Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins: Three Keys to the Game

It’s finally time for some Buffalo Bills football!

After a week off, the banged up Bills have finally gotten a bit healthy and are jumping right into things this weekend when they take on AFC East rival Miami Dolphins at The Ralph this weekend.

With Tyrod Taylor, Sammy Watkins, Leodis McKelvin, Karlos Williams, John Miller and Seantrel Henderson expected to return to the lineup Sunday, the revitalized Bills will have an opportunity to get back in the win column and add another AFC East victory to their resume.

Here’s this week’s Three Keys to the Game for the matchup with the Dolphins, which kicks off Sunday at 1 p.m. from Ralph Wilson Stadium:

1) A steady dose of the run.

There were points during the Bills’ last two games when Buffalo completely abandoned the run. And in part, those decisions contributed to those losses against the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars.

LeSean McCoy finally looks back to full strength, and with Tyrod Taylor back under center, it’s finally time to get this running game at its full potential. Whether it’s Taylor running the ball on draws and read options or McCoy keeping it for himself, Buffalo must establish the run.

And a matchup against the 21st-best rushing defense is the perfect opportunity to get things on track.

2) Get after Ryan Tannehill.

The best thing going for Buffalo in Sunday’s matchup is that the Bills have Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s number.

In seven-career games, Tannehill owns a 2-5 record with an 11-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 72.1 passer rating. Buffalo needs to keep this up this time around.

If Tannehill is given time in the pocket he’ll have the opportunity to get the ball to some dynamic playmakers. The last thing Buffalo wants is for Jarvis Landry, Lamar Miller and DeVante Parker to get hot.

These are the types the stars along the defensive line need to shine.

3) Control emotions and eliminate careless penalties.

The Bills are the most-penalized team in the NFL, and are penalized more at home than on the road.

So a rivalry game with playoff implications on the line could be a bad mix for the Bills. Or it could also be the perfect time to prove Buffalo is not an undisciplined team.

It’s a prove it week for the Bills in this area.

Prediction: Bills win 31-13

The Buffalo defense everyone has been accustom to for the last couple of years finally shows up. It’s another big day for Charles Clay in the passing game. Tyrod Taylor once again proves that he can be the quarterback of the future in Buffalo.