The Buffalo Bills were humbled at home by the defending Super Bowl Champions by a score of 40-32, which was much closer than it should have been. The New England Patriots were up at one point in the second half 37-13. The highly touted Buffalo Bills defense was no match for the quick passing attack of Tom Brady and the fast jump cuts of Dion Lewis. The Bills had something to prove, but really did not prove anything. They especially did not prove that they are at the Patriots level.
The Miami Dolphins also had a disappointing week two as they fell to Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The main problems for Miami stem from complete failure to run the football. Lamar Miller has just 67 rushing yards in two games this year on 23 carries. This makes the Dolphins one-dimensional and puts a lot of pressure on Ryan Tannehill and their young receiving corps. Another bad sign for the Dolphins is the fact that their high profile Left Tackle Brandon Albert is doubtful against Buffalo. He is critical to protecting Tannehill. It will now be an even tougher task to stop the talented “Cold Front” defensive line of the Bills.
The Bills started the Patriots game on a very high note, driving the ball down the field on their first possession with ease. They cut through the New England defense with a great running game that culminated in a Karlos Williams rushing touchdown. However, the offense stalled from there and did not pick back up until the game was out of reach and on the other side, the Patriots seemed unstoppable. Brady threw for 466 yards and had 38 completions with three touchdowns. The future Hall of Fame quarterback showed why he’s still one of the best.
This week’s matchup is definitely more promising for Buffalo. Tannehill is not Brady and the Bills defense will set out to prove that as well as prove that last week was a fluke and they are just as good as advertised. The first step the Bills need to accomplish is keeping Lamar Miller ineffective. This will result in the Dolphins quickly abandoning the run game. If this happens, the defensive line can keep bringing the pressure and Rex Ryan can dial up some exotic blitzes, giving Tannehill all he can handle.
Offensively, Buffalo needs to return to a more balanced formula. The Patriots game got away from them because the Bills offense was not moving the football and as a result their defense did not get to rest much off the field. Tyrod Taylor needs to show more composure and convert third downs, extend plays and keep the drive alive. If he can do that and the Bills can get a good showing from their rushing attack, they could pull out a road victory in South Florida.
Statistics Courtesy of ESPN.com