The Buffalo Bills will play the Miami Dolphins at home at Highmark Stadium in Week 9.
The Bills (6-2) are looking to build on a dominant stretch of football. They’ve blown out both the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks in the past two weeks. The Dolphins (2-5) are looking to turn their season around after losing five of their last six.
Buffalo is favored by six points in this one. Miami will be looking to avenge their Week 2 loss to the Bills, so Buffalo will need to execute their game plan to pick up their seventh win of the year.
With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 9:
Keep spreading it around on offense
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One thing that has worked in the Bills’ favor in 2024 is that defenses don’t necessarily know what to expect from them. It used to be a lot of receiver Stefon Diggs through the air and quarterback Josh Allen’s legs on the ground. Now, anyone on the offense can heat up at any moment. They have leaned into the “everybody eats” concept, and it has worked wonders for the most part.
In Week 2 against the Dolphins, the Bills had five different ball carriers and they targeted nine different players in the passing game. Given that it was early in the year, the Dolphins weren’t sure what to expect. Now, with the addition of wide receiver Amari Cooper, Buffalo added another layer of unpredictability. Not only is it good for team morale if they lean into using everybody on offense, but it will keep the Miami defense guessing.
Limit chunk plays
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Although the Dolphins’ offense has struggled mightily in recent weeks, with QB Tua Tagovailoa under center, Miami can put a ton of stress on the defense. They still possess an absurd amount of speed at the skill positions. They have a handful of running backs and pass catchers that can take one touch to the house at any moment.
Linebackers and cornerbacks especially will have to stay disciplined and not fall for some of the eye candy that the Dolphins offense has shown in the past. Also, although it is hard to get hands on some of these guys, tackling needs to be consistent. Having sound tackling from the defense, much like last week against Seattle, will limit big gains from their speedsters.
Throw off Tagovailoa’s timing
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Tagovailoa is a pure rhythmic and anticipatory thrower of the football. He likes to get the ball out quickly and throw it into passing windows. They are at their best when he has a clean pocket and can just take a quick drop back and get rid of it. What can throw off the timing of that offense is giving some unusual looks that make him pat the ball for an extra half-second.
The Bills don’t blitz much as a team, and they probably won’t completely change their identity based on just one opponent. But, a few more blitzes and some creativity in the front seven would go a long way. Linemen dropping into coverage, stunts, and blitzing/bluffing from linebackers could cause problems for the timing of the Dolphins’ offense. Getting hands up on the defensive line will also make it harder for Tagovailoa to navigate some of the passing lanes.