The Miami Dolphins will search for their first playoff victory since 2000 after they face the Buffalo Payments at Highmark Stadium on Sunday afternoon as a part of the NFL’s Tremendous Wild Card Weekend.

The Dolphins have misplaced their final 4 playoff video games since defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 23-17 in extra time, on Dec. 30, 2000.

The Dolphins had been 9-8 within the common season, clinching a playoff spot on the ultimate day with a victory towards the New York Jets mixed with the Payments defeating the New England Patriots, 35-23, in Buffalo. The Payments completed the common season with a 13-3 report, with their Week 17 matchup towards the Cincinnati Bengals canceled by the NFL after the incident involving security Damar Hamlin.

To get some solutions on 5 main questions associated to the Payments, we turned to Tim Graham, who writes for The Athletic in Buffalo.

1. How wild ought to we count on the environment to be Sunday afternoon in gentle of the good information of Damar Hamlin being launched from the hospital?

TG: That is an excellent query that depends upon whether or not Hamlin is in attendance, which is believable now that he has been discharged from the hospital. I anticipated a much more emotional response from followers final Sunday towards the Patriots, however apart from a couple of moments right here or there it felt like a standard AFC East rivalry sport. My colleague Matthew Fairburn walked the tailgating areas earlier than the sport with the intention of writing a narrative on how followers had been reacting to Hamlin’s restoration, however he did not discover a lot materials. He additionally sensed, with Hamlin within the clear, people had been prepared to maneuver on. So he wrote about Nyheim Hines as an alternative.

2. What did the Payments consider the NFL’s resolution to cancel the Payments-Bengals sport, which primarily gave Okay.C. the highest seed and the Payments the second seed, and what did you personally consider it?

TG: I am glad the sport was canceled, however I used to be shocked the NFL did so. I am fairly cynical in relation to the NFL’s decision-making course of, and I believed they might discover a method to wedge it someplace on the calendar with “schedule integrity” the excuse, however with the huge, one-off tv spectacle the true purpose. Canceling was the proper transfer, though it was unlucky how the misplaced sport impacted the Payments’ probabilities to earn the first-round bye.

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3. How do you steadiness the Payments being seen as a Tremendous Bowl favourite (particularly with the emotional elevate offered by Hamlin’s restoration) with the truth that if not for Nyheim Hines’ two kickoff returns for touchdowns, the Payments truly may not have overwhelmed the Patriots in Week 18?

TG: Had the Payments misplaced, then it will have been straightforward to throw out that sport as uninformative. These guys had been by means of a lot, the curler coaster of feelings, pondering they may have watched a teammate die proper in entrance of them, leaving him behind in Cincinnati, the NFL telling them Tuesday afternoon — though Hamlin nonetheless was unconscious and on a ventilator — they needed to kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday regardless, the elation of studying the excellent news Hamlin was going to be OK, not having the ability to apply usually even when it weren’t a brief week, the exhaustion and fatigue and confusion. As former particular groups ace and Payments broadcaster Steve Tasker mentioned afterward: “The run-up to this sport and preparing for this sport, I believed they may wrestle at the moment. They could win by a billion, or they may lose by a billion.”

4. What sort of adjustments, if any, would you count on to see from the Payments protection with Skylar Thompson beginning at QB for Miami as an alternative of Tua Tagovailoa?

TG: The Payments have been weak towards the run, particularly towards the Dolphins in Week 15. Thompson’s arm is a stark downgrade. That and his inexperience enable the Payments to focus extra on stopping Raheem Mostert (if he performs), Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed and whomever else. Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier will problem Thompson to beat them, a plan that was profitable final week towards Mac Jones, who threw three interceptions.

5. The place can the Dolphins protection benefit from the Buffalo offense and by some means decelerate Josh Allen and firm?

TG: Perhaps let Allen throw as an alternative of dropping again in protection and giving him room to scramble? Of all of the dangerous issues which have occurred to the Payments offense, a overwhelming majority are when the ball leaves Allen’s hand. He has thrown 14 interceptions, and his targets rank second in drops regardless of enjoying one fewer sport than 30 different groups. Third-year receiver Gabriel Davis has been maddeningly inconsistent after flashing famous person traits towards the tip of final season and the beginning of 2022. There is a purpose GM Brandon Beane signed Cole Beasley and John Brown off the road final month.

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