Dolphins visit Buffalo for AFC East rematch
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With young safety Damar Hamlin released from the hospital to continue his dramatic recovery, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott smiled this past week when asked if he thought the tide of bad news might finally be turning for his team.
Then he jumped on an opportunity to move forward to Sunday, when AFC East champion Buffalo (13-3) will host the Miami Dolphins (9-8) in a wild-card playoff game. CBS will televise the 1 p.m. rematch of division rivals who split their regular-season series.
“I appreciate where you’re going with that, but this is not a soap opera,” McDermott responded. “We’ve got one game to get ready for, and that’s really what we’re focused on.”
In the wake of an emotionally draining stretch when the Bills were inspired by the outpouring of support from around the NFL, then uplifted further by Hamlin’s remarkable recovery since he had to be resuscitated after his heart stopped during a Jan. 2 game in Cincinnati, McDermott’s message was clear.
Given what the Bills have overcome this season even before Hamlin’s scare — two snowstorms, player injuries and a quartet of four-quarter deficits — this is no time for a letdown or an occasion to overlook an opponent that may well be down to its third-string quarterback in rookie Skylar Thompson. Miami’s starter, Tua Tagovailoa, was ruled out due to the effects of a concussion sustained three weeks ago, and backup Teddy Bridgewater is nursing a broken pinky finger.
Meanwhile, Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano posted a photo on his Instagram account Saturday showing a smiling Hamlin shaking hands with a teammate at the Bills’ facility, the visit with the team marking the latest notable step for the 24-year-old.
The Bills, listed as 13 1/2 points by FanDuel Sportsbook, closed the regular season on a 7-0 run that includes a 32-29 home win over Miami four weeks ago, and they’re making their fourth consecutive postseason appearance. The Dolphins, by comparison, stumbled down the stretch in losing five straight before clinching their first playoff berth since 2016 with an 11-6 win over the New York Jets last weekend — and only after the New England Patriots were eliminated with a 35-23 loss at Buffalo.
First-year Miami coach Mike McDaniel remained upbeat but understands the challenge ahead: “I know we have a dedicated, hungry football team that’s excited to play a game they earned to play in.”
The Dolphins, who rallied in the fourth quarter for a 21-19 win against the visiting Bills in September, are one of five teams in NFL history to lose five straight and still qualify for the playoffs.
“You prefer to not lose five in a row,” McDaniel said, “but I think it also more precisely speaks to the level of determination, the lack of splintering.”
Jackson still out as Ravens visit Bengals
CINCINNATI — When the Baltimore Ravens (10-7) visit the Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) on Sunday, they’ll be meeting for the second consecutive week and third time this season.
So, yeah, the AFC North rivals are pretty familiar with each other by now.
“They know what we try to do on offense, we know what they try to do on defense,” Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow said. “So they try to take away our bread-and-butter stuff, and they’re pretty good at it.”
But it’s the playoffs, so there’s bound to be some surprises and extra intensity in the 8:15 p.m. wild-card matchup that will be televised by NBC. Baltimore is especially motivated after going 8-9 last season and missing the playoffs for the first time in four years, then watching the Bengals make a Super Bowl run.
“There is a hunger, for sure,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “This team has been through a lot.”
Baltimore will look a little different this week than last. With a wild-card berth already secured, the visiting Ravens rested some key players, including Andrews, running back J.K. Dobbins and others. The Bengals won 27-16, splitting the regular-season series after the Ravens won 19-17 on Oct. 9 in Baltimore.
With quarterback Lamar Jackson out with a knee injury and backup Tyler Huntley dealing with a sore shoulder, rookie Anthony Brown made his first NFL start. He threw for 286 yards but was intercepted twice and fumbled in his own end zone, resulting in a Cincinnati touchdown.
In a post to Twitter on Thursday, Jackson said he has a PCL sprain and hasn’t healed enough to play. The Ravens are 2-3 without the fifth-year pro and 2019 NFL MVP, who hasn’t practiced since he hurt his knee Dec. 4.
Huntley was listed as questionable on Saturday’s injury report, so Brown might be needed again.
“There’s so much trust in both of them, and that’s with everybody on the team,” Andrews said. “Whoever it may be, we’re going to be all right.”
Either way, Baltimore will lean on a refreshed Dobbins, who since returning from a knee injury in Week 14 has rushed for 397 yards, including 13 runs of 10 or more yards.
Giants, Vikings hope to prove doubters wrong
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings quickly found their stride under rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell as a confident, close-knit, resilient team with an NFL-record 11 victories by eight or fewer points, including a 27-24 home win against the New York Giants on Dec. 24.
They’ll try to continue their success as they head into the playoffs, starting with Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. rematch against the visiting Giants (9-7-1) in the wild-card round on Fox. The Vikings (13-4) are back after a two-year absence that triggered the coaching change, eager to prove their viability despite a negative point differential for the season that has fueled external doubts about their legitimacy as a contender in the wide-open NFC.
“We can be as dangerous as we want to be,” said All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, who had 1,809 yards on 128 catches during the regular season. “I feel like we shoot ourselves in the foot the majority of the time when things don’t go our way.”
The Giants (9-7-1) are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, with their own first-time head coach in Brian Daboll. They went 22-59 over the previous five seasons.
“To be on the other side of it, it means a lot. It’s about what we do now from this point on and how we handle this opportunity, how we prepare and ultimately how we play,” fourth-year quarterback Daniel Jones said. “We’re certainly happy we are where we are. But there’s a lot more.”
The Giants haven’t had a postseason victory since winning the Super Bowl 11 years ago. They snagged the second of three wild-card spots while playing in the NFL’s strongest division this season, but after winning only two of their last eight games, they largely are being overlooked in the field while likely having to play on the road the entire time they’re alive.
“We’re going to be humble about it,” safety Julian Love said, “and we’re going to go about our work while everybody sleeps on us.”