Bitter Rivalry Heats Up Week 2 As The Dolphins Face Off Against The Bills
By Abraham Gutierrez
Early division leaders square off in Week 2 of the 2014 NFL season, as the (1-0) Miami Dolphins pay a visit to an old AFC East foe in the (1-0) Buffalo Bills. Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., will be the site for this intra-divisional clash, which is scheduled to kick off Sunday afternoon at 1 pm ET on CBS Sports.
Much to everyone’s surprise, the Dolphins and Bills got their season started with improbable wins in their respective season openers. For the Miami Dolphins, this team was able to overcome an error-filled first half to upset the defending AFC East champion New England Patriots, 33-20.
It was the tale of two halves for Cameron Wake and the Fins’ defense, however, as they surrendered 20 points through the first two quarters, only to keep the Pats off the scoreboard for the duration of the ballgame.
The offense also found its stride following the break, picking up its intensity to outscore the Pats, 23-0 in quarters three and four. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished the game with 178 yards on 18-for-32 attempts, two touchdowns and a pick, while running back Knowshon Moreno made a statement in his Miami debut, racking up 134 yards on 24 carries and a score.
For the Buffalo Bills, overtime was needed in the Windy City, but quarterback EJ Manuel and head coach Doug Marrone pulled through with a stunning, 23-20, win over the Bears. The outcome of this game is a perfect example of how statistics don’t tell the entire story in the National Football League.
Much to the disgust of Bills offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Buffalo’s offense was outplayed seemingly in every statistical category. The Bears won the first-down battle 29-15, tallied more yards to the tune of 427 to 360, and lost the time of possession battle, 34:42 compared to 30:32.
Manuel played a very clean game, all things considered, connecting on 16 of his 22 pass attempts for 173 yards, a score and a pick to earn a quarterback rating of 91.7 for his efforts. Offensively, the running game was the deciding factor, with the visiting squad outgaining the home team on the ground, 193 to 86 yards.
Led by running backs Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon and C.J. Spiller, the Bills’ three-headed rushing attack combined for a total of 174 yards on 27 rushes. Much like Sean Payton’s offense in New Orleans, Hackett employs a hybrid of NFL attacks, including K-Gun, the West Coast, the Run and Shoot, Air Coryell, the Spread Option and the Pistol.
In the end, however, the gameball went to Buffalo’s run defense, which limited the Bears to a field goal after halftime. Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was pleased to see his bunch hold Chicago’s rushing attack to 86 total yards and no scores in the winning effort.
In his first year as the Bills D.C., the former Lions head coach employs a 4-3 defense that is built around a number of blitz packages. This allows Buffalo’s “D” to create mayhem in the backfield, with plenty of opportunities for takeaways in the pass rush.
The last time Miami and Buffalo met dates back to Week 16, when the Bills hindered the Dolphins’ playoff hopes with a humbling 19-0 defeat. Nevertheless, Miami leads the overall head-to-head series, 57-42-1. The Bills come into this week’s game riding a two-game win streak, and have taken three of the last four meetings between these bitter rivals.
For more Dolphins news and updates, visit Dolphins Central.
Abe Gutierrez is a criminal justice admin whose love for sports led him to become a writer and editor. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com and its partners. His work can be found on Examiner.com. .