Bills vs. Dolphins: Top 5 storylines to watch in NFL Week 2

The Buffalo Bills continue the 2024 season this Thursday as they open AFC East play against the Miami Dolphins. Here are five storylines to watch.

Greg Vorse | Sep 11, 2024

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

The Buffalo Bills opened their 2024 season with a 34-28 home win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Bills now turn their attention to the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins as they visit Florida for Thursday Night Football. Here are five storylines to watch for in a game with massive playoff implications.

Beast of the East

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

At the time of writing this, the Bills and Dolphins are in a virtual deadlock as favorites to win the division, per multiple sportsbooks. It makes sense; the teams finished with identical 11-6 records a year ago, and both had decent home wins to start the season. The key for the Bills taking home the crown last year was going 2-0 against Miami, winning those games 48-0 and 21-14. The winner of this game will not only have a one-game lead on the competition after two weeks, but will also have a head start in securing the tiebreaker if needed.

MVP Race

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Sticking with the oddsmakers, Josh Allen is currently second in the MVP race behind Patrick Mahomes while Tua Tagovailoa is sitting in 10th. What they do head-to-head (although they'll never be on the field at the same time) could leave a nice impression in the voters' minds. That's a good thing Bills Mafia, as in his 12 games against the Dolphins, Josh Allen and the Bills are 10-2. The signal-caller has a passer rating north of 110 with 3,363 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions against the Dolphins. He also has over 600 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.

Heat Map

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

I don't care about the temperature in Miami in September, nor do I care about the temperature in Buffalo in December. That said, it will be talked about, and I will roll my eyes. This will be a forced storyline by fans and local and national media all week. My view: if you want an excuse, you'll find one.

Hello Old Friend

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Jordan Poyer became a household name and an NFL All-Pro during his seven-year tenure in Buffalo. Now he is on the other sideline when Buffalo visits Miami. During his time with the Bills, Poyer racked up 22 picks, 11 sacks, and nine forced fumbles during his 107 games. If you think he's on a reduced snap count with the Dolphins, nope! Poyer played in all 53 of Miami's defensive snaps on Sunday. That could be extra important versus a Bills' offense that targeted ten different players in their win over Arizona.

All Hands on Deck

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sean McDermott already announced that All-Pro slot corner Taron Johnson will miss Thursday's game. His loss is always tough, but when you are taking on Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the assignments are that much more important. I'd expect to see a healthy dose of Cam Lewis, who played 90% of the Bills' defensive snaps on Sunday with Johnson dinged up. Buffalo's front four getting pressure without needing help would be a massive benefit to McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich against a high-octane Dolphins' passing attack.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —