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Dolphins vs. Bills: 5 storylines to watch in NFL Week 9

Here are five storylines to watch when the Buffalo Bills welcome the Miami Dolphins to Orchard Park, NY in a Week 9 matchup.

Greg Vorse

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The Buffalo Bills are coming off of back-to-back 20+ point wins and have seen their lead in the AFC East grow to 3.5 games through eight weeks. Now, they set their sights on the division rival Miami Dolphins, who are in town this Sunday at 1:00 PM. Here are five storylines to watch for when Buffalo hosts the Dolphins this weekend.

AFC Easy

Sean McDermot
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's hard to fathom that a second-place team in a division has a record as bad as 2-5, but that is where the Miami Dolphins sit entering Week 9. The two wins are two less than any other second-place team. A win on Sunday, no matter what the Jets or Patriots do, would put Buffalo four games ahead in the division with a pair of head-to-head wins over Miami and a head-to-head win over the New York Jets. You can't win a division by Week 9, but the Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots sure are trying really hard to lose it.

Related: Bills release Tyler Bass' competition from practice squad, add familiar WR

Tua

Tua Tagovailo
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You don't need to be a Bills fan or a Dolphins fan to understand what this game means for Tua Tagovailoa. It's true that he plays for the rival, but don't forget the concussion that prompted him to miss most of this season came against Buffalo, as did the 2022 hit that first brought his well-being into now-constant question. How he looks physically and mentally against the Bills is something to keep an eye on.

Coop Where It Is

Amari Coope
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Bills are 2-0 with Amari Cooper in the lineup and won those games by a combined 45 points. Even with that, some people want to see more from the latest Bills' trade acquisition. While it's a little bizarre to be upset when your favorite team is destroying opponents, it's fair to hope for more than one catch for three yards on two targets from the team's new toy. His snap shares went from 35% to 50% from game one to game two. Let's keep an eye on that trajectory in this week.

Winning Ways

Josh Alle
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Bills have won three straight games; that may not sound like a lot, but it is tied for the second-longest current streak in the AFC. Though the Bills got off to a 3-2 start, 8-2 looked feasible given their immediate schedule. They've pulled off 60% of those wins; now only Miami and the Indianapolis Colts stand in the way.

Related: Grading Bills' rookie class midway through 2024 NFL season

Another Move Coming

Brandon Bean
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 5th at 4:00 PM. The Bills already made one big splash by trading for the aforementioned Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. That move is part of an arms race that also saw Kansas City acquire WR DeAndre Hopkins and the Baltimore Ravens acquire WR Diontae Johnson. If Brandon Beane wants to continue the arms race, there are plenty of reports that state more wide receivers and defensive linemen are available. I would doubt he goes after another pass catcher, especially with how well Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Dalton Kincaid have looked recently, but calling Cleveland back and adding a guy like Za'Darius Smith at pass rusher would be welcomed by Bills Mafia.

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Greg Vorse
GREG VORSE

Greg Vorse joined SI to cover the Bills in July of 2024. Greg has spent two decades covering Buffalo football, first as a sports reporter for WJET (ABC) in Erie, Pennsylvania, from 2004 to 2007, then, starting in the summer of 2007, for Time Warner/Spectrum News. He was an award-winning broadcaster during his time on television for stories on the high school, college, and professional ranks. Greg has also covered the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers during his broadcasting and journalism careers. Aside from a love of athletic competition, Greg, his wife, and their two children enjoy vacationing and changing the stereotypes of pit bull terriers.

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