Dolphins-Bills Week 9 Clash Gives Fins Chance For Revenge
By Abraham Gutierrez
After a humiliating loss at the hands of the New England Patriots, the (3-4) Miami Dolphins are preparing to hit the road once again, as they have a date with another AFC East rival, (3-4) Buffalo Bills in Week 9. This will be the second and final time these longtime foes meet this season with Rex Ryan & Col taking the opener by a final score of 41-14 at Sun Life Stadium.
Looking to return the favor, Dan Campbell's Fins will look to get back on track as they travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium hoping to even the season series at one win apiece. This intradivisional matchup is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET and it will be broadcast live on CBS Sports.
Buffalo Bills 2015 NFL Season Record
After a 3-2 start, the Bills have lost a little bit of steam heading into last week's bye, having dropped consecutive decisions. At 3-4 on the year, Ryan's bunch finds itself tied for third place in the AFC East with Miami and in danger of falling out of contention in the NFL playoff picture. Coming off a much-needed bye week, a win against the Dolphins could go a long way as far as this team's hopes of a postseason spot. Following Sunday's game, Buffalo will have a brutal three-game stretch that includes showdowns with the New York Jets, Patriots and Chiefs, all on the road.
Bills On Offense
Under offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Buffalo kicks off Week 9 as one of the worst offensive teams in football in two of the four major statistical categories. The Bills come in ranked ninth in points per game (25.1) and 11th in rushing yards (123.9) per contest. However, when it comes to total yards and passing yards per game, this team ranks 24th (340.6) and 25th (216.7) in the league respectively.
Bills On Defense
The Bills' defensive coordinator is Dennis Thurman, and with eight weeks in the books, the Bills' "D" resembles some of the traits of their offensive unit. Much like on the opposite side of the rock, this team shines in two of the four facets of the game. By far, the Bills' biggest strength lies in their ability to stop the rush, where they currently rank sixth in the league surrendering just 91.9 rushing yards per game. Their other bright spot can be found in total yards allowed per game, where they yield 347.3 on a weekly basis.
However, their problem areas play right into the hands of the Miami Dolphins. For starters, they allow 24.7 points per game, which, excluding last week's anemic effort against the Pats, Miami has proven to be proficient at. And finally, they tend to give up their fare share of aerial yards, as they come in ranked 20th in the league, yielding just over 255 passing yards per contest.
Bills Players To Watch
Offensively, the Bills' players to watch are first and second string running backs, LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams. Together, they combine for 530 rushing yards and four touchdowns. There's no question Rex Ryan will want to test Miami's defensive line now that Cameron Wake has been placed on season-ending IR with a torn Achilles tendon.
Defensively, Dan Campbell will have to find a way to keep defensive end Mario Williams from penetrating into the backfield. Coming into Week 9 leading the team in sacks (3), the former North Carolina State standout is off to a slow start by his standards, but he's still a huge threat to have a breakout game at any point.
Dolphins vs. Bills 2015 NFL Week 9 Betting Odds
According to NFL Week 9 oddsmakers, Buffalo will be tough to beat at home. Opening point spreads have the Bills [-3] listed as betting favorites by a kick against the visiting Dolphins [+3] and the OVER/UNDER is set at a combined total of 44 points.
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
