Miami Dolphins: Stop Josh Allen, beat the Buffalo Bills
By Brian Miller
The Buffalo Bills are a very good football team and at the core of that team is quarterback Josh Allen. If the Miami Dolphins are going to win, they need to stop him.
Tua Tagovailoa can control his side of the ball the best he can. He can’t stop Josh Allen with tackles and interceptions but he can play mistake-free football, eat the clock, drive the field, and score touchdowns. That is how Tua helps Miami’s defense beat the Bills. Wear the defense down and make the offense stay out of a consistent rhythm.
Defensively, the Bills are not going to beat you on the ground. Their running game is good but it isn’t elite. It is the weakest part of their offense but because of their passing game, the running game can often put up big numbers.
Allen is a versatile QB. It was only a few years ago that Miami fans were laughing at how poorly he played in his rookie season. His accuracy was a question and it still is but Allen isn’t put into a position often enough to worry about being accurate. He is put in a position to blow the lid off the game with deep passes and rushing out of the pocket. Allen will lower his shoulder like a running back and knock a defender over. The Bills are perfectly fine with letting him do it.
If Miami is going to win today, they must find a way to stop Allen. They have to contain him, shadow him, and not let him leave the pocket. The longer he stands in the more accurate he needs to be. When he is able to break out into the open, he can easily tick off 10 yards or more on his own.
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Today, Miami’s front seven must do a good job of getting pressure on him while also maintaining their lanes. Collapsing the pocket isn’t enough. Miami has to hit him. Make him feel the defense and they need to bring it all day long.
The Bills haven’t had to punt the ball in something like five of the last seven games and that allows them to control the game. Miami has to force the Bills into punting situations if they have a shot at winning today. To do that, again, they have to get to Allen. It is the one thing that they absolutely have to control.