3 matchups to watch for Dolphins at Bills

Miami tight ends vs. Bills safeties. The Dolphins’ tight ends have produced 82 catches for 969 yards and 11 touchdowns, which amounts to the best collective production from the position in Miami team history. Mike Gesicki, a second-round pick from 2018, is tied for 13th among NFL tight ends with 48 catches for 656 yards. Durham Smythe, a fourth-round pick from 2018, has 23 for 185 yards. Gesicki had eight catches for 130 yards and a TD in the Week 2 game vs. Buffalo. Starting receiver Jakeem Grant is expected to miss the game. Top wideout DeVante Parker is dealing with a sore hamstring. Miami will need Gesicki to produce.

Bills defensive ends vs. Austin Jackson. Miami took Jackson with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Southern California product has started 11 games and played reasonably well. He has given up four sacks. Jackson is only 21 years old, he has light feet and he has long arms (34 1/4 inches). He’s a finesse player. He’s not real physical. He’s not looking to bury people. Pro Football Focus hasn’t given him real good run-blocking grades this year. The Bills probably will be facing him for the next four years, at least. He has a ton of upside. Can he become a dominant player?

Bills RBs vs. Miami’s run defense. The expectation is the Bills are going to rest Stefon Diggs and run the ball more than usual. If Miami wins, it is facing the prospect of playing Tennessee and big, bad Derrick Henry in the wild-card round. Miami ranks 17th in the NFL against the run and 23rd in yards per rush allowed. Inside linebacker Jerome Baker is not elite. Miami does have good edge setters vs. the run in Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson. The Bills are 17th in yards per rush at 4.26 a carry. The Bills are tied with Kansas City in rushing attempts at 19th in the league.