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Week 7: Bills vs. Dolphins
 at 
Sunday, Oct. 23rd
1:00pm ET
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The Bills head down to South Florida riding high on a four game winning streak as they look to keep their eye on the ball with a big matchup with the Patriots looming next week. Miami has struggled all year long but got back on track last week at home. The Bills are road favorites against a division rival for the first time since 2007.
FACTS AND FIGURES
| Matchup: |
Buffalo (4-2) vs. Miami (2-4) |
| Place: |
Hard Rock Stadium |
| TV/Radio: |
Network: CBS; DirecTV: 707; Sirius: 112; SiriusXM 385 |
| Announcers: |
Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta |
| Spread: |
Bills by 3 |
| Series: |
Dolphins lead 57-42-1 (Bills 3-1 in playoffs) |
| Streak: |
Bills Won 2 |
| Last Meeting: |
Bills 33-17 in Buffalo (2015) |
| Dolphins Offense: |
Rush (20th); Pass (23rd); overall (24th) |
| Dolphins Defense: |
Rush (31st); Pass (13th); overall (26th) |
| Bills Offense: |
Rush (1st); Pass (31st); overall (22nd) |
| Bills Defense: |
Rush (15th); Pass (14th); overall (12th) |
INJURY UPDATE
The Bills suffered a big blow during practice on Wednesday when LeSean McCoy went down with a hamstring injury that may keep him out or at least hinder him in this game. He is their best offensive weapon while their best defensive weapon Marcell Dareus remains sidelined with a hamstring injury of his own. Robert Woods is battling a foot injury suffered last week. McCoy's bodyguard Jerome Felton left practice early with a back injury. Shaq Lawson is back practicing and can come off the PUP list in time for the game if he's ready from a conditioning standpoint.
The Dolphins will be without one of their defensive stars as Safety Rashad Jones suffered a shoulder injury last week and is out for the season. They have two tight ends in concussion protocol as Jordan Cameron and Dion Simms have been sidelined. CB Xavien Howard has missed practice time with a knee injury.
Check out our  Bills Daily Injury Page throughout the week for the latest updates on the injured players.
KEY MATCHUPS
C Eric Wood vs. DT Ndamukong Suh:
Wood has had a great year as the foundation of a solid offensive line. He will have to deal with the all-pro Suh who can wreak havoc on the Bills offense if he's allowed to run free. Wood will get a lot of help from both guards.
RT Jordan Mills vs. DE Mario Williams:
Super Mario has been far from super. The same questions that dogged him in Buffalo are surfacing in Miami. His motor hasn't been running full tilt but you can bet he will be fired up for this game. His snaps have decreased in recent weeks but that could change as he lines up opposite Mills.
LB Jerry Hughes vs. RT Ja'Wuan James:
Hughes is still the main cog of this defense and will go up against the three year veteran James. If he can make Ryan Tannehill feel uncomfortable in the pocket it will help the defense succeed.
LB Zach Brown vs. RB Jay Ajayi:
The Dolphins are getting the oft injured Arian Foster back but it is likely Ajayi will carry the load after his 200 yard breakthrough performance last week. Brown has been a major find as he is second in the league in tackles.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Find New Weapons: With Shady possibly (or likely) and Woods and Clay hobbled the Bills need to find new players to step up and make big plays on offense. That could be Mike Gillislee, Reggie Bush, Justin Hunter, or Marquise Goodwin.
2. Deal With Florida Heat: It won't be too hot for the game but temperatures in the 80s are something the Bills will have to deal with. They need to be hydrated and ready for the long haul of the game. Look for them to substitute freely on defense to keep the players from getting too tired.
3. Win Time Of Possession: That brings us to this point. If the defense is on the field too long they will get tired. If they can win this category they can keep them fresher late in the game.
BILLS DAILY PREDICTION
Feeling much worse about this game since Shady went down. He is their main offensive weapon without him the scoring potential takes a huge blow. Look for Super Mario to be super again for one week anyway as he will be highly motivated to shutdown the Bills popgun attack. The team has been focused so you would hope they avoid the dreaded trap game but with New England on the horizon, and Miami having confidence after a big win over Pittsburgh, look for the upset loss to snap the four game winning streak:
Dolphins 19, Bills 17
Season Prediction Record: (5-1)
Season Record Against The Spread: (4-2)
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