Bills ready to change focus
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With Damar Hamlin recovering at home, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott smiled when asked if he thought the tide of bad news might finally be turning for his team.
And he jumped on an opportunity to move forward to Sunday, when the AFC East champion Bills (13-3) host their division rival Dolphins (9-8) in a wild-card playoff game.
“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 during which the Bills were inspired by the outpouring of support from around the NFL, and uplifted further by Hamlin’s remarkable recovery since he had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati, McDermott’s message was clear.
Given the adversity the Bills have overcome — from two snowstorms, injuries and four four-quarter deficits — already this season, this is no time for a letdown or occasion to overlook an opponent that may well be down to its third-string quarterback in rookie Skylar Thompson.
The Bills are heavily favored — by 13 points on FanDuel Sportsbook — with Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa already ruled out due to the aftereffects of a concussion sustained three weeks ago, and backup Teddy Bridgewater nursing a broken pinky finger.
The Bills also have momentum on their side in closing the season on a 7-0 run, which included a 32-29 win over the
Dolphins just four weeks ago.
And the Bills are a more playoff-tested team in making its 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 Jets last weekend — and only after the Patriots were eliminated following a 35-23 loss at Buffalo.
First-year coach Mike McDaniel remains upbeat while understanding the challenge ahead.
“I know we have a dedicated, hungry football team that’s excited to play a game they earned to play in,” McDaniel said.
Rather than view the Dolphins’ late-season skid as a negative, the coach attempted to turn it into a positive by informing his players they’re one of five NFL teams to lose five straight and still qualify for the playoffs.
The teams did split the season series. The Bills melted down in the South Florida heat in blowing a fourth-quarter lead in a 21-19 loss in September.
“You prefer to not lose five in a row, but I think it also more precisely speaks to the level of determination, the lack of splintering,” McDaniel said.
The Bills know plenty about perseverance, while also appreciating what they’ve overcome doesn’t provide them a pass into the next round.
“We understand the mortality of this team, and granted that might be the wrong choice of words in this given moment,” center Mitch Morse said. “But we understand that anyone can beat anyone on any given day. We do not feel like we’re owed anything.”