Bills stand in Dolphins' way to close in on playoff berth

By AP
Published

MIAMI (9-5) at BUFFALO (7-7)

Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

OPENING LINE - Bills by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Dolphins 7-5-2, Bills 6-7-1

SERIES RECORD - Dolphins lead 59-45-1

LAST MEETING - Dolphins beat Bills 28-25, Oct. 23

LAST WEEK - Dolphins beat Jets 34-13; Bills beat Browns 33-13

AP PRO32 RANKING - Dolphins No. 11 (tie), Bills No. 19 (tie)

DOLPHINS OFFENSE - OVERALL (25), RUSH (T12), PASS (27).

DOLPHINS DEFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH (30), PASS (11).

BILLS OFFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (1), PASS (31).

BILLS DEFENSE - OVERALL (16), RUSH (27), PASS (8).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi had career-best 214 yards rushing, and Miami overcame 17-6 third-quarter deficit by scoring 22 consecutive points to beat Buffalo in past meeting. ... Dolphins have won eight of nine since 1-4 start and in position to clinch first playoff berth since 2008. Can clinch by beating Bills and Broncos loss to Kansas City on Sunday. ... QB Matt Moore makes second consecutive start in place of Ryan Tannehill (strained left knee). Moore had career-best four TDs passing in going 12 of 18 for 236 yards and interception against Jets. ... Ajayi has 361 yards rushing and one TD in past six since three-game stretch in which he combined for 529 yards rushing and four TDs. ... Ajayi (1,007 yards rushing) and WR Jarvis Landry (1,031 yards receiving) are second Dolphins tandem to top 1,000 yards in same season. ... DE Mario Williams returns to Orchard Park for first time since being released by Bills on March 1. ... Bills in jeopardy of extending NFL's longest active playoff drought to 17 seasons. ... Buffalo is 5-1 when RB LeSean McCoy tops 100-yards rushing this season. McCoy's 1,462 yards from scrimmage account for 30 percent of team's 4,847 yards offense. ... Buffalo's 27 TDs rushing are franchise record. Only 10 teams since 1940 have 30 or more TDs rushing - most recently 2008 Carolina Panthers (30). ... QB Tyrod Taylor is 14-4 with 29 or fewer passing attempts, 1-9 with 30 or more. Taylor is 2-13 when trailing by four or more points at any time of game. ... Defense has allowed 13 TDs rushing and 12 passing in past eight games. That coincides with S Aaron Williams sustaining season- and potentially career-ending neck injury following blindside hit by Landry in loss at Miami. ... In first six games, Bills allowed six TDs rushing and three passing. ... Fantasy Tip: Hamstring injury limited McCoy to 11 yards rushing in first meeting. Fully recovered, McCoy had season-best 153 yards rushing against Cleveland and faces Dolphins, who have allowed 139.2 yards rushing in past five.

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