The Buffalo Bills continue their dominating history against the Miami Dolphins, winning 12 out of 13 games against them in the Josh Allen era.Allen didn't do much in this win, as he didn't have to when James Cook and the defense were doing the heavy lifting.
Now sitting at 2-0, the Bills are starting to get respect from analysts and opponents, as the Bills' passing game is as live as last year, and the run game may be even better. The defense is also dominant despite the sheer number of injuries already occurring.
The Bills have 10 days to heal up and prepare for their next game against the Jaguars, who have had the Bills number in their last two meetings, especially on the defensive side.
In 2021, Josh Allen severely struggled as he threw for two interceptions and only led the offense to six points. Then last year, the Bills traveled to London in Week Four and couldn't get anything done on offense until the end of the second and fourth quarter.
The defense wasn't any better, allowing Travis Etienne to rush for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Calvin Ridley arguably had his best game of 2023, recording 122 receiving yards.
The Jaguars are now 0-2 and struggling to get anything going on offense. These teams are dangerous, especially considering how talented of a team the Jaguars are, which makes them dangerous and can beat any opponent that underestimates them.
The Bills shouldn't get caught off-guard and should always come prepared for games like this, despite their opponents' record. If they want to avoid another loss to the Jags, these three players need to shine next week.
Von Miller
Miller has already recorded two more sacks than he did in 2023, as he looks healthy again and his explosiveness and finesse are back in his arsenal. Miller was the highest-graded player on Thursday night with a 90.7 (per Pro Football Focus), generating pressure after pressure, along with his young-talented teammate Greg Rousseau.
One weakness with Jacksonville is their offensive line, which has allowed seven sacks on the season so far. Some of those sacks could be due to Lawrence holding onto the ball for too long, but regardless, it's calling for a Von Miller breakout game.
Baylon Spector
The linebacker position is by far the thinnest on the roster and Spector had to fill in after Terrel Bernard suffered a pectoral injury. Against the Dolphins, Spector gave up the Bills' only touchdown of the game but besides that series, he has played well.
Spector will be assigned a task that the Bills linebackers failed to do last season, which is to contain Travis Etienne and contain passing options like Evan Engram (who may not even play due to a hamstring injury). Overall, it's a challenging task, but Spector did a good job last week so there's confidence in him going into this week.
Josh Allen
Allen will probably do a little more than last week, as he's now had lots of time to heal up, so he may be able to use two full hands during this game. A healthy Allen means a more confident Joe Brady, meaning that Allen will most likely be involved more within the game plan this week, so expect him to have around 25 pass attempts.