Buffalo Bills: 3 keys to beating the Miami Dolphins in Week 4

Buffalo Bills need to make splash plays

While the Bills have consistently ranked in the upper echelon of defenses when it comes to taking the ball away, they never got much production from their former starting middle linebacker, Tremaine Edmunds.

After Edmunds signed a 4-year, $72 million dollar contract with the Chicago Bears this offseason, the Bills replacement middle linebacker position remained in-house — and was eventually won by second-year linebacker and former third-round pick, Terrel Bernard, who hasn't looked back.

Over the past two weeks, Bernard has matched, or beaten, Edmunds season-high in sacks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries. Against the Commanders, Bernard recorded two sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

Bernard's stand-out performance, which earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, was part of a defensive performance that saw the Bills sack Commanders quarterback Sam Howell nine times while forcing five turnovers and scoring a touchdown.

The Bills were looking for more splash plays from their starting middle linebacker and Terrel Bernard has provided a much-needed spark to the Bills defense this season. As a result, the Bills are tied for the third-best turnover differential in the league at plus-four, despite having turned the ball over four times in week one against the Jets.

The Dolphins have been careful with the ball, having only committed three turnovers in the opening three games, but if the Bills can continue making big plays on the defensive side of the ball, they will give themselves a chance to win the game.

Both these teams are dominant in their own right — and it should be an exciting matchup — but if the Bills are able to hone in on at least a couple of said strategies, they'll give themselves an opportunity to remind the football world of how good they are.