At 9-5, the Dolphins are the the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2008. The Bills can spoil Miami’s postseason dreams — and keep their slim wild card hopes alive — with a win in Buffalo on Christmas Eve.
Dolphins vs. Bills 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Christmas Eve football online
An AFC East showdown between teams with playoff aspirations.
The Dolphins lost Ryan Tannehill for an extended period thanks to a sprained ACL, but the young passer could return for the postseason depending on how quickly he can rehab his gimpy knee. Instead, the team’s playoff push will be in the hands of backup quarterback Matt Moore, who was thrust into starting duties for the first time since 2011 in Week 14 but has guided Miami to a pair of wins in relief. As a tried-and-true backup option, Moore still gives the Dolphins a solid opportunity to end their playoff drought.
The Bills look at their division rivals’ eight-year streak and scoff. No team in the NFL has suffered a longer period of fruitless Januaries than Buffalo, which hasn’t seen a playoff game this millennium. They’re still technically in the playoff hunt at 7-7, but rank 11th in a race where only the top six teams advance. It would take a low-key miracle for the Bills to extend their season past Week 17.
But that’s what it may take to save head coach Rex Ryan’s job. Ryan has been perfectly mediocre in upstate New York, winning 15 games in nearly two seasons on the sideline and losing 15. While that’s a better win percentage than any Buffalo head coach since Wade Phillips was run out of town, it’s hasn’t been enough for Bills ownership. Terry Pegula and company hoped they were getting the coach that led the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances in his first two seasons, but Ryan’s performance has been closer to the guy who went 12-20 before getting canned in New York.
The final two weeks of the season could also be quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s last chance to earn $18 million in 2017. Buffalo signed the dual-threat quarterback to an expensive contract extension after his breakthrough 2015 season, but can part ways with Taylor before next season and eat only $2.4 million in dead money compared to the $18.3 they’d have to pay him to remain on the roster. With the former Raven regressing and the two sides unlikely to renegotiate their pact, this may be his penultimate game in blue and red.
Saturday’s showdown may be a rough showcase for Taylor’s skills. The Dolphins feature an explosive pass rush anchored by All-Pro defensive linemen Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh. That pair joined forces last week to knock Jets quarterback Bryce Petty out of the game, and could do the same if the Bills’ offensive line brain farts out like New York’s did.
On the other side of the ball, the Bills will have to be wary of a Jay Ajayi resurgence. The second-year tailback crushed Buffalo for a career-high 214 yards the last time these teams met, but has yet to live up to the insane standard set when he rushed for more than 500 yards in a three-game stretch early in the season. Ajayi hasn’t run for more than 79 yards in his last six contests, but a meeting with the Bills — the league’s 27th-ranked rushing defense — could be just the thing he needs to recharge his batteries.
How to Watch Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: New Era Field, Orchard Park, N.Y.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, and Jamie Erdahl
Online: Sunday Ticket, CBS All Access
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