Trent Sherfield has unmistakable either side of the an increasing number of fierce AFC East competition between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Expenses.

The Expenses huge receiver performed with the Dolphins utmost season — when the groups met 3 times, together with within the postseason, with all 3 video games made up our minds by means of 3 issues or fewer.

Sherfield’s expectation for Sunday when the 2 groups meet at Highmark Stadium (1 p.m. ET, CBS)?

“It’s going to be a physical matchup, for sure,” he mentioned. “Obviously, when I was over there, it was something that we always knew that the Bills, us, we were gonna be ready to play. And I think that [coach Sean] McDermott has done a great job of just letting us know, ‘Hey, let’s just lock in on us, no game is too big. Let’s not let the outside noise try to hype us up and get us all bent outta shape. It’s just another game.'”

The historical past, then again, between the 2 groups would point out it’s going to be excess of simply some other recreation.

Hour the Expenses, who’re a 2.5-point favourite, have crushed the Dolphins in 11 of the 13 overall conferences since McDermott changed into head schoolmaster in 2017, the groups every received a regular-season recreation at their house stadium (with warmth impacting a number of Expenses gamers in Miami and snowballs changing into excited about Orchard Soil, N.Y.) utmost 12 months, month the Expenses went directly to win a alike playoff recreation that featured Miami additional quarterback Skylar Thompson. With the Jets coping with the lack of Aaron Rodgers and the Patriots nonetheless discovering their approach within the post-Tom Brady week, the end result of this While 4 recreation will most likely play games a key function in serving to make a decision the race for the AFC East crown that the Expenses have received the utmost 3 seasons.

Right here’s a breakdown of ways the 2 groups stack up by means of Expenses reporter Alaina Getzenberg and Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques

Miami’s Negative. 1-ranked offense vs. Buffalo’s Negative. 2 protection

What makes the Dolphins’ offense to tricky to preserve? Their steadiness. Miami leads the NFL in passing yards in step with recreation (362) and speeding yards in step with recreation (188.3), which is by contrast to utmost season, once they owned the league’s fourth-best passing offense however eighth-worst speeding offense. The 3 well-known landing scorers within the NFL play games for the Dolphins: Raheem Mostert (ranked Negative. 1, 7 TDs), De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill (join with two alternative gamers at Negative. 2, 4 TDs). They’ve proven this offense is a ultimatum to attain from anyplace at the farmland as evidenced by means of changing into the primary crew with no less than 70 issues and 700 yards in a recreation, and 5 speeding and 5 passing touchdowns in a recreation when the beat the Broncos 70-20 in While 3.

Dolphins’ X issue: Mostert ran for 136 yards on 17 carries in utmost 12 months’s While 15 matchup, however he neglected the wild-card recreation. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

How has the Expenses protection close ill fighters? In McDermott’s first season as each defensive coordinator and head schoolmaster, the Expenses’ protection has gotten off to a robust get started by means of making opposing offenses uncomfortable and benefiting from errors. Regardless of having the second-lowest blitz charge within the league (15.7%), the Expenses top the league in quarterback force proportion (50.6%) and sacks in step with dropback (13.3%). Buffalo additionally leads the league in takeaways (9).

“The challenge this week is the ball comes out so fast [from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa], so we’ve got to find somehow, some way,” McDermott mentioned. “I mean I think Tua’s been sacked one time all year if I’m not mistaken. So, it’s very impressive.”

Expenses’ X issue: The internal of the Expenses defensive order. Hour the Expenses’ run protection is a piece in journey and one thing to observe on this recreation — permitting a league-high 5.9 yards in step with raise to opposing rushers — each defensive tackles Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones have performed smartly early within the season, with Jones having a 27.3% move speed win charge and Oliver join for the second-most pressures within the league (15), in step with NFL After Gen Stats. — Getzenberg

Josh Allen vs. Miami’s protection

What does Miami need to do to comprise Allen? In 3 video games in opposition to Miami utmost season, Allen threw for 1,056 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs and ran for 144 yards. The Expenses went 2-1 in the ones video games.

In fact, a handful of Dolphins gamers have some non-public historical past with Allen, specifically Christian Wilkins, who was once fined utmost season for an incident during which Allen was once additionally penalized for unsportsmanlike habits. Wilkins and Allen additionally sparked a temporary skirmish between the groups all the way through their recreation in December when Wilkins restrained Allen next an interception, and the ultimate took exception to it.

“That’s my guy. I love Josh. We’re cool, we’re tight,” Wilkins mentioned. “But no, he’s a heck of a competitor. I love playing against him. He definitely brings the best out of you as a defense, as an individual. His resume speaks for itself. But definitely a heck of a player and we’re going to have to be on it this week as a defense and as a team, because they’re a really good team and they play tough and we know them, they know us. There’s no secrets. Just have to go out there and ball, compete, and may the best man win.”

X issue: Bradley Chubb. If Jaelan Phillips is once more not able to play games Sunday, Chubb should power the Dolphins’ move speed and practice force on Allen. — Louis-Jacques

How has Allen thrived in opposition to Miami? Allen hasn’t simply been excellent in opposition to the Dolphins, he’s made historical past. He has 11 directly video games with two-plus passing touchdowns in opposition to Miami — the longest such streak by means of a quarterback in opposition to a unmarried opponent in NFL historical past. The quarterback has thrown 30 passing touchdowns to seven interceptions, month speeding for 4 extra ratings in the ones video games, compiling a 9-2 report in opposition to them. One of the vital quarterback’s very best performances have come as opposed to the Dolphins.

“I think it’s a lot of familiarity, obviously. I do believe that they’ve got some very impressive guys on their defense,” Allen mentioned. “… We gotta be smart with what we’re doing.”

X issue: RB James Prepare dinner. McDermott has incessantly spoke of the Expenses having a balanced assault, and with the best way the second-year rusher is enjoying, they’re off to a excellent get started. Heading into While 3, Prepare dinner is 1/3 within the NFL in speeding yards (267) and 5th in yards next touch in step with speed (2.41). — Getzenberg

Who’re the impressive unused faces to the competition?

Dolphins:The upcoming matchup between those groups in While 18 may property their marquee addition from this date offseason: cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who remains to be sidelined next having offseason surgical treatment on his left knee. However some other newcomer erupted onto the scene utmost hour —rookie working again De’Von Achane, who was once named AFC Offensive Participant of the While next a 233-yard, four-touchdown efficiency in While 3. It’s hazy what his function can be in the future, however he and Mostert may well be in for some other large year. — Louis-Jacques

Expenses: This isn’t the similar Expenses protection from utmost season. Defensive finish Leonard Floyd, a sovereign agent signing from the Los Angeles Rams, has already made a vital affect — a team-best 3.5 sacks and 27.6% move speed win charge — regardless of coping with an ankle trauma.

“Just excellence. I mean, [Floyd] is coming off the edge, he’s so fast, he’s so long, and just got so much talent,” defensive finish A.J. Epenesa mentioned.

A query entering the season was once whom the Expenses would to find to exchange heart linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who signed with the Chicago Bears. Terrel Bernard, a 2022 third-round select who’s well-known the crew in tackles (24), has temporarily erased the lack of certainty next back-to-back video games with an interception and coming off a dominant efficiency in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders. — Getzenberg