Miami Dolphins defense wrapping season against the Bills

The Miami Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention last week against the Jaguars. The Fins are sitting at 7-8 on the season, and with one game left, they’ll look to end 2018 at 8-8.

The Bills are also mediocre, so the Dolphins have a shot at not having a losing record this year.

The final game in the Dolphins’ season, unfortunately, will not hold much significance past the eventual determination of the draft order. The Miami Dolphins were officially eliminated from the playoffs last week.

The Week 17 matchup between the Dolphins and the Bills doesn’t hold a lot of weight, except for the pride of winning. Neither team has any post-season prospects. The only implications from the outcome of this game will be draft order related.

Depending on how the Week 17 games shake out, the Dolphins could draft as high as 10 or as low as 17. A win against Buffalo would likely place Miami in the mid-teens in the 2019 Draft.

The Dolphins are likely entering an offseason with a lot of turnover. Matt Burke, Mike Tannenbaum and Ryan Tannehill are all names believed to be on the hot seat. The defense is a unit that will be very different in 2019; that shouldn’t surprise anyone since the defense is one of the worst in the league.

Any firings will likely be swiftly addressed after Sunday’s game against Buffalo, and depending on the outcome, it could be the difference in certain coaches or players staying or going.

So with so much on the line, how can the Miami Dolphins defense square up against the Buffalo Bills for the second time. It’ll be a tall order for the defense to keep the train on the tracks.

As for the injury report, four defensive players are listed as Questionable and one is listed as Doubtful. Five other players were also mentioned in the report but will play on Sunday.

T.J. McDonald: Doubtful

Xavien Howard: Questionable

Kiko Alonso: Questionable

Andre Branch: Questionable

Ziggy Hood: Questionable

So how will the Miami Dolphins match up against the Bills again? This could be a trap game, even with nothing on the line. The Dolphins didn’t look great in the first game, so this could be a potential pitfall if the Fins aren’t careful.

Josh Allen will be one of the major factors for any possible Bills victory. Allen showcased some of that top-10 athleticism in the last game when he rushed for 135 yards. I’d like to say that won’t happen again, but it’s very possible for a repeat performance against the Dolphins’ atrocious run defense.

Allen has shown some growth over the span of the season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he can muster enough for a winning performance this time. Of course, if the Dolphins can get some turnovers, like the two interceptions from the last meetup, then that gives them a little more breathing room to win.

Bills running back Chris Ivory is out, and even though he wasn’t much of a factor last time, any running back is prone to looking like a superstar against the Fins defense, so his absence is good news.

I’m bearish on the defense this week, even more so than usual. The playoff hunt elimination is enough to take the wind out of team’s sail, so this might not be the best effort from the Dolphins. With a lot of changes looming after the Bills game, some of the players might be distracted by the greener pastures that could be a reality when free agency starts.

I think it’s less likely that the Dolphins win this game than the Bills. The season will end in a whimper to usher in the ending of this regime and the start of the imminent, new one that will start in 2019. It’s a pessimistic outlook, but the end of this season for Miami is overdue; changes are needed.