Here is how News Bills writers see Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. The Bills are favored by 13.5 points.
Jay Skurski
The Bills have won six straight games and eight of their last nine against Miami, but not all of them have been blowouts like the 35-0 victory in Week 2. It’s a tired cliché, but there’s some truth to the idea that it’s not easy to beat a team twice, especially when that team is desperate, like the Dolphins will be Sunday. That loss in Week 2 started a current six-game losing streak that has everything in Miami – the status of coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier, as well as the future of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa – to be in question.
Predicting another 35-0 win might be a stretch, but the Bills should have very little trouble extending Miami’s misery. Buffalo will be eager to erase the disappointment of the loss to Tennessee in Week 6, and the best way to do that will be a solid all-around effort against Miami. Rested and mostly recovered after the bye week, the Bills will continue their march to a second straight AFC East championship with their seventh straight win over the Fins. Bills 31, Dolphins 17.
Katherine Fitzgerald
The Bills are rested and ready to get back on the field after the loss in Tennessee. The Dolphins are not particularly formidable these days. Still, they should be in slightly better shape than in the Week 2 blowout. The bar after that 35-0 game is that this time, they should be able to score. And, that’s not a particularly high bar.
Coach Sean McDermott is undefeated after the bye with the Bills, and quarterback Josh Allen is nearly undefeated against the Dolphins. Even with those factoids aside, the Bills are simply better. Red-zone efficiency surely was a focal point for McDermott in self-evaluation last week, and even if there’s still some room for improvement, the Bills should be able to put up plenty of points on the Miami defense. Shutouts aside, the Bills defense can take care of business here, too, as Buffalo sweeps Miami this year. Bills 34, Dolphins 20.
Mark Gaughan
There has been a lot of talk in Miami about how well Tua Tagovailoa has looked the past two weeks. He has looked good, throwing on rhythm and with accuracy. However, look at the competition. He did it against Jacksonville and Atlanta, which are allowing the second and third highest quarterback ratings, respectively, in the NFL this season. Buffalo is allowing the lowest quarterback rating in the NFL.
I’m not as down on Tua as a lot of Bills fans. But this should be a good matchup for the Bills’ defense. Miami’s offensive line is not great. The Dolphins are more banged up than the Bills.
I don’t like giving up double-digit spreads. I especially don’t like giving up double-digit spreads in division games. But I can’t talk myself into picking the Dolphins to cover. Bills 30, Dolphins 16.
Jason Wolf
The Bills own the Dolphins, winning six games in a row, which ties a franchise record set from 1987 to ’89. The streak includes a 56-26 blowout victory at home in the 2020 regular season finale that knocked Miami out of playoff contention, and a 35-0 bludgeoning on the road in Week 2 that left Buffalo’s offensive players unsatisfied, knowing they could have performed far better.
Josh Allen has performed better against Miami than any other franchise, having thrown for 1,731 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions while producing a passer rating of 108.1 in seven career games against the Dolphins. He’s also rushed for three touchdowns.
The winning streak against Miami will end at some point. But it should continue Sunday, with the Bills coming off a slim loss before the bye and having two weeks to prepare. Bills 38, Dolphins 16.
Rachel Lenzi
The Dolphins look more like a team that just wants to make it through the season rather than one that is out to avenge a run of close losses. Even the return of Tua Tagovailoa won’t put the Dolphins over the top against the Bills, a team that’s rested and ready to rebound from a loss to the Titans, who have quickly turned into an AFC contender.
When the Bills host the Dolphins, though, they won’t be negotiating with a monster marquee running back, and likely won’t be playing a game that goes down to the final plays. The Dolphins are closer to a warmup act than a playoff contender.
Instead, the Bills will defend a Dolphins offense that’s a step away from stagnant (245.4 passing yards per game, 80.1 rushing yards per game), and will continue to flex their passing game against a Dolphins secondary that is working through injuries, but tight end Tommy Sweeney will have to step up as a suitable replacement for Dawson Knox. Bills 34, Dolphins 10.
