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The Buffalo Bills have one game left on their regular season schedule before they host a playoff game at Bills Stadium.
Buffalo’s game against the Miami Dolphins isn’t entirely meaningless. The Dolphins would secure a playoff berth with a win while the Bills can lock in the AFC’s No.2 seed with a win. Both teams can still pull off these feats with losses in Week 17, but they would need help elsewhere.
While the Bills have something to play for, Buffalo may not be playing for long on Sunday. With that in mind, here are five things to watch out for.
How long do the Bills play their starters?
Sean McDermott plans to continue playing the time shots near the vest.
“Those conversations have happened and we have a plan,” Sean McDermott told reporters shortly after their 38-9 win over the New England Patriots. “I want to keep this plan internal, for a number of reasons. First, I haven’t had a chance to speak to your players yet. At the end of the day, he tries to do what’s best for our football team and every team is different.
McDermott’s response should come as no surprise, but don’t be surprised if the main starters play at most a quarter with others possibly sitting together.
Who is raised off the practice squad?
As mentioned above, Buffalo’s starters are highly unlikely to see much playing time on Sunday. That means Buffalo could look to some players on the practice squad to help.
A few candidates to consider are Davis Webb, Antonio Williams, and Jonotthan Harrison.
Webb could see the time at QB after Matt Barkley exited the game. With TJ Yeldon still on the Reserve / COVID-19 list, Williams makes sense in the running back position. While Zack Moss and Devin Singletary play limited reps, Taiwan Jones is currently the only running back to be carried.
Harrison, a veteran offensive lineman, has the versatility to play goalie or center. That alone would help his case if Buffalo put Mitch Morse and the other OLs against the Dolphins.
Who is intervening for Buffalo?
With Buffalo likely to rest its main starters, some other players will have the opportunity to step up the Bills. Can any of them make a difference?
Darryl Johnson and AJ Epenesa could have a deeper insight into the defensive end. Can either one make a big play to get into Miami’s backfield to take down Tagovailoa? Linebacker Tyrel Dodson could get a lot of playing time. Maybe he can be a factor against the run and the pass.
And in high school, look for a mix of youth and veterans. Jaquan Johnson, Dean Marlowe, Levi Wallace and Josh Norman are just a few of the players who will be asked to slow down the Dolphins’ fleeting attack.
Whether it’s some of the defenders above or offensive saves, who can help the Bills potentially play a spoiler against Miami?
Can Tua Tagovailoa move the ball against Buffalo?
Tua Tagovailoa has had his difficulties in recent months. Brian Flores benched Tagovailoa earlier this year against the Denver Broncos and last week against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Tagovailoa seems almost too quick to offload the ball for short wins and his reluctance to stretch the pitch has led to three outings where he has less than 100 yards to pass. Against Buffalo, Tagovailoa was able to see the team’s No.2 unit for the majority of the game.
While Buffalo doesn’t lack skill and depth in defense, it would be a red flag if Tagovailoa struggled to score points against the Bills defense in what is as close to a game to win as you’ll find it. in week 17.
Do Bills end up becoming the AFC’s second seed?
It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Bills Mafia. If things go well on Sunday, Buffalo could have the opportunity to host two playoff games at Bills Stadium. It all comes down to the Bills getting the No. 2 seed from the AFC.
Defeating the Dolphins is one way for Buffalo to accomplish this feat, but the team and fan base can watch the scoreboard on Sunday. If the Pittsburgh Steelers, led by Mason Rudolph, lose to the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo will also win the second place finish.
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