Rivalry week is getting an early start for the Buffalo Bills, with their Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins getting some extra spotlight after an NFL legend leveled criticism at Miami.
The Bills moved to 2-1 with their 37-3 win over the Washington Commanders on September 24, but their win was overshadowed by Miami’s 70-20 drubbing of the Denver Broncos. The Bills and Dolphins meet on October 1 in a game that will determine early supremacy in the AFC East, and the game is already getting plenty of attention.
Chad Johnson Calls Out Dolphins
The Dolphins set a number of records in their blowout win on Sunday, scoring the most points in an NFL game since 1966 and handing the Broncos their biggest loss margin in franchise history.
The game also drew some criticism from those who thought Miami was running up the score. Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson took to X to say he believed the Dolphins were breaking an “unwritten rule” about not embarrassing opponents.
“I thought there was an unwritten rule between coaches to never run up the score board out of respect which is why I believe you never see lopsided games like this often, thoughts?” Johnson wrote.
It might have appeared to Johnson that the Dolphins had crossed a line, but the team actually held back from setting an all-time NFL single-game scoring record. The Dolphins reached the 70-point mark with eight minutes left to play in the game and had a chance to break the all-time record of 72 points, but they opted to take a knee in field-goal range on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, giving the ball back to the Broncos.
“I’m very OK with the decision, and I think the team — notably the leaders of the team — supported it, the captains supported it,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game, via CBS Sports. “It’s not the way you want to get the record. I would hope that if the shoe was on the other foot, the opponent would feel the same way. That’s called karma. I’m trying to keep good karma with the Miami Dolphins.”
Big Challenge Awaits Bills
The Bills will face their biggest challenge of the season on Sunday as they host the 3-0 Dolphins, who are averaging more than 43.3 points per game and 1,651 yards on offense, an NFL record through the first three weeks of a season.
While their performance has not been as historic as Miami’s offense, the Bills defense has also looked like one of the best units in the league through the first three weeks. In their win over the Commanders, they forced five turnovers, sacked quarterback Sam Howell nine times and allowed just 230 total yards on offense.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard, who won the middle linebacker spot after the departure of Tremaine Edmunds, had two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
“It was fun. That’s the name of the game, making plays,” Bernard said, via the team’s official website. “So going out there and doing everything that I could to help this team win. I had a great time.”
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NFL Legend Says Ahead of Big Game That Bills’ Rival Broke ‘Unwritten Rule’