This weekend when Josh Allen and the Bills take on Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, there will be much on the line in terms of playoff implications.
The Bills continue to hold the number one seed in the AFC, therefore with a win they will stay put. But, if the Dolphins lose, they could risk dropping out of the top seven seeds altogether. Unfortunately for Miami, they’re coming off an ugly loss to the Chargers where Tua struggled mightily.
Finishing just 10-for-28 passing, Tua looked off and bothered all night long versus Los Angeles. Now, he’ll have to get right and do it quickly before taking on the top seeded Bills on Saturday night.
One thing fans have noticed over the past few days is the fact that Miami had heaters on the sidelines during their game against the Chargers. Though the weather was only in the 50’s, Miami felt a little chilly.
Well, news flash Miami: it’s going to be colder in Buffalo, and Tua has historically struggled when he’s more than chilly.
The Bills hold an advantage over Tua Tagovailoa in cold weather games, and the numbers are ugly.
Thanks to some well-done research by CBS Sports’ Doug Clawson, we can provide some numbers for Tua in his top-four coldest games played in the NFL:
85-for-155 passing, 844 yards, 3 total touchdowns and 6 turnovers with a 61.4 passer rating
Tua’s four coldest games (all losses) have featured a pair in Buffalo, to no one’s surprise. Playing in a division with the Bills is already a disadvantage in itself for Miami, as they have to travel to Buffalo once a year. And, it seems as though the schedule makers play it into the Bills’ favor in recent years, with the games coming later in the year rather than earlier.
This Saturday night, there are snow showers in the forecast. For the Bills, that’s just another game in Buffalo. For Miami? It’s a totally different story.
The Dolphins, at least under Tua, have not played well in cold weather. In those four aforementioned games, Tua’s Dolphins have been outscored 134-63. For those keeping track at home, that’s the competition more than doubling up Miami on the scoreboard.
Should the Dolphins want to stand a chance in this one, they’ll need to rely on a run game that might be without Jeff Wilson, which would mean a healthy dose of Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed — and neither of those guys are known to be hard-nosed runners, which is what they’ll need to be in the snow.