The Buffalo Bills will turn to the next page of their 2024 NFL regular season.
Following a 31-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, the Bills (6-2) will take on the Miami Dolphins (2-5) at home.
But before we even get to kickoff, there will be a lot of discussions and conversations to be had throughout the coming days.
Here are five storylines to watch for during the lead-up to Bills vs. Dolphins:
Tua is back
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Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned for the Dolphins last week after missing four games due to a concussion. He suffered the concussion in Week 2 against the Bills in a Thursday night game. The Dolphins didn’t look good without him.
They went 1-3 without him and didn’t score more than 15 points in any of the games. Their quarterback’s health has led to the Dolphins falling to 2-5 through seven games.
The good news for the Dolphins is that they looked like a much better offense in last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. They scored 27 points while Tagovailoa was 28-of-38 passing for 234 yards and a touchdown. Tyreek Hill was also able to get going a bit with the return of his QB. He put up 72 receiving yards after only having eight yards the week prior.
The return of their starting quarterback makes the Dolphins a lot more difficult to handle.
Von Miller returns from suspension
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Veteran edge rusher Von Miller returned to Bills practice this week in preparation for his first game in a month. Suspended four games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, Miller will try to pick up where he left off.
He had three sacks through the first four weeks before his suspension. He looked better than he has in years for the Bills and was starting to show what GM Brandon Beane had imagined when the team signed him as a free agent.
In Week 2 against the Dolphins, Miller posted a sack and four pressures against right tackle Austin Johnson:
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Status of Terrel Bernard
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Linebacker Terrel Bernard is a difference-maker in the middle of the defense. The only problem has been his availability. He’s already missed three games out of eight this year.
After fighting back from a pectoral injury, Bernard injured his ankle against Tennessee in Week 7 and was forced to miss last week’s game. Last week, Bernard wasn’t able to practice. This week, he was back at practice on Wednesday in hopes of getting ready to face a divisional foe this weekend.
Suiting up on Wednesday for practice, albeit in limited fashion, is a good sign of his progress. We will most likely have to wait until the weekend for a better picture of his availability for Week 9.
Dolphins fighting for life in division
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The Dolphins haven’t gotten off to the start they were hoping for in 2024. They are almost halfway through the first half of their season and have only won twice. And the New York Jets and New England Patriots can say the same.
The Bills have gotten out to a commanding lead in the division with a record of 6-2 while the rest of the division is in scramble mode. The Dolphins enter the Week 9 game at Buffalo in desperation to turn their season around. A Bills win on Sunday would be a gut punch for Miami.
Recent matchup history
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It’s no secret that the Bills have dominated the Dolphins in the Josh Allen era. Since 2018 the Bills are 12-2 against the Dolphins. At home, they are a perfect 7-0.
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To make matters worse, last year the Bills stole the division out from under Miami’s grasp in the final weeks of the season. The Dolphins went 3-3 down the stretch of 2023 while the Bills went 5-0 and defeated the Dolphins in Week 18 to secure the division title. The loss for Miami in Week 18 forced them to travel to Kansas City in the Wildcard Round.
The Dolphins are well aware of their recent history with the Bills. Head coach Mike McDaniel admitted earlier this year that the Bills own the AFC East. We will see what the Dolphins have in store as they try to salvage their season in Week 9.
