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Dolphins vs Bills: 4 Key Matchups

Yesterday, Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings answered a few Bills questions for us.  Today, he again makes an appearance here.

This time, in preparation of Sunday's Dolphins/Bills game, Brian and I look at 4 of the critical personnel matchups for Sunday's game.

MATCHUP #1:  OLB Joey Porter vs Bills' Offensive Line
Brian Galliford: The Bills struggled early in the season in pass protection; they gave up 16 sacks in the team's first 5 games.  Coming off of the bye week, however, the Bills faced a pretty stiff Chargers pass rush - including the underrated Shaun Phillips - and Trent Edwards wasn't sacked once.  In fact, he wasn't even hit.  Jason Peters appears to be fully restored to prominence after an off-season holdout, and when at full strength, pass blocking has always been this line's strong point.  Joey Porter is an excellent player having an outstanding season, but I don't think he's going to get too many opportunities to hit Edwards.  Advantage: Bills

Matty I: While the Bills offensive line did a much better job protecting Trent Edwards last week, I'm still not sold on them.  They've still given up the 9th most sacks in the league despite shutting down the Chargers' pass rush and Football Outsiders ranks Buffalo's pass protection 24th in adjusted sack rate - which is a stat that takes into account the number of sacks allowed per pass attempt while considering things like opponent, down, and distance.  I think Joey Porter is going to be moved around a little bit more than usual - especially if Jason Peters is having a good game, which would mean Porter would have some pass-rushing opportunities against RT Langston Walker.  And I'd be shocked if Porter doesn't at least pressure Edwards on a consistent basis.  Advantage: Dolphins

MATCHUP #2:  NT Randy Starks vs C Melvin Fowler/Duke Preston (whoever plays)
Brian Galliford: Look, I'm as down on Buffalo's centers as anyone.  Duke Preston hasn't played much at the position, and Melvin Fowler has struggled mightily throughout his tenure in Buffalo.  Fowler is a smart guy, but he's simply lacking physically.  Preston is a bit bulkier, but he struggles at the point of attack as well.  With that in mind, we know all about Randy Starks - we heard bad things about him this past off-season.  Twice, actually.  He's playing out of position this week, to boot.  Considering that Preston and his interior line mates just kept San Diego's Jamal Williams under control, I'm not particularly concerned about Starks.  Advantage: Bills

Matty I: With it looking more and more likely that Jason Ferguson won't be able to play on Sunday (and if he does, wouldn't be at full strength), Randy Starks has to step up.  He'll be playing out of position and he didn't play particularly well last week.  His inability to take on blockers and free up Miami's linebackers really hurt the Dolphins ability to stuff the run.  And though Marshawn Lynch doesn't have great numbers, he's still a good back.  Luckily, neither Melvin Fowler or Duke Preston are particularly good centers.  But Preston, with help from the guards, did a surprisingly good job on Jamal Williams last week.  The Dolphins' coaches will be hoping for a Jay Ratliff type of performance from Starks - who had little to no experience as a NT last year in Dallas when he filled in admirably for Ferguson after Ferguson went down with an injury.  But I'll be honest: I'm a bit worried about this matchup heading into Sunday.  Advantage: Bills

Star-divide

MATCHUP #3:  WR Lee Evans vs CB Will Allen
Brian Galliford: Evans has been excellent this season.  I doubt he's ever going to be a guy who dominates a game from start to finish, as guys like Owens and Moss have proven themselves to be, but he's explosive.  He's killed the Dolphins, too - much like former Dolphins WR Chris Chambers routinely killed the Bills.  Evans was dominant this past weekend with Antonio Cromartie on his hip; I highly doubt Will Allen will fare much better.  Advantage: Bills

Matty I: Ugh.  Just the mention of Lee Evans sends chills down my spine.  He's the epitome of a Dolphin-killer.  In just 8 career games against the Fins, Evans has 8 touchdowns (averaging a TD every 3 catches against Miami) and averages 22.2 yards per catch.  While Trent Edwards doesn't throw the deep ball as good as J.P. Losman (at least, form what I've seen), he can still sling it and is more accurate on those intermediate throws.  On the positive side, Will Allen has shown that he can defend the smaller, faster receivers better than the taller, more physical ones.  And Allen has had at least a little success against Evans, like when he held Evans to just 2 catches for 19 yards in their first meeting back in 2006.  Even still, though, you have to imagine the Dolphins are not going to leave Allen alone on Evans.  Look for safety help over the top.  Advantage: Bills

MATCHUP #4:  SS Donte Whitner vs TEs Anthony Fasano/David Martin
Brian Galliford: The Bills generally struggle defending big targets.  They were able to contain Antonio Gates last week by lining up reserve safety Bryan Scott on him and throwing double teams at him; Gates still caught 4 passes for pretty sizeable chunks of yardage.  I doubt Whitner will see most, if any at all, of his time on these guys; CB Ashton Youboty is unlikely to play, so Whitner could be spending some time at corner.  Clearly, Fasano and Martin aren't Gates, but they're a formidable duo that have been performing fairly well, from what I can tell.  This is going to be a point of emphasis for the Bills, I believe - shut down the run and attempt to contain Fasano and Martin, who are very obviously two of Pennington's most cherished targets.  For now, though... Advantage: Dolphins

Matty I: Tight ends are a big part of a Dan Henning offense and we've seen that this season - with Anthony Fasano and David Martin combining for 33 catches, 467 yards, and 3 touchdowns.  More importantly, they seem to be the only players who can consistently get open - which is why they've combined to receive 25% of Chad Pennington's total targets.  This is important to note because, from all I've see and read, the Bills have a tendency to surrender yards to opposing tight ends.  For the Dolphins, it's important to get these 2 involved in the offense early.  Doing so could potentially open things up more for the receivers outside, as the Bills would have to make the necessary adjustments if Fasano and Martin are active in the passing attack right from the get go.  Advantage: Dolphins


Alright, guys.  Now it's time for you to weigh in.  Who is right?  Who is wrong?

Thoughts below...

0 recs  |  Comment 35 comments |

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And I quote .....

“Edwards will pick our DB’s apart all afternoon and we won’t have an answer for it.
Any team that has any kind of a passing game can easily beat us right now…”

Still my thoughts with the exception that now with one of our CB’s tweaking his hammy,
it could be worse than I thought.

Our only hope is to create enough turnovers and capitalize on them to somehow keep a very good Buffalo Bills offense off the field.

Jimbo

by Dolphinator on Oct 24, 2008 7:36 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

omg

The bills have the biggest (and fattest) O-Line in the league…..Porter is gonna blow past those unathletic lard asses. Advantage:Mr.Porter,,,,,Disadvantage:Losers

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 11:16 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Porter is gonna blow past those unathletic lard asses.

You’ve clearly never seen Buffalo’s line play, my friend. They are, indeed, rather large, but they don’t play like it. In fact, they play small – and athletic. You’ll have an easier time stuffing the run than you will getting to Edwards, trust me.

by Brian Galliford on Oct 24, 2008 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

we shall see my friend....

we shall see

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

hes not your friend...just call him a jackass... give me a high five...and go on with your day

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

before matty warns me or "e-slaps" me as nicky primetime says it.

i hope you dont feel bad about that and do something drastic

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

sorry?

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

you're so toasted

spunkxfactor quit dressing up in all those halloween costumes……….we all know its you

"Kte Iyuha Tatanka" Chief ME-Lika-Dolphin-Alot

by HuskerDolphin on Oct 25, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

ur alone on this fins

Matty front pages me…hes my boss….im a company man. i speak the truth….but fat jokes is where i draw the line…ok i more..fins mom is so fat….

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Matty

http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/4340172/inside-mind-rzayo24.html

is this normal? another site picking us up? i googled rzayo and all my stuff came up..pretty cool

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 12:00 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

oh that's normal

Now do you see why I have high standards for posts that get put on the front page? These news services pick up a lot of the front-page posts here.

You hit the big time, my friend! lol

by Matty I on Oct 24, 2008 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

can i be front paged?

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

idk just want my name up there

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

front page him

just to roast him evey week…just a picture of finsxfactor and then we provide the mental abuse.

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

it can be stress relief after a loss

just berate the guy for a solid hour until we all feel better lol

Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.
- Don Shula

by Little Nicky 21 on Oct 25, 2008 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

well said

Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.
- Don Shula

by Little Nicky 21 on Oct 25, 2008 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

thanks matty...arent you supposed to be purely objective

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 25, 2008 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

it looks like you have an e-stalker

"How can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?"

-From the Unforgiven III off of Death Magnetic

by Patssuck456 on Oct 25, 2008 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

is that serious?

i mean…why in the hell would they want that? or it is just like random and automatically posted to them>

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 12:47 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

cool stuff

had no idea…maybe ill take it a tad more seriously lol

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

no

once it stops being random and funny, it’ll suck. lol

Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.
- Don Shula

by Little Nicky 21 on Oct 24, 2008 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

hahhahha...?

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

hmmm....

….possibly. Just keep it clean, that’s all. Random and funny is the backbone of those features.

by Matty I on Oct 24, 2008 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

i agree

now i just have motivation lol…i didnt realize phinsider was so repected!!!

search it on youtube and we ger filtered in there as well….nice stuff

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

LOL

VERY TRUE…IM BRINGING IT THIS WEEK…NOW THAT I KNOW IM NOT JUST WRITING FOR YOU KNUCKLEHEADS

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 2:39 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

that was rude to call us knuckleheads...please apologize

On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job
-Nicky Primetime

by finsxfactor on Oct 24, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

i apologize

to matty for using all caps…i know he hates that. lol. sorry was at work and typing with 1 hand…the other was writing…i multi task like a s.o.b

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 24, 2008 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

more of a pause and do 1 at a time thing....im no robot

"If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother."
--Bo Jackson

by Rzayo24 on Oct 26, 2008 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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