10. Historic previous the matchup
September 18, 1966, is when the Dolphins and Funds met for the first time. After scoring 48 components throughout the first half, the Funds went on to win 58-24 on the home. From there, the up-and-down rivalry roller coaster took off.
For a long time, it was all Miami when Don Shula took over as head coach in the 1970s. Nevertheless, the opponents started to develop a few years later all through the Jim Kelly and Dan Marino interval. Now, it’s as a lot as Allen and Tagovailoa to see which group will expertise the next wave of the long-standing rival.
Best Indoor Cycling Bike Under $500
The Dolphins have the upper hand in 113 frequent season video games with a 61-51-1 doc. Nevertheless, the Funds preserve the upper playoff doc, 3-1, along with the win over the Dolphins within the 1992 AFC Championship Recreation.
Since 2017, McDermott’s first yr in Buffalo, Funds have a 5-Zero doc at home vs. Miami and are 9-2 vs. the Dolphins basic under the highest coach.
9. Allen’s success on Saturday + in direction of Miami
Up to now in his NFL career, Allen is 7-2 in direction of the Dolphins. In these 9 video games, Allen has 27 touchdowns achieved 202 of 316 cross-makes and tries for 2,380 yards.
The QB has moreover obtained three contributors of the week honors versus the division rival.
No.17 has moreover cherished success participating in Saturdays with a 4-2 doc. In six Saturday video games, along with playoffs, Allen has a 108. Three QB rating has achieved 135 of 209 passes for 1,669 yards, 12 TDs, and Zero INTs.
8. Primetime Saturday evening time soccer
The importance surrounding this terribly important divisional matchup made for the best Saturday night-time primetime sport for eyes in every single place on this planet to be on. The ultimate time the two teams carried out under the lights was in Miami on November 13, 2014, the place the Dolphins beat the Funds 22-9.
Saturday marks the 15th time the Funds and Dolphins are coping with off in primetime of their sequence historic previous. There have been 10 video games on Monday, two on Sunday, and two on Thursday.
7. Jesse Winker and Funds Mafia make it a trip spot sport
Buffalo native and outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, Jesse Winker is making the journey to Buffalo for Saturday nighttime’s sport.
The avid Funds fan grew up celebrating every sports activity day collectively together with his family. Now, he’s wanting forward to being a part of a wintery game-day experience at Highmark Stadium for a battle of the East.
“It’s undoubtedly a storied rivalry,” Winker talked about. “There’s been good players part of every franchise eternally. It’s pleasing to have the AFC be sturdy as soon as extra. I imagine it’s good for the followers and for soccer.”
Winker had the Week 15 matchup between the Funds and Dolphins highlighted on his calendar given that schedule was launched. After which after the Funds have been misplaced to Miami in Week 3, he knew this was the game he wanted to return to this season in hopes of seeing the opposite final result.
“Personally, Funds-Dolphins is my favorite rivalry,” Winker talked about. “I imagine it’s up there with all the other sports activities actions rivalries, so it needs to be a pleasing one. I hope it snows, it’s freezing, and it’s the exact reverse of Miami’s local weather.”
6. South Florida connections
LS Reid Ferguson and Dolphins LS Blake Ferguson are the one pair of brothers to be prolonged snappers within the NFL’s historic previous.
Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey carried out on the School of Miami from 1999-02 and left due to the winningest QB Within the faculty’s historic previous with a doc of 38-2.
DE Greg Rousseau carried out on the U of Miami from 2018-19 and led the ACC with 15.5 sacks in 2019.
DT Jordan Phillips was a Dolphins second-round draft resolve in 2015 and spent his first three seasons in Miami. DE Shaq Lawson moreover carried out 13 video games for Miami in 2020.
RB James Put together dinner and WR Isiah McKenzie is from Miami. S Jaquan Johnson will also be a Miami native and carried out DB at the U of Miami.
RB Devin Singletary is from Deerfield Seaside (about an hour away from Miami) and CB Xavier Rhodes is from Miami Gardens, FL.
5. Diggs v. Hill
From his time in Kansas Metropolis to his new job in Miami, WR Tyreek Hill has always been a problem for the Funds. And it does not matter what QB is throwing to Hill, they wish to get the ball in his palms.
Nevertheless, the equivalent goes for WR Stefon Diggs, who’s an offensive menace regardless of who he’s lined up toward attributable to his reference to Allen. So, anticipate all eyes on the QB-WR duos come Saturday evening time.
“I imagine we have not seen the Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs connection that we purchased used to seeing early on throughout the season, and I imagine they’re capable of exploding,” Jason McCourty talked about on GMFB. “They’re capable of going available on the market and have a 300-yard day the place Stefon Diggs has 150 yards … I imagine on this chilly local weather, they may have an incredible day.”
Hill (1,460) and Diggs (1,239) every rank among the many many prime receivers for a lot of receiving yards this season. Saturday’s sport could be the fourth sport in NFL’s historic previous that features opposing players that ever had 1,200+ rec. yards that season coming right into a matchup in Week 15 or earlier.
4. Marquee QB matchup
Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa are two of the NFL’s most valued quarterbacks. They’re 2 of 4 licensed QBs who’ve averaged at least 2 passing TDs per sport this season, along with Kansas Metropolis Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.
As for his or her historic previous in direction of one, Allen has three wins and Tagovailoa has one. Week Three was Tagovailoa’s first win in Four head-to-head matchups with Allen. This can be a have a look at the numbers of their first Four conferences:
ALLEN: 65% COMP%, 263 PASS YPG, 9-2 PASS TD-INT, 96.5 PASS RATE
TAGOVAILOA: 58.8% COMP%, 191.Three PASS YPG, 2-4 PASS TD-INT, 69.5 PASS RATE
3. A narrative of two local weather circumstances
This time spherical, Buffalo will welcome the Dolphins to Highmark Stadium with an approximated 9 inches of lake impression snow sprinkled in with a bitter temperature of 30 ranges and a frigid wind chill correct spherical kickoff.
Nevertheless, this isn’t the first rodeo for Funds players, coaches, and followers. Players have found the best solution to accurately put collectively to play in Buffalo’s winter local weather circumstances and are embracing the home-field profit. Nevertheless, are the Dolphins up for the obligation?
“Throughout the chilly is how soccer is meant to be carried out,” Knox talked about. “I imagine all individuals that are up properly listed here are blissful to play throughout the chilly … We’re tremendously excited for the climate and we hope it’s as chilly as it could presumably most likely be on Saturday evening time.”
2. Playoff Positioning
The Funds can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Dolphins on Saturday evening time. This would possibly mark a playoff look in five-of-six seasons under head coach Sean McDermott.
The Funds presently preserve the No. 1 seed throughout the AFC and a win against the Dolphins would enhance their likelihood of holding that spot as a result of the frequent season includes the element. In line with the New York Cases playoff simulator, the Funds could have a 62% likelihood of revenue a bye week to start out the playoffs with a win on Saturday evening time.
“We’re taking it one sport at a time, and it happens to be in direction of a division rival we have now already misplaced to this yr,” QB Josh Allen talked about what the message to the group is. “We’re merely engaged on inserting our biggest foot forward in following this week and attempting to put collectively an outstanding sport plan to try to go execute on Saturday evening time.”
As for the Dolphins, a loss to the Funds leaves them with a 58% likelihood of developing the playoffs whereas a win bumps them as a lot as 84%.
1. AFC East Division title is on the street
Heading into Saturday evening time’s AFC East rematch between the Funds and the Miami Dolphins, the 10-Three Funds are the No.1 seed throughout the aggressive AFC East and the Dolphins are merely behind them on the No. 2 seed with an 8-5 doc.
A win for the Dolphins would convey the Funds to 3-2 throughout the AFC East and one step nearer to clinching the division title. Week 16 is the earliest the Funds can clinch the AFC East within the occasion that they get the win on Saturday evening time AND the following week in direction of the Chicago Bears. If all goes as deliberate, this may increasingly mark the Funds’ third-straight season worthwhile within the AFC East.
The Funds started this season 0-2 versus divisional opponents, with their first frequent season and divisional loss coming to the Dolphins in Week 3. Nevertheless, the newest wins over the New England Patriots and the New York Jets moved the Funds to 2-2 throughout the division.