Dolphins look to flash new weapons against Bills
The two teams living in the shadow of division rivals Jets and Patriots square off. The Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills will both look to get off to a good start to the 2010 season when they square off at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo. Both teams failed to make the playoffs last year, each finishing under .500. Both teams will look to reverse their fortunes this year as the Dolphins will look to overtake the Jets and Pats while the Bills will look to erase a 10-year playoff drought.
This Sunday’s game could be very important in setting the tone for the season. Both teams are filled with new faces as several familiar faces left. The Bills most notably drafted running back C.J Spiller and the rookie looks like a stud. Spiller will be the catalyst of the Bills offence this Sunday. The Bills other backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch are banged up meaning Spiller will carry a huge load in his first NFL start.
The passing game has been dreadful under quarterback Trent Edwards. While receivers Roscoe Parrish and Lee Evans have big-play ability, Edwards has not proven he is a capable NFL starter.
The Dolphins defence will be eyeing Spiller all game as their first priority will be to shut down the rookie. An enhanced defensive line featuring 1st round pick Jared Odrick will look to plug the holes up the middle. Randy Starks will make his debut as a nose tackle while Kendall Langford fills up the unit.
The line-backing corps will keen in on the Bills, as Karlos Dansby will lead the inexperienced Cam Wake and Koa Misi. Channing Crowder will miss the opener due to injury, so Tim Dobbins will take his place on the inside.
The Dolphins’ secondary can be vulnerable but the Bills don’t have the passing game capable of exploiting the weakness. Cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith will be in charge of shutting down Parrish and Evans with the safety help of Yeremiah Bell and Chris Clemons.
The Dolphins offence can potentially run all over the Bills. Running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams tend to have big games against the Bills. The Fins will also look to the best short-yardage fullback in the game, Lousaka Polite to get some tough yards. Don’t forget Aaron Schobel retired from football this offseason; his pass rushing and tackling will be missed by the Bills’ unit. Overall the run-defence is weak on the Bills side, which should suit the Dolphins’ game-plan just fine.
The Dolphins will be far from one-dimensional as their biggest offseason acquisition looks to make a great first impression. Brandon Marshall will garner most of the attention from the Bills’ secondary, a secondary that will be without their best player in free safety Jarrius Byrd. Terrence McGee will likely take Marshall but coming off his third straight 100-catch season, Marshall should step it up.
Miami will look for Chad Henne to display his development and spread the ball well. Henne has Marshall, but he also has great possession receivers including Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and an improving tight end in Anthony Fasano. With the Bills’ secondary focused on Marshall and the running game, Henne can light it up with a solid game. Henne looks to get his first full season as a starter off with a big divisional win.
“I guess I feel more comfortable knowing that I’m the starter and this is kind of the way you want to start and get things off to the right start,” Henne said.
One thing’s for sure, if you’re in the AFC East, these divisional games are important. It could be an excellent opportunity for both teams as New England and New York each play really tough games this week, Cincinnati and Baltimore respectively. The winner of this game can jump out to an early lead in the East and it’s always important to start the season right. After a 0-3 start last year, you can be sure the Dolphins are hungry for the Week 1 victory. Look for them to win this game, as the Bills don’t have enough weapons while Miami look solid on all sides of the ball.
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