Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills: Preview, prediction and odds

Preview for Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills

It’s only Week 3, but Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could be considered to be coaching for his job on Thursday Night Football.

The Dolphins make the daunting trip to upstate New York to face their AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills having made a highly disappointing start to the season. With a humiliating loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 followed up by defeat to the New England Patriots in their home opener, the Dolphins are in a 0-2 hole.

That start has put McDaniel under huge pressure, with some uninspiring appearances at the press conference podium in the wake of those losses not helping the public perception around McDaniel.

Asked about his team’s final possession in their 33-27 loss to the Patriots, McDaniel offered a bewildering assessment.

“That’s kind of where the frustration lies for me is it wasn’t deciding [the play call] that cost us, or a late play call, which that happens at times,” McDaniel said. “But this was not one of those times. I got the play call in, but I need to do a better job supervising the orchestration within our multiple personnel groups.

“To win games, you have to win the game and not lose the game, honestly. And that is how you lose the game. You’re moving the ball down the field, you’re first-and-10 and then you find yourself at second-and-20. That was critical.”

The Dolphins odds of winning — or not losing — in Buffalo appear slim.

Indeed, the Bills have cemented their credentials as a Super Bowl favourite across the first two weeks of the season, dramatically overturning a 15-point deficit in a 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the opener before sweeping aside the New York Jets in Week 2.

Whereas Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has already thrown three interceptions, Bills signal-caller Josh Allen has yet to turn the ball over, and the reigning MVP will be expected to shred a Miami defense that has surrendered 751 yards in the first two games.

Yet Allen is wary of the aggressive nature of the Miami defense.

“Their front over there is filled with a lot of guys that can get after the quarterback,” Allen said. “So, we got to be on our P’s and Q’s and understand what they’re going to try to do to us.

“They’re pretty unpredictable in terms of when and where they’re blitzing. So, making sure that I’m seeing as much as I can, watching as much film as I can to try to pick up on cues and things.”

On the defensive side for Buffalo, the Bills will have to cope without defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano, both of whom have been ruled out.

The Dolphins will hope those blows to two key players in the spine of the Buffalo defense can help level the playing field in what otherwise looks to be an obvious mismatch. If not, Miami may soon be looking for a new head coach.

Prediction for Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills

Things are unlikely to get any better for McDaniel in primetime. The gap between Allen and Tagovailoa is too vast and the difference in level of play on defense too stark for the Dolphins to be competitive on the road in Buffalo.

Prediction: Dolphins 13-31 Bills