Buffalo @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 20, 2019 ) Miami 21, Buffalo 31

The Buffalo Bills bolted out of the blocks with five wins in their first six games only to encounter some turbulence with two losses in their last three. The Bills aim to ignite their sluggish offense on Sunday when they bid for a season sweep of the host Miami Dolphins, who are seeking their third straight victory.

"We've got to score more points to enable ourselves to win games, and to be a threat down the stretch, that's what we've got to do," Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said. Josh Allen rushed for a pair of touchdowns and tied a career high with 41 passing attempts in Sunday's 19-16 setback to Cleveland, but deep-ball accuracy remains cause for concern for the second-year quarterback as he has failed to complete a pass beyond 30 yards this season. While the Bills' recent struggles have cut into their odds for a potential playoff berth, the Dolphins' 26-18 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 3 and 16-12 victory versus Indianapolis on Sunday has -- in the eyes of some -- hampered the team's chances at securing the top overall pick in next year's draft. "We're competitors, and we want to go out there and play," Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "It's amazing every week, there's another obstacle to jump over. This team is finding a way to do it."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bills -6. O/U: 40.5

ABOUT THE BILLS (6-3): Buffalo will look to ride rookie Devin Singletary, the ageless Frank Gore and the bruising ground attack of Allen in a bid to exploit Miami's 30th-ranked rush defense (146.1 yards per game). Singletary, however, followed up career-high totals in touches (24) and total yards (140) in the Bills' 24-9 victory over Washington on Nov. 3 with just eight carries for 42 yards against the Browns. Gore, who has mustered just 61 yards on 25 carries over his last three games, resides 73 rushing yards shy of Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (15,269) for third place all-time in NFL history. John Brown has been a consistent option for Allen, with the speedy wideout reeling in five receptions in six of his last seven outings -- although his 20-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against Miami accounts for his lone score in the last eight games.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (2-7): Fitzpatrick, who played for Buffalo from 2009-12, threw for 282 yards and scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown in the first meeting last month. Kalen Ballage also found the end zone in that encounter, but the 23-year-old turned 20 carries into just 43 yards against the Colts to actually improve his season rushing average to 2.2 yards per attempt. Wideout DeVante Parker scored a touchdown in the first game with Buffalo and has four in his last six to show glimpses of what Miami envisioned when it selected him in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Miami's battered secondary could receive a boost with two-time Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones trending toward returning on Sunday after missing the past four games due to cracked ribs.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Miami K Jason Sanders made all four of his attempts (three field goals, one extra point) to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Wednesday.

2. Bills WR Cole Beasley has recorded a touchdown in three of his last four games, with his 3-yard score in the fourth quarter essentially sealing the win against the Dolphins.

3. The Dolphins' minus-19 turnover ratio is the second-worst in the league (New York Giants, minus-24).

PREDICTION: Bills 19, Dolphins 16