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Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins: Five Bold Predictions

ByPaul Taylor|

Five Predictions for the Buffalo Bills clash with the Miami Dolphins

As we’ve already discussed, Sunday’s game has now taken on added importance for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. The loser will drop to 1-2, and potentially find themselves two games out in the AFC East, after just three weeks.

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Therefore, a win is imperative for both teams. However, this arguably applies more to the Bills, with a defeat dropping them to 0-2 within their division.

People are already analyzing the two teams, in an attempt to work out who will emerge victorious. Here are five bold (and not so bold) predictions for Sunday’s clash at Sun Life Stadium, which will ultimately help determine who wins the game:

1) The Bills defense will improve from last week

To be honest, this one isn’t exactly much of a stretch. If a defense as talented as the Bills can’t play better on Sunday, the team may as well give up now.

The performance against the New England Patriots was brutal, as they gave up 40 points and over 500 yards of offense. This included 466 through the air by Tom Brady, a new franchise-worst for the Bills.

That’s not going to happen again, and not just because the Dolphins offense is less effective. The Buffalo D will be supremely motivated to recover from their embarrassing display last week, with Ryan Tannehill and company suffering the consequences.

2) The Dolphins offensive line will continue to struggle

The Dolphins offensive line has gotten off to a nightmare start this season. In two games, they have allowed five sacks and averaged just 58 yards on the ground.

Making matters worse, is the fact there are real concerns about the availability of Branden Albert against the Bills. The 2013 Pro-Bowl left tackle had to leave last week’s loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with a hamstring injury.

On top of this, they will also have to deal with the likes of Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams. When you add it all up, the Dolphins o-line can expect another rough outing on Sunday.

3) LeSean McCoy will rush for over 100 yards

LeSean McCoy had a tough start to the season, rushing for just 41 yards on 17 carries against the Indianapolis Colts. In his defense, it was his first game action after a month of dealing with hamstring issues.

Sep 20, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) runs with the ball and New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones (95) pursues during the first quarter at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory

Credit

: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 NFL rushing leader improved against the Patriots, with 89 yards on the ground. And that was despite leaving practice on the Thursday with hamstring tightness.

However, the Pats game was a step in the right direction and I’m fully expecting even more against the Dolphins. If the Bills are to have any chance of winning, they’ll need a good outing from McCoy and 100+ yards rushing will help in this respect.

4) Richie Incognito and Ndamukong Suh will have standout performances

Richie Incognito and Ndamukong Suh have yet to make their mark this season. Part of this could be down to still trying to fit in with new teams and/or systems.

In Incognito’s case, it doesn’t help that he missed all of the 2014 campaign, after no team was willing to take a risk on him following the bullying scandal in Miami. For Suh, he has been limited to three tackles and four quarterback pressures, while dealing with rumors of ignoring defensive playcalls.

Regardless, both players are going to be supremely motivated on Sunday, with Incognito wanting to stick it to his former team, and Suh looking to put the freelance speculation to rest. I predict both players will have their best games yet for their respective new teams.

5) Dan Carpenter will prove to be the difference

Dan Carpenter has had his struggles in recent months. He was recovering from a hamstring injury, which affected his kicking during training camp.

Regardless, Rex Ryan appeared to have little sympathy, as he derided the kicker for missing several field goals during the preseason. The Bills coach even went as far as to suggest he was going to look for another kicker, which was unfair, given Carpenter’s standout performances, since coming to Western New York.

When the regular season started, Carpenter appeared to be back in form versus the Colts, before missing an extra point against the Patriots. I expect him to bounce back this Sunday, and provide the difference in a tightly-contested affair with the Dolphins.

Next: Bills vs Dolphins takes on added significance

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