Cam Newton set the record for most rushing yards in a single game by a Patriots quarterback in week 1 when the Dolphins allowed him to scamper for 75 yards on 15 carries while adding 2 rushing touchdowns. Newton played a rather pedestrian game throwing the ball, but his scrambling caused a lot of issues for Brian Flores’ newly minted defense. That fact doesn’t especially bode well when the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen are next on the schedule. Allen has run wild on the Dolphins throughout his young career, and if Miami cannot figure out how to contain him then this weekend could turn maddening quick. 

Miami dropped both games against Buffalo in 2019 while Allen ran for 88 yards and a touchdown combined between the two contests. Buffalo added running back Zack Moss in this year’s draft to go along with second-year back Devin Singletary as well. There will be a lot of options in Buffalo’s rushing attack this season, and the Dolphins will need to tighten up defensively in order to slow them down. Miami’s rebuilt secondary will provide a tough test for Allen through the air, but if they cannot stop him on the ground it will become a long day. 

Flores’ defense did not lose them the game against New England last weekend, but they certainly lacked impact plays – specifically on the defensive line. Sure, Christian Wilkins turned in a decent performance on the inside, but there was seemingly zero pass rush all game long. Former Buffalo Bill Shaq Lawson, along with fellow D-Line free-agent addition Emmanuel Ogbah must provide more pressure on the edges. Kyle Van Noy is going to be a focal part of this defense going forward as well so it would be nice to see some production this coming week. It has been a long time since the Dolphins have had an effective pass rush on defense, but they delegated a lot of their offseason resources to this area, and slowing down Josh Allen & Co. will be an early litmus test for this defensive line. 

If Miami can contain Allen on defense, and Fitzpatrick can avoid another multiple INT game on offense then we will be cooking with gas. An early-season win over the consensus AFC East Champs would go a long way for this still-growing Miami Dolphins squad. 

Final Prediction: Dolphins 27, Bills 21

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