Thursday Night Football: Buffalo vs Miami Game Is Huge for Miami
The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills renew their rivalry Thursday night in Miami. I know it’s week 2, and there are 15 more games to be played after this game, but I feel this is a big game for the Dolphins and, in fact, a must-win. This is because the Bills have won the AFC East for the last four years and have owned the Dolphins since Sean McDermott and Josh Allen have been there.
In addition, the Dolphins choked away the division last year after having a three-game lead in the last month of the season. In a winner-take-all game to end the regular season, the Bills came into Miami and beat them for the division title and the number two seed in the playoffs.
The Bills have absolutely nothing to prove in this game. They have been here before, and they may have a little less talent on their roster this year than in years past, but the AFC East still goes through the Bills. If they lose this game, it’s no big deal.
However, it’s different if the Dolphins lose or don’t even make it competitive. Then you will hear how the Dolphins can’t beat the Bills; they are pretenders, they are soft and not mentally tough, etc.
This is an opportunity for the Dolphins to show in prime time that they are a different team. I know it’s only week 2, and there is plenty of seasons left, but the fact is the Dolphins are the Bills’ bitch. It’s a fact until proven otherwise. The Bills players know it.
Their left tackle, Dion Dawkins, came out and said they owned Miami and took over the stadium with their fans, which embarrassed them. The Dolphins’ new safety, Jordan Poyer, who played for the Bills for seven years, talked about how he and his Bills teammates knew the Dolphins would fold and crack under pressure and would blow the three-game lead like last year.
He said once you get a lead on the Dolphins, they fold against good teams. They are both right whether you want to hear it or not.
The Dolphins in 2022 played three games, including the wildcard game, against the Bills, and 3 points decided all three games. The Dolphins could have won all three games. The thought was that the Dolphins were closing the gap on the Bills and that they would overtake them last year. Well, the Dolphins got bitch slapped in their game in Buffalo, and the Dolphins choked down the stretch last year and let them come into their stadium and beat them. The Dolphins haven’t closed the gap and aren’t even on their level.
The Dolphins passed a good test on Sunday, coming from behind against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Late in the third quarter, they fell behind 14-0 and 17-7, and they were about to fall behind 24-7 until Jevon Holland forced the fumble that turned the game around. It was a good test of this team’s resolve and mental toughness.
They even converted some key third-and-one situations to keep drives alive, two things this team didn’t do last year.
Now comes the Bills in their backyard. This isn’t just an early season week two game. It’s a game the Dolphins have to prove they are for real and are better. The Dolphins have the advantage of this being a home game on a short week, but that doesn’t matter to me because of the recent history of the Bills over the Dolphins. It’s time to put up or shut up. If the Dolphins want to be a contender and be taken seriously, a win on Thursday night will go a long way, even if it’s week 2. I know there is a lot of season left, but this is a chance for the Dolphins to prove they are better, and the mentality of this team is different. Thursday night is another opportunity for this team.
Miami’s 2024 season is in the very early stages, but if they can’t beat Buffalo, it will be a lot like the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
