Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel says revenge will not be on the agenda when his team faces the Buffalo Bills in a blockbuster divisional battle on Sunday.
Last season, the Bills brought the Dolphins’ postseason to a shuddering halt, defeating their bitter AFC East rivals 34-31 in the wild card round.
This season, however, Miami has emerged as the form team of the NFL behind a free-scoring offense that ran riot last weekend in a 70-20 mauling of the Denver Broncos.
That record-breaking win sets up Sunday’s mouthwatering clash with Buffalo, led by dynamic quarterback Josh Allen and boasting the second-best defense in the league.
A win on Sunday for Miami (3-0) would put clear daylight between them and Buffalo in AFC East divisional race as they aim for a return to the playoffs and a serious crack at the Super Bowl.
McDaniel is adamant though that last season’s wild card disappointment will not be a factor in his team’s preparations for Sunday’s road game.
“If you need to be motivated for a game like this, check your pulse — or maybe consider a career adjustment,” McDaniel remarked pithily this week.
“It’s a very, very difficult challenge that I think our players are pumped for because you sign up to play the best, and I think the Bills fit that description.”
‘Explosive’ threat
In their first three games, Miami’s offense led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been borderline unplayable.
The Dolphins have averaged more than 43 points a game, and lead the league in offensive yards per game — a whopping 550.3 yards — with Tagovailoa utilising a platoon of electric receivers as well as a productive rushing game.
The Bills defense, however, is likely to provide Miami with their sternest examination of the season so far.
Buffalo’s defense amassed nine sacks and five turnovers during last weekend’s 37-3 rout of Washington.
“If they get their hands on any sort of ball, they’re turning the ball over,” McDaniel said of Buffalo’s defense.
McDaniel’s Bills counterpart Sean McDermott meanwhile admits though that Miami’s multi-faceted offense is “a handful.”
“They’re explosive — anybody that touches the ball can score,” McDermott said.
Miami are one of only three teams left in the league with an unbeaten record heading into week four of the season.
The Philadelphia Eagles will look to extend their start to 4-0 when they face the Commanders in the NFC East, while the impressive San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West duel.
‘Brotherly shove’
Philadelphia, narrowly beaten in last season’s Super Bowl, have built up a formidable head of steam in their 3-0 start in a game that prides itself on raw power.
A feature of the Eagles play has been their success with a quarterback sneak that involves Jalen Hurts barging over the gain line in short yardage situations behind his offensive linemen.
Some critics have dubbed the play the “tush push”, and called for it to be outlawed. The Eagles themselves have leaned into the controversy, embracing a new nickname for the play — the “Brotherly Shove.”
Quarterback Hurts brushed off criticism of the play this week when asked for his opinion on whether it should be banned.
“Have no thoughts on it,” Hurts said. “We’re the only people doing it as well as we are.”
While the Dolphins-Bills clash takes top billing in week four, another intriguing quarterback duel is likely in the AFC North, where Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (2-1) face Deshaun Watson’s Cleveland Browns (2-1).
Watson and Jackson have a rivalry that extends back to their college careers, notably a 2016 thriller when Watson’s Clemson University edged Jackson and the University of Louisville 42-36.
Watson said the Browns are mindful of the dual threat posed by Jackson, who has 608 passing yards this season as well as 193 rushing yards.
“To be honest, he’s one of the best runners in the game,” Watson said. “Not just for quarterback, but just overall.
“I’ve been watching Lamar since college and nothing changed. He’s just gotten bigger and stronger.”
At the other end of the spectrum meanwhile, the four teams without a win after three games go head-to-head.
The Broncos, still smarting from their drubbing by Miami, take on the hapless Chicago Bears (0-3), while the Carolina Panthers host the Minnesota Vikings.
