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The Buffalo Bills emerged from a tumultuous regular season to win the AFC East with a 13-3 record that allowed them to earn the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
If they are victorious in their Wild-Card game against the 7th-seeded Miami Dolphins, they will host a second postseason game during the Divisional Playoff round.
The Bills have one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league, as they are led by superb quarterback Josh Allen. They are 13.5-point favorites against the Dolphins, and since Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa has not been cleared to play as a result of concussion issues, it looks like the Bills should be able to cruise to victory.
However, this is the NFL Playoffs, and the Bills have been through the emotional ringer. There are 3 primary issues that could cause problems and a potential disaster for one of the NFL’s most beloved teams.
3. Emotional energy on low
When the Bills saw teammate Damar Hamlin struck down by a cardiac arrest while on the field in the Week 17 Monday night game against the Bengals in Cincinnati, it was as traumatic as it gets. Not just for the Bills, but for the NFL as a whole and a nation that waited with bated breath for updates.
The news has turned out to be excellent, as Hamlin started communicating with his family and teammates, and he made continuous improvements in his physical condition. When the Bills took the field for their Week 18 regular-season finale against the New England Patriots, they were playing with full hearts for their teammate and they emerged as winners.
The news continued to be excellent this week, as Hamlin was first released from his hospital in Cincinnati and subsequently from the hospital in Buffalo.
It appears that Hamlin is well on the road to recovery. But that leads to a key question for head coach Sean McDermott and his players. Is anything left in the emotional tank?
They may have spent all their emotional energy over the last two weeks and it could be difficult to get revved up if they are drained. McDermott and his player will say all the right things, but it will show up in their performance.
2. The turnover effect
The Bills have had problems turning the ball over this season. A look at the takeaway-turnover table shows that the Bills were at 0 this season, meaning they had turned the ball over as many times as they had taken it away.
The Bills defense was quite strong in producing 27 takeaways (17 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries), but the offense gave the ball away just as many times. Allen threw 14 interceptions and the Bills also fumbled it away 13 times.
That’s too many giveaways for a team that is set on progressing deep into the playoffs and serving as the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. The Bengals and the Chiefs are their main rivals for AFC supremacy, and those teams have turned the ball over 24 and 20 times, respectively.
If turnovers are an issue for the Bills in this game, the Dolphins have a chance to gain momentum and possibly record an upset.
1. Can the Bills contain Miami’s explosive receivers
There is a thought that the Dolphins will not be able to compete on even terms without Tagovailoa in the lineup. He was the architect of many of the team’s big plays involving receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
The Bills may look at quarterback Skylar Thompson and come to the conclusion that he will not be able to attack effectively.
However Hill and Waddle are special receivers, and the Buffalo secondary may not be its greatest strength. Hill caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards and 7 touchdowns while Waddle had 75 receptions for 1,356 yards and 8 touchdowns.
The Buffalo Bills defense ranked 15th in passing yards allowed, and if that unit overlooks Thompson, the Miami receivers could have a big day.