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Week 2: Home against Buffalo

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by TheHighExhaulted, Sep 9, 2024.

  1. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    Thursday night football. I believe the Dolphins are wearing the throwbacks.

    The Bills defense looked very vulnerable yesterday almost losing at home to Arizona.

    Josh Allen hurt his left wrist during the game hurdling defenders in Week 1 as if the Super Bowl was on the line. I believe he was taking x-rays today. I expect him to play but he may have to be more careful if he can help himself.
     
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  2. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I hope we win, not only because I want the Dolphins to win, but also because this site will become intolerable with a flood of negative posts if we don't lol. The narrative of we can't beat "good" teams will linger for many weeks otherwise. So it's really important we beat the Bills!
     
  3. Fireland

    Fireland Well-Known Member

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    I can't say I am too confident. Josh Allen just owns this team so badly.
     
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  4. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    Taron Johnson, slot corner is OUT for Buffalo. Big loss for them.
     
  5. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    he Buffalo Bills will be without their All-Pro nickel cornerback when they visit the Miami Dolphins for Thursday Night Football on September 12.

    Veteran Taron Johnson suffered a forearm injury on Buffalo's first defensive possession in Sunday's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, and Bills' head coach Sean McDermott has already ruled out the battle-tested defensive back on the short week. "He obviously did not return in the game. He'll be ruled out for this week," said McDermott on Monday afternoon in Orchard Park as the team prepares for its divisional opener.

    Johnson, who was credited with a tackle in run defense on the first play from scrimmage, left the game after seven snaps and never returned. After Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray connected on a quick hitter on a third-down play from the Bills' 30-yard line, Johnson went down to a knee in apparent pain and eventually walked off the field under his own power.

    Johnson was seemingly testing his forearm strength with a trainer on the sidelines before heading into the locker room. "With Taron, I don't know his timeline on when he'll be back, so we're still doing some further research on that," said McDermott.

    McDermott also announced that veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot will miss a second straight game due to a toe injury that popped up last week. The injury to Johnson, who was voted as an All-Pro First Team selection in 2023, is especially troubling for a Bills' defense that is already without All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano until at least December.
     
  6. Springveldt

    Springveldt Season Ticket Holder

    Thing is we just beat a good team. Jacksonville was 8-3 last year before injuries hit them and they collapsed. They were fully fit last week.

    As you say all forms of social media will be unbearable if the Dolphins lose on Thursday, think I might just skip everything until the following Sunday.
     
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  7. Springveldt

    Springveldt Season Ticket Holder

    That he does, which is probably why the Dolphins tried to change a lot of personnel on defence this year and a new approach. Both the Patriots and the Jets limit him mainly to 1 good game, 1 bad game per season but he is MVP level every time he faces the Dolphins defence.

    It's wild that he has a career passer rating in the mid to low 80's against the other 2 teams in the division while he has a career 110 passer rating against the Dolphins. It's easy to see why most Dolphins fans think he is the second coming when he plays at that level against your team every time.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2024
  8. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

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    They better win!No excuses.With a loss any thoughts of division are out the window if they lose at home with Bills on a short week having to.travel to us.
    Do I expect a win?Damm right I do.If not now then when?
     
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  9. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    Fully agree, pump.
     
  10. Mafioso

    Mafioso Air Force's #1 Phin Fan

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    Thier All Pro nickle corner being out is a good thing for us, but honestly....we don't even have a competent 3rd receiver right now anyway so they could probably shut that position down with a solid backup. Now if we move Tyreek, waddle or Achane into the slot at times, that could be a favorable match up for us. It sounds like their slot CB was matched up on TEs alot too so hopefully that could help Janu get some looks....and make up for last week. (Let's not even get into the uncharacteristic performance by Smithe on Sunday). TE bounce back week baby.
     
  11. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    Thankfully for the Dolphins, they are coming into the week relatively healthy, at least as far as the injury report is concerned. Running backs De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert were both listed as non-participants with ankle and chest injuries respectively. Wide receiver Malik Washington was also listed as a non-participant as he recovers from a quadricep injury.

    Offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg (shoulder), linebacker Jaelan Phillips (Achilles), and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (hamstring) were all listed as limited participants, while linebacker David Long, Jr. was listed as a full participant with a finger injury.

    The important thing to note about Monday’s injury report is that the Dolphins did not hold practice on Monday, ahead of the Thursday night game against the Bills. All of the practice designations listed on the injury report for Monday are estimations based upon the injuries each player suffered and their severity. We’ll have a more clear picture of who is injured, how badly, and what their status for Thursday might be after tomorrow’s report comes out.

    The Bills also had seven players listed on their initial injury report. The biggest being quarterback Josh Allen listed as a full participant with a hand injury he suffered in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Bills do anticipate Allen playing Thursday, which would indicate that the hand injury is nothing major, though it will be something to keep an eye on throughout the week.

    The Bills also listed cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm), defensive ends Dawuane Smoot and Javon Solomon, Running back Ty Johnson, tight end Quintin Morris, and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on the injury report, with both Taron Johnson and Smoot listed as non-participants. Ty Johnson and Solomon were both listed as limited participants, with the rest listed as full.

    Like the Dolphins, the BIlls did not practice on Monday, instead opting for a walk-through, so their participation designations are also an estimate.
     
  12. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    Can the Dolphins win? Yes, they CAN, but it is not going to be an easy mounting. Josh Allen has been a beast against our defense during his career in the NFL. Weaver is definitely going to have to pull a trick out of Balitmore's defensive playbook...assign a defensive player on Allen the entire game...that's HIS man and don't let him get a single yard. If the defense can hold Buffalo scoreless on their first two possessions, then the game is ours, PROVIDED...

    The offense is going to need to get off to a HOT start and when I mean hot start, I dont mean a one play scoring drive, Tua to Hill; Tua to Waddle TD. I mean a long sustained 10-12 play drive. Grind the ball on the ground. Wear that defensive line down with the hot and humid air of Miami. Make those boys sweat gravy. Chew up that clock. Get that ground game GOING to set up play action pass and strike like lightening. We need to be up 14-0 by the middle of the 2nd quarter.

    If THAT happens, then the game is ours.
     
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  13. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    What Must Improve For Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
    Offense: Offensive Line Play
    The Bills’ offensive line performance can never be judged merely by sacks allowed. Allen is an escape artist. Plays that would be a sack against a vast majority of the NFL’s other quarterbacks can suddenly turn into a first-down run. It happens multiple times per game.

    Case in point: Buffalo’s front five struggled mightily against the Cardinals despite giving up just two sacks. Of the team’s nine penalties in the win, six came against the offensive line:

    • RG O’Cyrus Torrence: 3 (Face Mask, False Start, Holding)
    • LT Dion Dawkins: 2 (False Start, Holding)
    • RT Spencer Brown: 1 (False Start)
    Torrence’s face mask penalty came on a touchdown run by Allen. It was instead nullified and the Bills ultimately settled for a field goal on the drive. The play lowlighted a forgettable performance by the second-year guard, who looked overmatched far too frequently.

    Although the Bills did rush for 130 yards on the ground, it took 33 attempts to reach that number. The 3.9 yard-per-carry average was underwhelming. The group did open up some nice running lanes in the first half, but the rushing attack was completely shut down by Arizona after halftime.

    Center Connor McGovern was the only bright spot. There were concerns throughout training camp after some failed center-quarterback exchanges as McGovern worked to replace Mitch Morse, but everything was smooth in Week 1, including after Allen suffered the hand injury.

    The Bills brought in a ton of competition for the offensive line for the preseason but ended up sticking with the starting five everyone expected when camp began. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see some changes if the line play doesn’t improve in the coming weeks.

    Defense: Zone Coverage Usage
    Bills head coach Sean McDermott has always preferred zone defense dating back to his days as a Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator. While it’s worked at baseline during his time in Buffalo, it’s also been the unit’s downfall in big games against elite quarterbacks, such as Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
    Kyler Murray put together a Mahomes-esque performance in the first half Sunday. He completed 16 of his 19 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals rolled down the field with ease across three time-eating drives. A lot of those throws were to wide-open receivers who found gaps in the zone. It was a pitch-and-catch duty for Murray and Co.

    Buffalo finally started to mix in some man-coverage pressure looks in the second half, and that’s what allowed the comeback to happen. Greg Rousseau picked up three sacks, including a strip sack, and a resurgent Von Miller also took down Murray once.

    “We weren’t very good at all. Some of it was they were getting into third-and-manageable situations, and that goes back to winning first and second down,” McDermott told reporters. “I thought Bobby [Babich] and the defensive staff did a great job at halftime addressing it and making some adjustments, and I think we came out better in the second half. We played a little bit more our style of defense, and were a little bit more aggressive and just playing and having some fun out there, as opposed to waiting and reacting to what they were doing.”

    When the Bills switched back to zone on Arizona’s final drive it almost cost them the game. A busted coverage allowed Marvin Harrison Jr. to run wide-open. Luckily for Buffalo, Murray didn’t see him.

    Zone coverage will be a problem all year for the Bills defense. The unit doesn’t have the longtime safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer to erase mistakes. It’s also missing injured linebacker Matt Milano, one of the league’s best sideline-to-sideline defenders, and slot cornerback Taron Johnson left Sunday’s game with a forearm injury. When you combined all those factors with a high-powered Dolphins offense, Thursday night could get ugly

    On the flip side, Buffalo features one of the NFL’s best cornerback groups, at least when Johnson is healthy alongside Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford. It also possesses an edge-rushing group that can go four or five deep. That’s a lineup complexion far better suited to take on opponents in man.

    Bottom line: McDermott needs to leave his past tendencies in the rear-view mirror and embrace far more man coverage this season. It’s the best path to consistent success for the Bills defense.

    Special Teams: Kickoff Approach
    Tyler Bass eased lingering concerns in the kicking game Sunday by making all six of his kicks, two field goals, and four extra points. Given his struggles at the end of last season and throughout this year’s camp, that was a major relief for the Bills.

    The same can’t be said for the kickoff situation under the new rules.

    First, the Bills allowed a 96-yard kickoff return touchdown by DeeJay Dallas. It came just as they built an 11-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Suddenly, the Cardinals were right back in the game.

    Then on the next kickoff, Bass kicked it out of bounds. That allowed Arizona to start a potential go-ahead drive on the 40-yard line.

    Both of those kicks were against the wind. One thing’s for sure: wind will remain a factor in Buffalo’s home games all season. The onus is on special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley to come up with a solution.
     
  14. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    It's really pathetic. We are 1-11 in our last 12 meetings against Buffalo. They have our number in recent years. We have to turn this around. Funny thing is we dominated them so much in the 70's and 80's that our overall record is 62-58-1. The domination in the 70's was absurd: we won every single game in the 1970's, 20 straight lol.
     
  15. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    Kickoff from at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla., is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Miami is a two-point favorite in the latest Bills vs. Dolphins odds via the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 49.
     
  16. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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    I don't really think looking that far back in today's game shows much. How many different coaches/players id the Dolphins have over that span?

    In the past 2 seasons with McD and Tua, the Dolphins are 1-3 against the Bills in the regular season with 2 of those losses being by 3 and 7 points. And they almost beat the Bills with Skyler, in Buffalo, in the postseason.

    I think we're much closer to the Bills than that 1-11 stat.
     
  17. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    Almost wins are still losses. Until we prove otherwise we've been owned by the Bills in recent years. McD + Tua are 1-3 against them. That's pathetic no matter how you slice it. Getting past the Bills is necessary for winning the division, which we haven't done in 15 years. This is a huge game.
     
  18. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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    How can McD and Tua be 1-4 when they've only played them while together 4 times?

    I agree that this is maybe the biggest 2nd week game for the Dolphins in maybe 25 years or longer. It is a true must win game and can set the stage for the rest of the season.
     
  19. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    I updated the 1-4 to 1-3 almost immediately after I posted it. You caught it before the edit.
     
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  20. Hooligan

    Hooligan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I sure hope Achane and Mostert can play so we can save the injuries excuse for the end of the season where it belongs.
     
  21. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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    Or we could just be reasonable and agree that injuries to your two best RB's puts the team in a hole.

    (I think they play)
     
  22. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has started eight games against the Bills. The Dolphins are 1-7 in those eight games. Tagovailoa knows he needs to do something about it. With the Dolphins hosting the Bills on Thursday night, Tagovailoa said today that he understands that people will doubt that the Dolphins can beat the Bills until they prove they can.

    “That’s gonna be what’s written out there until we do something about that, that’s going to be the narrative, that we can’t beat the Bills,” Tagovailoa said. “Until we do beat them, and beat them consistently, none of that’s going to change. We have an opportunity to do that this year, we have an opportunity to do that this Thursday.”

    The Dolphins are 2.5-point favorites on Thursday night, and they’re also the betting favorites to win the AFC East. Thursday night would be a good night for Tagovailoa to prove he can beat the Bills, and he knows what the narrative is if he doesn’t.
     
  23. Rick 1966

    Rick 1966 Professional Hipshooter

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    It takes a LONG time to overcome another team owning you. We owned the Chiefs for something like 8 years in a row.
     
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  24. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    One team owning another can change very quickly. From 1970-1986 we were 31-3 against Buffalo!!! Then suddenly from 1987-1995 we went 4-17 lol. Just have to hope we have another change coming up.
     
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  25. Rick 1966

    Rick 1966 Professional Hipshooter

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    That was because Jim Kelly got drafted in 1986.
     
  26. cbrad

    cbrad .

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    Yeah.. HC and QBs matter. It's time for McD and Tua to step up. Right now we're a tier 2 level team, not a real SB contender and but playoff worthy. We start showing dominance against the Bills and our only target left is KC in the AFC.
     
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  27. JJ_79

    JJ_79 Well-Known Member

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    Huge game, if our defense holds them to 17 like the Jags, then I really like our chances only thing that really concerns me is their moose at QB.
     
  28. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

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    Is it an excuse to lose when you don't have your top two RBs? Why don't we just bring any bum off the street to play if it doesn't matter who suits up? I'm not being facetious, I want to know if you think health factors in wins and losses.
     
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  29. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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    Mostert is OUT, but it looks like Achane will play. We will need big games from either Wilson or Wright. Preferably both. (I’m assuming Wright suits up)
     
  30. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

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    Bills have no slot corner but of course we have no healthy slot wrs
     
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  31. Hooligan

    Hooligan Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    The injuries were most definitely an excuse for us not going very far in the play-offs for the past two seasons and, for the most part, they were limited to the end of the regular season. All I'm pointing out is that possibly losing two key players in the first game is a new wrinkle that could bite us in a game that many here are already characterizing as a "must win". Maybe there's something to what Poyer said about the Belles considering the Dolphins as "soft". My original comment was a bit "tongue in cheek" but, that doesn't convey well in print.
     
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  32. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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    Maybe the healthy slot WR’s we do have can have a good game, for once, going against backups. Hopefully that’s the case.

    We’re going to need Achane to have another big day catching the ball. Maybe they’ll get Wilson and Wright more involved in the passing game.
     
  33. pumpdogs

    pumpdogs Well-Known Member

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    Sucks River got hurt He was having a good camp.
    Is Achane playing?
     
  34. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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    Yeah, losing River sucks.

    He’s technically a game time decision, but reports are saying that he’s moving fine in practice today. And if he’s practicing a day before the game I think there’s a good chance he plays.
     
  35. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    We had better account for this guy.

    Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau had a strong season opener and now he’s been recognized for his performance. The NFL has named Rousseau AFC defensive player of the week for his role in Buffalo’s victory over Arizona.

    Rousseau finished Sunday’s game with 3.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and six total tackles. He became the first Bills defender to post 3.0 sacks in a season opener since Ben Williams in 1983

    This is Rousseau’s second career defensive player of the week award.

    Rousseau, the No. 30 overall pick of the 2021 draft, had 5.0 sacks last season in 16 games.
     
  36. Finatik

    Finatik Season Ticket Holder Staff Member Club Member

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    Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters at a Wednesday press conference that Mostert will not play against the Bills. He has been listed as a non-participant on both practice reports this week because of a chest injury. De’Von Achane has also been listed as a non-participant, but McDaniel said the team will wait to make a call about whether he’ll be able to play through an ankle injury.

    Jeff Wilson and fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright are the other running backs on Miami’s 53-man roster. Wright was inactive for the season opener, but seems likely to play with Mostert out of action.
     
  37. danmarino

    danmarino Hyperbole or death Club Member

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  38. TheHighExhaulted

    TheHighExhaulted Well-Known Member

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    Jeff Wilson legacy game incoming.
     
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  39. OwesOwn614

    OwesOwn614 Well-Known Member

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    Gotcha. There's a fine line between an excuse and an explanation. The only excuse for losing is because the other team played better, but IMO, it's fair to bring relative health into the discussion as context for what happened. In the end, your record is all that matters and the team with the better record is the better team, regardless of why. Looks like Achane will likely play, but it's a pisser to lose Mostert already.
     
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  40. Fishhead

    Fishhead Well-Known Member

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    They should probably move Achane to receiver permanently; it doesn’t seem like he’s physically capable of being a long term answer at RB, even as a change of pace guy.
     
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