Heading into Week 4 of the regular season, the Miami Dolphins might face their mightiest foe yet. The big, bad Buffalo Bills have been the big dawgs of the AFC East for the last few years. With Miami on the up-and-coming, they’ll have to go through the Bills to claim the throne. A win against the Buffalo Bills will not just solidify Miami as a serious contender. Still, it’ll also show us the maturation of this team after the Bills bounced the Dolphins out of the playoffs last season. A win for the Dolphins would make a bold statement. A win against the Bills would be Miami’s way of saying to the rest of the league, “We’re here, and we’re the real deal!”
Miami has won every style of football game so far: A shootout against the LA Chargers, a divisional grind-it-out kind of game against the Patriots, and a historical blowout vs. the Denver Broncos. I expect this game to be a mix of the first two games: a hard-fought, grind-it-out, good old-fashioned divisional rivalry shootout. This game could become a classic and give us a glimpse of the playoffs. I’d expect a playoff atmosphere from this game; it doesn’t get bigger than this in a Week 4 matchup. This game is for the throne. These are two high-powered offenses, and I may be biased, but I think the Miami Dolphins may have the edge.
This will be an opportunity for Vic Fangio to unleash this defense and show us why they call him the Godfather. We’ll need more than late-quarter stops; Fangio will have the task of drawing up a solution for Josh Allen and his ability to use his legs. We will see what this Miami team is made of on both sides of the ball; Buffalo’s defense may be Miami’s offense’s toughest challenge yet. I don’t expect to see as many fancy, cute plays from McDaniel as we saw in the blowout victory against the Broncos, but I do expect to see plenty of effective plays drawn up.
Miami will have to win this game in all 3 phases: on offense, defense, and special teams, as special teams have been a weakness for the Dolphins. The Dolphins have gotten away with some sloppy mistakes in the last three games and have been able to pull out victories, but a game against the Bills may not be so forgiving. This game should exhilarate Dolphins fans. I think we’ll see the full potential of his team, not just from the players but also from Mike McDaniel and Vic Fangio, who will have their work cut out for them.
We’ll also witness a true test for Miami’s offensive line and QB, Tua Tagovailoa. In their last game, the Buffalo Bills tallied nine sacks and created five turnovers against the Washington Commanders. Miami’s offensive line has performed well, only allowing one sack, and a strong performance against the Bills could put the league on notice. Tagovailoa will have to take care of the ball in this game and not give Josh Allen and the Bills offense any extra opportunities. This game might be played in the air but must be won in the trenches. McDaniel needs to stick to a well-balanced run-pass attack to give Miami the edge, and with Miami’s showing on the ground in their last game, that should bode well for them.
This Week 4 game against the Bills may just be the hump that Miami needs to get over to submit themselves as a legit elite team and not a 3-game fluke. Miami started 3-0 last season, but after Week 4, went on to lose three straight games. This game could break the curse of the “same ole Dolphins” and eliminate many Dolphin fans’ anxiety. If this game doesn’t excite you, I suggest you “check your pulse.” This could be the game where the Miami Dolphins take their throne as the best team in the AFC East. This is an important game; a win will put Miami at 2-0 against the AFC East division and leave the Bills at 1-1, which may seem insignificant but could make the difference come playoff time.
