Dolphins-Bills predictions: Can Miami rebound from beatdown in Baltimore to win division title and secure No. 2 seed in AFC?
The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills will play for the AFC East division title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium; here’s how the South Florida Sun Sentinel predicts the game with go:
Dolphins (11-5) vs. Bills (10-6), Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Latest line: Bills are favored by 3 points.
Dave Hyde, Sports Columnist (Season record 11-5): Dolphins 24, Bills 22
Despite injuries and the Baltimore debacle, the thought is the Dolphins collect themselves with so much on the line. Home has been a haven for the Dolphins most of this season and that’s should help pull them through.
Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist (Season record 9-7): Dolphins 24, Bills 21
I just can’t believe the Dolphins, who are 13-3 at home under coach Mike McDaniel, including 7-1 this season, could lose their biggest game of the regular season at home. I refuse to believe that. They’ll find a way. Or Bills quarterback Josh Allen will give it away. However it gets done, I have to believe the Dolphins will win.
David Furones, Dolphins Writer (Season record 13-3): Dolphins 24, Bills 20
It’s tough to believe in this team right now after last Sunday’s beatdown in Baltimore, especially now without Bradley Chubb and likely Xavien Howard to add to a slew of other injuries. But the results of a previous week, throughout the entire season, whether good or bad, have not translated over to a following game. These Dolphins have bounced back from every loss this season. I expect them to do it again, especially against a team they’re eager to see after the 48-20 Week 4 obliteration in Buffalo.
Kathy Laughlin, Sports Editor (Season record 13-3): Dolphins 24, Bills 20
The Dolphins are awfully dinged up, and the Bills have won their past four games (including wins against the Cowboys and Chiefs). That said, Buffalo’s offense didn’t look great against New England last Sunday, and most importantly: The Dolphins are at home, where they have only lost one game this season. The embarrassment against the Ravens should be highly motivating for Miami.
Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports Editor (Season record 14-2): Bills 24, Dolphins 20
The Bills being favored on the road by a field goal speaks volumes of the direction the two teams are heading in. The Dolphins were flying high for much of the season as the Bills struggled to find their footing. Miami’s seemingly insurmountable lead in the AFC East is now on the line after the secondary blew coverage after coverage in a blowout loss to the Ravens. The Bills’ surging defense could also pose a challenge as the Dolphins have become predictable on offense. Both teams have injuries to key players, but Buffalo has more depth.
Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor (Season record 10-6): Bills 24, Dolphins 19
With the cavalcade of Dolphins injuries now having robbed them in the regular-season finale of huge key aspects of the defense, and with players across the offense limping around, it makes the chore against the Bills all that more difficult. Seemingly, the biggest thing going for the Dolphins is that Josh Allen’s passing numbers are a little down this year. However, he also has scored 15 rushing touchdowns (tied with the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, also this season, for the NFL record by a quarterback), giving him 42 touchdowns generated. That number is tied with his total in each of the past two seasons, and three short of his personal record, when he threw 37 touchdown passes and ran in eight more in 2020.