Watch out the Miami Dolphins aren’t going anywhere, hear that Buffalo?
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins have made it known in the AFC East that they are not a team to simply roll over and die.
The AFC East might still belong to the Buffalo Bills but the Miami Dolphins are not throwing in any towels and they are not ready to hand it to them.
It is safe to say that when the Miami Dolphins played the New England Patriots in week one and the Bills in week two, they were still finding out who they were going to be. The team that played in the opening month is not the team on the field today. We will find out later in the year.
In this week’s, AFC East wrap-up we see that the Dolphins are making their presence known and if I were the Buffalo Bills, I would know now that the two-game lead is not something I would hang my buffalo-briefs on.
Buffalo Bills: 7-2
The Bills are off to their best start in decades and last week they destroyed the Seattle Seahawks in Orchard Park. The Bills put up 44 points on the birds and the Seattle offense could not generate enough offense until late to make it at least look respectable. The 34 points they put on the board was great for fantasy owners.
The Bills have been playing really good football and frankly they are the best in the AFC East right now, but that may very well change by the time the Dolphins visit the park in week 17. The Bills two-game cushion is actually more like 1.5. They have not had their bye week yet.
NEXT: The Bills will travel to play a pissed off Arizona Cardinal team that just lost to the Dolphins. Kyler Murray was so upset after the game he walked off the field without so much as a wink to Tua Tagovailoa. This game could be just as exciting to watch as the Dolphins game was. The Bills and Cardinals both have mobile QBs and that could be a big factor in the outcome.
Miami Dolphins: 5-3
A 5-3 season doesn’t sound all that great until you look at the actual schedule and realize that the Dolphins have won four in a row. Miami is keeping pace with the Bills and while they have a relatively easy schedule in the next few weeks, each game does come with its own pitfalls.
Miami is playing lights out on defense and Tua Tagovailoa is still finding a rhythm in his game. Last week showcased what the rookie has in him but there is still a lot of room to grow which is quite scary. If he continues to mature as an NFL quarterback and can continue his own two-game win streak, he could position the Dolphins for a legit playoff run instead of being a toss in as the expanded format 3rd Wild Card team.
Next: The L.A. Chargers are heading to Miami and it will be the showcase game for Tua Tagovailoa as he battles against the QB that was selected one pick after he was. The Chargers are playing good football and have been in every game for the last five weeks. The Chargers have only won two games this season but every one of their losses has been by less than seven points.
New England Patriots: 3-5
New England isn’t so scary anymore and each week the media and fans are pointing out that the success in NE may be more Tom Brady than Bill Belichick. The man-genius is not having a great year and it almost looks like half the time he doesn’t care. If AFC East fans were worried about him “Tanking for Trevor” they can put that narrative to bed now.
The Jets and Patriots played to what was almost an overtime game if not for a Joe Flacco screw up late in the 4th quarter. The Jets led the Patriots the entire game until the end, now that would have been nice to see. Of course, the game itself was rather boring and the hapless Jets showed they are at least competitive with the hapless Patriots.
Next: The Patriots are in for a rude awakening when they face the Ravens on Sunday night. The Ravens have a cutthroat mentality like Belichick for more than a decade so don’t expect John Harbaugh to go easy on them with a big lead. The Ravens are trying to keep pace with the Steelers in the North so there will be no taking the foot off the accelerator this week.
Next. Salvon Ahmed looks to make his presence known. dark
New York Jets: 0-9
The Jets remain winless and Adam Gase still has a job. There really isn’t anything else to say here. If not for poor Trevor Lawerence, the Jets season would be ridiculed. Instead, it looks like a plan. Maybe it’s a plan that keeps Adam Gase around another year.
Next: The Jets have their bye week but that doesn’t mean they can’t lose. Trevor Lawerence could announce he is staying at Clemson and that would be the perfect gut punch during the bye week.