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Taron Johnson knows there’s only one way the Buffalo Bills will be able to counter the speed of the Miami Dolphins‘ offense.
“Physical,” Johnson told reporters this week. “Being physical.”
The Bills will have a difficult task in facing a Dolphins offense that has set a slew of records through the first three games of the season, averaging 43.3 points per game and coming off a 70-20 blowout win over the Denver Broncos. Johnson joined other members of the team in discussing the challenge that the Bills will face in the October 1 matchup in Orchard Park.
Bills Tackle: ‘Every Other Play Was a Big Play’
While the Bills were putting on a defensive clinic in their 37-3 win over the Washington Commanders on September 24, the Dolphins were coming within a field goal of the league’s all-time scoring record in their win over the Broncos. The Dolphins had the ball in field-goal range late in the fourth quarter with a chance to reach an NFL-record 73 points, but opted to kneel the ball on fourth down and turn the ball back over to the Broncos.
Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver said he was amazed when looking back at how unstoppable the Dolphins offense looked.
“It seemed like every other play was a big play,” Oliver told reporters.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott added that the Dolphins have the ability to turn any play into a big gain, something the Bills have seen firsthand against wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Though the Bills have kept Hill largely contained in five regular season games — holding him to an average of 45.2 receiving yards per game with just one touchdown — Hill has shined against the Bills in the playoffs.
In three playoff games against the Bills he averaged 13 receptions and 130.3 receiving yards per game, breaking off a number of big plays that propelled the Kansas City Chiefs to playoff wins over the Bills in 2020 and 2021.
“Very good,” McDermott said about the Dolphins’ offense. “They’re as advertised. They’re explosive, anybody that touches the ball can score.”
Bills Using Secret Weapon to Prepare for Miami Offense
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Johnson said the Bills are using a secret weapon to prepare for the Dolphins — practice squad wide receiver Andy Isabella. The former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver had a 40-yard dash time of 4.31 seconds when coming out of college in 2019, and has been using that speed to represent Hill on the scout team.
“I want to get these guys better. I want to give them the best look so when it comes game day, we have the same results we’ve had the last two weeks,” Isabella told reporters.
McDermott suggested that the Bills could use even more expert help in replicating Hill’s abilities in practice.
“Yeah, if you can get a couple of Usain Bolt’s, we’ll bring him in,” McDermott said, via AtoZ Sports. “Tell Brandon (Beane) we’re bringing him in for a week and run scout team with about three or four of those guys, I think that’ll give us a good look right there.”
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