Dolphins vs. Bills 2013 game preview: Miami needs win in snowy Buffalo

The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills will clash on Sunday afternoon in creaky Ralph Wilson Stadium with playoff implications on the line.

For Miami, the game is almost a must-win. The Dolphins sit at 8-6 and are currently seventh in the AFC but tied record-wise for sixth with the Baltimore Ravens, who hold the tiebreaker based on their win over Miami earlier this season. The Dolphins have won four of their last five and if they win out, need only a loss from Baltimore or the Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs.

The Achilles heel of this unit is the offensive line, which is possibly the worst in football. Without Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito, the line features two reserves and has allowed a staggering 51 sacks, most in the NFL. The line is also a big reason the running game has sputtered, with Lamar Miller leading the team at only 628 yards.

Defensively, the Dolphins rank 16th in yards allowed. Their specialty is getting to the quarterback, coming in seventh with 41 sacks on the year, led by Olivier Vernon's 11.5. Vernon doesn't have a household name yet, but he is becoming a force in the front seven along with Cameron Wake.

Buffalo is a team with talent, but still a group that is struggling to find its way. Much of that inconsistency has to do with the quarterback position, which has seen E.J. Manuel, Jeff Tuel and Thad Lewis get starts this season. Manuel -- the signal-caller of the future -- has thrown for 1,972 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also has a 58.8 completion percentage, showing potential for the Bills teams to come.

Around Manuel is a solid running game but little else. C.J. Spiller has come up strong as the season continues, gaining 745 rushing yards on 4.6 yards per carry. His partner in crime, Fred Jackson, has continued to be productive, amassing 725 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Buffalo is even better than Miami at sacking the quarterback, pacing the NFL with 49 thanks to Mario Williams, Jerry Hughes and Kyle Williams. The trio has accounted for 29 of the sacks, at 12, 9, and 8, respectively. Rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso has also been a stud, leading the team with 137 tackles (11 for loss) and four interceptions.

While the Dolphins are taking on the Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals will be hosting the Minnesota Vikings. For the Dolphins to claim the playoff berth, they will need the Vikings to leaving Ohio with a win.

Then, with a 4:25pm ET kickoff, the New England Patriots will visit the Baltimore Ravens. If New England, who the Dolphins beat this past weekend, were to come out on top of the defending Super Bowl champions, the Dolphins would lay claim to the final playoff spot.

Buffalo fans and the organization itself should be in complete evaluation mode, preparing for the 2014 offseason by putting the current roster through their paces. By beating the Jaguars, Buffalo slipped at least one spot in the 2014 NFL Draft order with Tennessee moving into the top ten. Buffalo finds itself in a virtual tie with the New York Giants for the tenth spot in the draft.

Be sure to check out SB Nation's team blogs, Buffalo Rumblings and The Phinsider, for more analysis and highlights from the game.

Add these fine follows to your Twitter timeline:

@thephinsider

AFC Playoff Picture - Week 15 http://t.co/6901bqQYJg

— Kevin Nogle (@thephinsider) December 18, 2013

@buffrumblings

Eliminated from playoffs, Buffalo #Bills will pick 10th in draft http://t.co/XjSNotXMWH

— Buffalo Rumblings (@BuffRumblings) December 16, 2013

Prediction

The Dolphins close out the regular season at home against the New York Jets while the Bills travel to play the New England Patriots.

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