Buffalo Bills' McDermott Reveals How to Stop 'Explosive' Miami Dolphins

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott will be tasked with stopping the Miami Dolphins' league-breaking offense on Sunday, prompting a plea for complementary football.

The Miami Dolphins are lapping the competition offensively through Week 3, headlined by their 70-20 dismantling of the Denver Broncos. Simply put, this unit is off to a historic start, and it has dictated the attention of the football world.

Through three weeks, their 8.4 yards per play is 2.2 yards more than the next-best team, the Minnesota Vikings. That’s the same difference between Minnesota and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who average the 18th-most yards per play.

Head coach Mike McDaniel is coming for San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s spot on the throne as the most respected playcaller in the sport.

How are the Buffalo Bills supposed to stop it?

The Bills will host Miami on Sunday in a Week 4 matchup that has prime time written all over it—except for the 1 p.m. kickoff. The best way to stop the Dolphins may be to not give them the football.

“When you’re playing an explosive team, a team that scores like this offense does, you have to play a complementary game,” said Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott. “All three phases have to blend together and work together.”

The Bills have won the time of possession battle in each of the first three weeks. Doing so again is critical. If the Dolphins continue to score on almost 60% of their possessions, you simply cannot outscore them in a shootout. Fewer drives mean fewer opportunities for Miami to run (literally and figuratively) away from Buffalo.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) tries to get away from Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White (27) and safety Jordan Poyer (21) and cornerback Taron Johnson (7) / © Mark Konezny, USA TODAY

Of course, all of that is easier said than done. The Bills entered the year with questions surrounding their rushing attack and consistency in the quick game. The last two weeks have been encouraging, with running back James Cook rushing for 90+ yards in both games and the offense continuing to operate on schedule.

However, Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is one of the best in the business. A stop or two early in the game can render the Bills one-dimensional and push quarterback Josh Allen into unfavorable circumstances. It’s a lot easier to not turn the ball over while nursing a multiple-possession lead.

The defense, obviously, has to do its part, too, but there’s a feeling of inevitability with Miami’s roaring start. Until someone shows they can be shut down, it’s just hard to put stock into. 

The Dolphins’ worst performance of the year was their 24-17 Week 2 win over the New England Patriots, which included almost 400 yards of offense. Kicker Jason Sanders’ two missed field goals, one of which was blocked, was their biggest undoing … hardly a knock on the offense.

Yet, Buffalo, at home, is favored by a field goal. McDermott acknowledged the task at hand.

“It’s certainly going to take all of us to get it done,” McDermott said.

The Bills’ surging defense will do its best to dampen Miami’s offense, but there’s little hope if the offense and special teams hang the effort out to dry.