Desperate Dolphins need Mike McDaniel to step up to have a shot at upsetting Bills

If the Miami Dolphins want to turn their season around, they must beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.

The Dolphins haven't won in Buffalo since 2016 and haven't beaten the Bills since that blistering hot day in early September 2022. The Bills own the Dolphins, and there is no way to look at this through rose-colored glasses or half-full glasses of cliches.

What is important to know is that this week's game is so important for the Dolphins' future in 2024 that a loss would all but mathematically eliminate them from a potential playoff shot. No one would have thought that nine weeks into the 2024 season, the Dolphins could be looking at hanging it up for the year.

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The Dolphins' chances of making the postseason heading into the weekend are already pretty slim, but a loss this week would put the nail in the proverbial coffin. See, another cliche.

Dolphins' adjustments hold key to beating Bills and saving season

Miami could, in theory, make an amazing run to end the final 10 weeks of the season. Beating Buffalo could serve as the catapult to a winning streak that could turn it around. The Bills are the toughest team the Dolphins will face in the coming weeks, but it would be an emotional win more than anything else. A battery-packed victory that could energize the club for the weeks to come.

But how can the Dolphins win on Sunday?

It starts with preparation and each player doing their job effectively. Mike McDaniel must force the Bills' defense to adjust to his game plan, not the other way around. McDaniel needs to take advantage of every mismatch he can get on the Bills defense, and he must call a far better game than when these teams met on Thursday Night Football in Week 2.

The offensive line must stop the pre-snap penalties that hinder progress and shorten drives. They need to block within the scheme to give the running backs a lane or Tua Tagovailoa a couple more seconds to hit an open receiver.

If McDaniel can't change with the flow of the game, the Dolphins will not come close to staying in the contest. If Anthony Weaver's defense can't adjust to how the Bills are attacking, they will run up and down the field. An already hostile environment will be made worse by the Dolphins feeding the fans more fuel to take over the stadium. Success will keep them quiet, and that is where the Dolphins struggle.

Through the last five seasons, the Dolphins have not been able to adapt to playing against the Bills. There is no path to victory without being able to do so. Whatever McDaniel throws at them, the Bills will have an answer or an adjustment. McDaniel has to be able to do the same. There will be little room for error on Sunday, and if the Dolphins have any hopes of staying in the chase for the postseason, they have to find a way to beat the Bills.