Chris Perkins: Five things to watch for in Dolphins-Bills game

Bills quarterback Josh Allen: Buffalo, led by the electric passing combination of quarterback Josh Allen to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, puts a lot of pressure on defenses. Quarterback Tua Tagavailoa and Dolphins’ passing offense putting points on the board: Tagovailoa gets a huge matchup edge here with Hill and fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle going against...

1. Dolphins defense vs. Bills quarterback Josh Allen: Buffalo, led by the electric passing combination of quarterback Josh Allen to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, puts a lot of pressure on defenses. Diggs is No. 2 in the league in receiving (behind Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill) with 20 receptions for 270 yards and four touchdowns. Allen (52 for 69 for 614 yards, seven touchdowns, 123.7 passer rating) is second in passer rating and tied for the lead in touchdowns.

Constantly blitzing Allen is one option with cornerback Xavien Howard shadowing Diggs. The other option is base defense with a normal pass rush and take your chances. Allen had a career-worst 15 interceptions last season and has double-digit picks in three of his previous four seasons. But be warned. Allen has been blitzed 20 times (14th most in league) but only pressured seven times (32nd in league) and sacked three times (tied for 19th fewest).

2. Quarterback Tua Tagavailoa and Dolphins’ passing offense putting points on the board: Tagovailoa (59 for 83, 739 yards, seven touchdowns, two interceptions, 116.5 passer rating) gets a huge matchup edge here with Hill and fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (15 receptions, 240 yards, three touchdowns) going against Buffalo’s young cornerback tandem of Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam (The Benjamin School in Palm Beach).

The Bills have excellent safeties in All Pro Jordan Poyer and All Pro Micah Hyde and will likely play both deep to cover Hill and Waddle. But if Miami can run the ball, necessitating one of those safeties coming down into the box, the Dolphins could have another record-setting passing day. Aside from that, the Dolphins need Tagovailoa’s trademark accuracy.

3. Dolphins taking advantage of advantageous situation: Buffalo, which is nursing some key injuries, comes to South Florida on a short week for a 1 p.m. hot, humid September game. This is prime territory for the Dolphins to pounce. Yes, Buffalo has won seven consecutive games against the Dolphins, but the Dolphins have a seven-game home win streak at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins will also have a sellout crowd in their favor.

Beyond that, the Dolphins’ confidence is sky-high after that miraculous 42-38 comeback victory at Baltimore in which they overcame a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit. Of course, Buffalo’s confidence is also sky high after two blowout victories this season by a combined score of 72-17 against the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans, a pair of expected playoff teams, to say the least. But the stage is set for the Dolphins to pull off a home upset.

4. Dolphins offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Greg Little vs. Buffalo defensive end Von Miller: Among all the intriguing matchups, including Diggs vs. Howard, this is one of the biggest because of Miller’s disruptive potential. Miller (2.0 sacks) mostly only plays in passing situations, but he’ll be right in Tagovailoa’s face if Armstead and Little don’t do their jobs.

Armstead, who was questionable last Sunday due to a toe injury, is among the NFL’s highest-rated tackles after two games so he should be able to handle Miller one-on-one. But the Dolphins must also watch the matchup on the other side with their right tackle. It’s possible the Dolphins give Little help, if necessary, from a tight end or running back. Armstead will largely be one-on-one vs. Miller, but both tackles will be have matchups key to the Dolphins’ passing game success.

5. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel making the right moves: There’s little or no pressure on McDaniel so, to a certain extent, he can coach freely as opposed to conservatively. McDaniel is off to a roaring start with victories over two Super Bowl-winning coaches — New England’s Bill Belichick and Baltimore’s John Harbaugh. McDaniel managed the team well enough to set the stage for a remarkable comeback victory vs. the Ravens . His mentality has made the players comfortable, and his game plans and adjustments have put them in position to win. A victory over Buffalo, which would give the Dolphins control of the AFC East and a spot in the conversation of best teams in the AFC, starts with McDaniel.

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