the organization was well on their way to
accomplishing everything on their offseason to do list?
Being able to think that way for even a second this early on...is a massive gift for Dolphins fans.
You probably need to go back to 2002, and Ricky Williams’ first year in Miami, to find a similar
moment. That’s twenty years. Twenty.
A win would do all of those things and more, including making winning the division a much more
realistic goal than it seemed to be just a week ago. For some, it would even become the
expectation. Obviously, that’s no small thing. As the Dolphins have been kind enough to
demonstrate time and time again since Dan Marino retired, making the playoffs isn’t easy. Even
with the field expanded to seven, the AFC is crazy deep talent wise. It wouldn’t be a surprise at
all if at least one team wins 10 games, and still misses out on the postseason. Having a shot at
the guaranteed ticket of a division crown is invaluable.
Of course, it is still way too early to think too much about this. The Dolphins have had two 3-0
starts in the last two decades, and failed to make the playoffs both times. Last year’s team
arguably missed the playoffs thanks to the rib breaking body blow Tua suffered against a less
good version of this Buffalo pass rush in Week 2. All it takes is a single play to change the
direction of a franchise.
Kind of like that Jaylen Waddle game winning touchdown last week.
At the end of the day, Buffalo has looked every bit as dominant as they did last year. More so,
honestly. The Bills are a better team, and their quarterback might be the best in the league.
Even with some recent injuries in their secondary (shades of Baltimore?), it is probably going to
take a perfect game from Miami to win this one. Four quarters of dominant defense. Four
quarters of the offense clicking. Zero special teams blunders, and at least one special teams
contribution. In short, the kind of complete team effort the Dolphins haven’t had yet this season.
Miami 31, Buffalo 27.
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