Miami's 2021 NFL campaign is off to a rousing start after it defeated AFC East rivals New England on the road in its opening match on Sunday. The Dolphins will look to build on that huge victory when they take on the Buffalo Bills in another divisional matchup this coming Sunday.
Who will emerge victorious in this Week 2 clash? Read on below for a preview of this much-anticipated NFL showdown.
Buffalo Bills enter this contest as -3.5 favorites
The Buffalo Bills headed into the 2021 season as one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LVI, but they were sent crashing back to earth on Sunday after losing 23-16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. It was a disappointing defeat for the Bills, who held a 10-0 advantage after the first half of play.
This coming Sunday, the Bills will look to get their season back on track when they lock horns with the Miami Dolphins. For the Bills to record the much-needed win, they will need to get better performance from their offense. Even though Josh Allen threw for 270 yards and a touchdown, he also was sacked three times and lost a fumble.
Josh Allen delivers a strike to Gabriel Davis for his first TD of the year 🎯
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 12, 2021
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/IIsC9UQTm8
They will also need to do a much better job of converting their fourth down opportunities. The game swung in Pittsburgh's favor when the Bills failed to convert on fourth down on each of their first two possessions during the second half. The second one proved to be costly as the Steelers scored a touchdown the following possession that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.
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Miami Dolphins head into this match as +3.5 underdogs
Talk about a great escape. The Miami Dolphins held off a furious fightback by the New England Patriots to record a thrilling 17-16 victory Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins managed to preserve the victory despite trailing the Pats in terms of first downs, total yardage, and time of possession.
The key to Miami's victory was its outstanding defense. They held the Patriots in check when New England got deep into Dolphins territory, limiting them to just one touchdown in their four red-zone opportunities. They also forced a couple of Patriots turnovers, none bigger than Damien Harris' fumble at the 9-yard line with just over three minutes remaining that helped seal the narrow one-point win.
One guy who needs to step up for Miami against Buffalo is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He did just enough against the Patriots on Sunday, completing 16 of 27 passes for 202 yards with two total touchdowns and one fourth-quarter interception.
Jaylen Waddle took off and dove for his first NFL TD 🐬
(via @Dolphins)pic.twitter.com/Qo1mLLcCYd— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 12, 2021
An encouraging sign for Miami fans is Tagovailoa's instant connection with rookie Jaylen Waddle. He caught four of his six targets from his former Alabama teammate for 61 yards and a touchdown. They will look to pierce a Bills defense that surrendered 188 yards through the air in their Week 1 loss to the Steelers.
Writer's Prediction
Buffalo wins and covers the spread.
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