Buffalo has been riding high the past week. From word that Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is cancer-free, to the sale of the franchise to Terry and Kim Pegula, to the Buffalo Bills' overtime win over the Chicago Bears, good news has been flowing in Western New York.
Excitement is also high in South Florida, where the Miami Dolphins used their pressure on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots as a springboard to a comeback win Sunday. With both the Bills and Dolphins sitting at 1-0, and the New York Jets traveling for a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday's game at Ralph Wilson Stadium could decide who has the early lead in the AFC East.
The Bills, who will be in their throwback uniforms for Sunday's home opener, are expected to hold a tribute for former owner Ralph Wilson, who died in March.
ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak and ESPN Dolphins reporter James Walker preview the game:
Rodak: James, we saw the Dolphins' defensive line attack Brady in the second half Sunday. Have they brought that sort of pressure all summer and do you think they can keep up the pace against the Bills?
Walker: The Dolphins' pass rush was solid last season, ranking 11th in the NFL with 42 sacks. But the focus this summer was getting more pressure with just four defenders -- and that was the key to beating New England. Miami's defensive line is its biggest strength. Ends Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon and tackles Jared Odrick, Earl Mitchell and Randy Starks pounded New England's offensive line. The Dolphins rarely brought more than four or five defenders and registered four sacks and six hits on Brady.
The Bills are a different team offensively. They rely on the run much more than quarterback EJ Manuel's arm. Miami's focus will shift to stopping the run first this week. So I don't expect the same pressure on Manuel unless Miami finds a way to get a sizable lead early in this game.
Speaking of Manuel, there were a lot of concerns in the preseason. But Manuel had a winning performance on the road against the Bears. Has he turned the corner?
Rodak: Sunday's win over the Bears was a big step forward for Manuel, but I think it's too early to say if he's turned the corner. There were plenty of encouraging signs against Chicago. He minimized his turnovers -- throwing just one interception -- and was able to hit more downfield throws than he has in the past. His teammates were also fired up by a speech that Manuel gave in a team meeting Saturday night, one where the typically even-keeled quarterback showed surprising fire. There was buzz about the Bills not naming Manuel as a captain, but that was a leadership moment for the second-year player.
On the flip side, we didn't have a large sample size to evaluate. He threw just 22 times, the fewest attempts by a quarterback who played his entire Week 1 game. The Bills leaned more on their running game, and Manuel's receivers, especially Robert Woods, made some impressive catches on less-than-perfect throws.
There has been plenty of talk about Manuel in Buffalo, but what sort of reception has Ryan Tannehill gotten early? Entering his third season, does the team believe he is the long-term solution? How has the change at offensive coordinator helped him?
Walker: Support for Tannehill is not an issue in South Florida. He has the backing of the fans -- his jersey is Miami's top seller -- and the coaching staff and front office are behind him 100 percent. He's shown enough in two years to produce optimism, but that is where it stops. Year 3 for Tannehill is all about proving whether he's a franchise quarterback. He has a lot of weapons and coordinator Bill Lazor is pushing him hard. It's really up to Tannehill on how he responds to the pressure. More than anything, it will come down to wins and losses. Although it's never on one player, another 8-8 or 7-9 season is not good enough for Tannehill.
Dolphins fans are familiar with Brandon Spikes from his days as a Patriot. How much of an impact has he made on this Bills team?
Rodak: From covering Spikes with both the Patriots and Bills, I've noticed a change in the fifth-year linebacker. He seems more upbeat, more accessible and more relaxed. I've seen him in the locker room more this season than I did for an entire 16-game schedule in Foxborough. The relationship between him and Bill Belichick seemed to sour near the end and he feels like he's starting fresh in Buffalo. He was named one of six team captains, something that didn't happen in New England. On the field, he recorded a sack against the Bears but was also flagged for an unnecessary-roughness penalty. That's par for the course with Spikes, who can be overaggressive at times.
The Dolphins' offensive line was revamped this offseason. How did they hold up against the Patriots on Sunday? This is a unit that struggled against the Bills twice last season, even allowing a game-changing strip sack to Mario Williams. Will things be different this season?
Walker: Miami's offensive line is better. Frankly, it couldn't get any worse after allowing a franchise-record 58 sacks last season. The major concern was how quickly this unit can come together with five new starters, and that wasn't an issue in Week 1. I was surprised with how well Miami's offensive line pushed around the Patriots. There were a lot of holes open in the running game, which resulted in 191 rushing yards. I think Knowshon Moreno's physical style also helped. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Moreno had 50 of his 134 rushing yards after contact against New England. The jury is still out on pass protection, which will be tested against Buffalo.
Bills rookie receiver Sammy Watkins wasn't very involved (three catches, four targets) in Week 1. Do you expect that to change?
Rodak: I do. I think Watkins' rib injury was an issue in Chicago; he definitely isn't 100 percent. How long will it take until he's back at full health? It could take a month or more, given the area of the body where he was hit. The Bills leaned more on Woods and their running backs in the passing game in Week 1, although Watkins could've had a big catch in the third quarter if Manuel didn't overthrow him down the left sideline. Defenses still will have to account for Watkins every week, often with their best cover man.
