BUFFALO BILLS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS 
Vegas Line: Bills + 2
Rob’s Line: Bills + 2.5
The Miami Dolphins are steadily playing themselves out of the Andrew Luck Bowl Series, having won their last two games, but they could very well be sitting at 4-5 having run the Giants mighty close in New York in Week 8 and this coming seven days after they miraculously snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the Broncos in that momentous/ridiculous Tim Tebow inspired comeback.
Running back Reggie Bush, whose post-lockout arrival from New Orleans caused only a semi-fanfare (the real noise was reserved for the Eagles) struggled for any kind of consistency as the Dolphins went through the mire of an 0-6 start…although, to be fair, he did rack up 71 yards on 10 carries against the Jets on Monday night in Week 6.
If the nadir of Miami’s season was the Denver debacle, Bush did little himself that day to make anybody think that he was about to burst on to the NFL scene all over again, but what coach Tony Sparano was doing was integrating Bush further into the offense week on week (don’t forget the truncated offseason due to the aforementioned lockout) and his performances against the Giants and Chiefs on consecutive Sundays seemed to justify the patience the coaching staff were showing, even if the home crowd weren’t following suit. This week, Bush faces a Buffalo defense ranked 23rd against the run and missing the talents of Kyle Williams at nose tackle so why won’t he continue the 5.8 yards per carry he’s averaging over the last three games?
Along with the Detroit Lions, the Bills were the early season darlings of the NFL, but are finding out exactly how long sixteen games can be and are in the middle of a slump that is a little shocking and I mean that by the manner of their two consecutive defeats to the Jets and Cowboys. Running back Fred Jackson has done what he can over the last eight quarters and put up impressive numbers in last week’s 44-7 shocker in Dallas, running 13 times for 114 yards at 8.8 yards a pop. However, he needs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to display the electric form we saw through Week 8 and the Dolphins pass defense may help him shift back into gear, ranking as it does 25th against the pass.
What won’t help Fitzpatrick is the shoulder injury limiting favourite target Stevie Johnson, but despite being questionable (50/50 in NFL terms), he’s almost a lock to play.
A couple of the Dolphins (step forward Jared Odrick and Karlos Dansby) are, rather cheekily, talking about the playoffs after what must feel like a mammoth two game winning streak, but this will surely only serve as locker room ammunition for the Bills and the only realistic outcome for Miami this season is the opportunity to put a giant spanner in the works of each of the three AFC East teams looking to play beyond January 1.
If the form guide was as true as the statistics would have us believe (in this topsy-turvy season from which only Green Bay are exempt), then all the signs point to Miami continuing their hot streak, but have Buffalo become that bad overnight? They haven’t, but injuries on their offensive line are beginning to hurt them and this week saw them lose center Eric Wood for the rest of the season.
Miami are good against the run so expect a bruising contest with Jackson, a contest that may just have swayed in favour of the Dolphins with Wood’s absence. Playoff talk around south Florida is crazy, but I do like them to continue their run this week, even minus a couple of points. Not something I would’ve considered but just two weeks ago…Miami to cover.
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