The Miami Dolphins may have a bit of an advantage in their Sunday matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Bills safety Jordan Poyer will reportedly not suit up because of a foot injury.
Bills safety Jordan Poyer (foot) be OUT today vs. Dolphins, per league source.
Buffalo will be without both Poyer & Micah Hyde — known as heart and soul & communicators of their defense — for 1st time in Sean McDermott/Brandon Beane era today.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 25, 2022
Buffalo was one of the teams many pundits were excited about entering the 2022 season. However, the team has been hit by the injury bug early on.
It was recently announced that Micah Hyde, Poyer’s starting partner at the safety position, will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a neck injury.
Unfortunately client Micah Hyde will be put on IR today due to his recent neck injury. Fortunately, we expect a healthy return for #23 in 2023 #BillsMafia #NFL
— Jack Bechta (@jackbechta) September 24, 2022
With Poyer also out against Miami, Buffalo’s defense will be heavily tested.
The safety duo of Poyer and Hyde is considered one of the best in the league. The two veterans have played for Buffalo since the 2017 season and started 79 games together, the most by any safety duo during that stretch.
It will be interesting to see how the Bills adjust without the two. Starting instead for Buffalo will be 26-year-old Jaquan Johnson and 24-year-old Damar Hamlin.
Jaquan Johnson and Damar Hamlin are expected to start at safety for Bills in place of injured Pro Bowlers Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
Paired with starting rookie CBs Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam — the starting secondary quartet today has a COMBINED 3 NFL starts. https://t.co/unVwyvnooW
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 25, 2022
Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle could put on a show during the Sunday showdown, given how inexperienced some of Buffalo’s defenders are.
Both the Dolphins and Bills have had strong starts to their seasons. The teams are 2-0 and tied for first in the AFC East division. Miami will certainly be looking to defeat a depleted Buffalo team in order to gain an upper hand in the divisional rivalry.
However, the Dolphins will likely still have their hands full on Sunday, considering how potent Buffalo’s offense has been so far this season.
Against the defending champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, Buffalo scored 31 points. Star quarterback Josh Allen passed for 297 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns.
In Week 2, the Bills were even more explosive. They defeated the Tennessee Titans 41-7, as Stefon Diggs posted a three-touchdown game.
Of course, Miami has also been clicking on all cylinders in its first two games of the 2022 campaign. With Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of the squad playing well, the Dolphins have a good chance of snapping a seven-game skid against the Bills.
