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The Dolphins are 5-5, and with a win over Buffalo and a possible New England loss to New Orleans, they could be in a position to fight the Patriots next week for the lead in the AFC East. But I’m looking ahead, and that’s exactly what the Dolphins must not do.

I’m not going to go into an in-depth analysis of this match-up. This is a game the Dolphins should win.  They’ve won the last three games against the Bills.  In week 4, Miami bested Buffalo 38-10. It was our first win and Chad Henne’s first start. The running game gained 200 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. Playing Buffalo was a shot in the arm. Maybe it will be again.

Keys to the game:
On Offense: Run, Ricky, Run! – The Bills are 31st in the league against the run. Ricky should be able to post his third consecutive game of 100-plus yards rushing.
On Defense: Rush, JP and JT, Rush! – Joey Porter, Jason Taylor, and the rest of the Miami D must rush the pass, disrupt Fitzpatrick, force Buffalo into a one-dimensional game, and most importantly, keep the ball out of T.O.’s hands. Also key will be how we adjust to the loss of NT Jason Ferguson. I’m confident that Channing Crowder and Randy Starks will step up their games to fill the void.

Players to watch:
Miami:
Ricky Williams – Now the #1 RB due to injury to Ronnie Brown. He had a stellar 3 TD game against Carolina that earned him the title of AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Tedd Ginn – Averages nearly 20 yards per catch against Buffalo.
Jason Taylor – Has more sacks against Buffalo than against any other opponent. Needs only 1 sack to pass Derrick Thomas for #11 on the all-time sack leaders list.
Joey Porter – When Porter has a sack, the Miami defense gives up only 22 pts/game, versus 29 pts/game when he does not record a sack.
Lex Hilliard – I have a feeling this guy may be a big factor in the wildcat equation this week.
Buffalo:
Terrell Owens – We need to keep him from making big plays.
Jairus Byrd – Leads the league in INTs with 8 (Buffalo #2 in league, 1st in AFC with 17 INTs).

Things to Note:
Coaching Switch: This will be the first home game for Buffalo with Fewell as head coach. Look for them to be pumped up.
Injuries: Both Miami and Buffalo’s OLs are banged up. After losing two guards for the season, Buffalo is down to only 5 healthy linemen on the roster. Miami had a revolving door at center last week. Starting center Grove has not practiced all week. Back-up Joe Berger participated in full practice on Thursday.
4th quarter defensive slips: This season, Buffalo has given up 109 pts in the 4th, Miami 110 pts.
The cold weather factor: When playing Miami at home in November, Buffalo has won 4 of the last 5 games. This is the first game Bills/Dolphins match-up in Buffalo since 2007. Last year, the Bills hosted the Dolphins in Toronto.

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