Setting the Stage for the Week 9 Dolphins-Bills Matchup

Breaking down all the details for the Miami-Buffalo Bills game at Highmark Stadium.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) pressures Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will look for their first victory in Buffalo since 2016 when they face the Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.

Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 2 Dolphins-Bills matchup.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-5) vs. BUFFALO BILLS (6-2)

• Date: Sunday, November 3, 2024

• Time: 1 PM EDT

• Site: Highmark Stadium; Orchard Park, N.Y.

• Weather.com Forecast: The temperature around Highmark Stadium between 1 and 4 p.m. on Sunday is expected to be 54-55 degrees. The forecast calls for sunny and mostly sunny skies with no expected rain and winds of 7-8 mph.

• TV: CBS

• Announcers: Kevin Harland (play-by-play), Trent Green (color analyst), Melanie Collins (sidelines)

FINAL INJURY REPORT

• Dolphins — TE Julian Hill (shoulder), CB Kader Kohou (neck) and DT Zach Sieler (eye) are out; S Jevon Holland (hand/knee) is doubtful; WR River Cracraft (shoulder), CB Storm Duck (ankle) and FB Alec Ingold (calf) are questionable.

• Bills — FB Reggie Gilliam (hip) is out; CB Christian Benford (wrist), WR Amari Cooper (wrist) and WR Curtis Samuel (pectoral) are questionable.

DOLPHINS-BILLS REGULAR SEASON HISTORY

• Regular season series history: Dolphins lead 61-55-1

• Last five meetings:

1. September 12, 2024 at Miami — Bills 31, Dolphins 10
2. January 7, 2024 at Miami — Bills 21, Dolphins 14
3. October 1, 2023, at Buffalo — Bills 48, Dolphins 20
4. December 17, 2022, at Buffalo — Bills 32, Dolphins 29
5. September 25, 2022 at Miami — Dolphins 21, Bills 19

• Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 38 (1970 at Miami; Dolphins 45, Bills 7)

• Dolphins' largest margin of defeat: 35 (2021 at Miami; Bills 35, Dolphins 0)

• Highest-scoring matchup: 82 points (1966 at Buffalo; Bills 58, Dolphins 24)

• Lowest-scoring matchup: 12 points (1983 at Buffalo; Dolphins 12, Bills 0)

• Former Bills players with the Dolphins: S Jordan Poyer (2017-23), CB Siran Neal (2018-23)

• Former Bills coaches with the Dolphins: Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was Bills DL coach in 2013; Dolphins special teams coordinator Danny Crossman filled the same capacity with the Bills from 2013-18; assistant head coach/RB coach Eric Studesville was Bills RB coach from 2004-07 and run game coordinator/RB coach from 2008-09

• Former Dolphins players with the Bills: WR Mack Hollins, QB Mike White (on the practice squad)

• Former Dolphins coaches with the Bills: Assistant DB coach Joe Danna

---

BILLS SCOUTING REPORT

So much for the Bills taking a step back because they lost so many big-name players in the offseason. Buffalo, on the contrary, looks as good as ever and appears headed for a fifth consecutive AFC East title coming off perhaps their most impressive victory of the season, a 31-10 rout of the Seahawks at Seattle. Buffalo ranks in the middle of the pack in both offense and defense (13th and 16th, respectively), but leads the NFL in turnover margin at plus-11. QB Josh Allen is among the NFL MVP candidates, ranking third in the NFL in passer rating at 107.6 with a tremendous 14-1 TD/INT ratio.

---

THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN

The Dolphins will win this game simply because they have to win this game and because they did take a big step forward against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday even though the end result still was a loss. While it's easy to look at the ugly 48-20 final score when the Dolphins last played at Buffalo, we shouldn't forget that Miami was keeping up with them offensively in the early going and things took a major downturn when Terron Armstead left the game with an injury. We also should remember that Buffalo had only 247 total yards in the Week 2 Thursday night matchup this season and won because the Dolphins turned the ball over. Maybe the Dolphins will play error-free football in this one and move the ball against a good, but not great, defense.

THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE

If we're being honest, it's a lot easier to come up with reasons here. First off, the Buffalo defense has found the formula to shut down Tyreek Hill, and that makes Tua Tagovailoa less effective in the process. And then, of course, there's the Josh Allen factor and his ridiculous success against Miami since his second game against the Dolphins in 2018. Compounding the Allen factor is the fact that Miami will be missing two key defensive players for sure with Zach Sieler and Kader Kohou and likely Jevon Holland as well. That's not a good recipe for success. And then there's the fact the Dolphins haven't won at Buffalo since 2016, a stretch of seven consecutive losses if we count the 2022 playoff matchup.

FINAL DOLPHINS-BILLS PREDICTION

Everything about this game screams an easy Buffalo victory, if not a blowout, but we just can't help the feeling that this actually will be a close game. And we wouldn't dismiss the idea of the Dolphins pulling off a major upset, which they badly need to keep their playoff hopes realistic. The Dolphins have run the ball well recently, and maybe that will help take the burden off Tagovailoa and Hill and also keep Josh Allen off the field. And maybe this is the game where the Dolphins defense finally is able to force some turnovers after having only three takeaways so far. It would take a combination of a lot of factors to produce a Miami victory, but it happened at Hard Rock Stadium in 2022, so it's not impossible it'll happen here again. But there's just an awful lot to overcome and the Dolphins have disappointed pretty much all season, so it's really hard to go ahead and be extra bold here.

Final Score: Bills 33, Dolphins 27