Buffalo @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2017 ) Buffalo 22, Miami 16

The Miami Dolphins' fast start to the season has slowed to a crawl, answering a promising 3-0 start with losses in six of their past eight games. The Dolphins will look to reverse their current fortunes and avenge last season's sweep at the hands of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday when they welcome their AFC East rivals to Hard Rock Stadium.

"Finishing, man. As an offense, we got to finish. As a team, we got to finish," said running back Frank Gore, who watched Miami squander a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 27-24 setback in Indianapolis. The Dolphins hope the familiar surroundings of home will get them back on track, as they are 4-1 this season in South Florida and 15-6 in their last 21 contests. Buffalo returned from its bye week to win two in a row to keep afloat the pipe dream of back-to-back playoff berths, with rookie Josh Allen using his legs for a franchise-best 99 yards rushing by a quarterback and a team-leading fourth touchdown run in Sunday's 24-21 victory over Jacksonville. The seventh overall pick hasn't done much with his arm this season, throwing for over 200 yards on one occasion in seven outings heading into a tilt with a Miami defense that is 21st against the pass (258.2 yards).

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Dolphins -4.5. O/U: 40

ABOUT THE BILLS (4-7): LeSean McCoy has made himself at home in the end zone against Miami, scoring seven touchdowns (five rushing, two receiving) in seven career encounters. While the Bills are averaging a pedestrian 3.95 yards per carry this season, the Dolphins have yielded an NFL fourth-worst 139.8 yards on the ground per game. Undrafted rookie Robert Foster reeled in a 75-yard touchdown reception versus the Jaguars and has five catches for 199 yards in the last two weeks. Fellow wideout Zay Jones, who leads the team in receptions (37), receiving yards (392) and receiving touchdowns (two), wasn't even targeted last week.

ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (5-6): Ryan Tannehill returned from a five-game absence due to a shoulder injury to throw for 204 yards and two touchdowns last week in Indianapolis, but he has fared far better at home. The 30-year-old has won each of his last seven starts and has thrown three-plus touchdowns in three of his past four games in Miami. The ageless Gore provides a potent punch out of the backfield, as the then-Colt gashed the Bills in his last meeting for 130 yards in December and faces a club that permitted a season-worst 226 yards rushing to Jacksonville on Sunday. Fellow running back Kenyan Drake scored twice last week (one rushing, one receiving) to give him five touchdowns in the past five games overall heading into a tilt with Buffalo, against which he found the end zone in a 24-16 setback on Dec. 17.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Buffalo S Jordan Poyer, who had an interception last week, sealed the team's first playoff berth since the 1999 season with a pick against Miami on New Year's Eve.

2. Dolphins CB Xavien Howard picked off Andrew Luck twice last week to boost his total to an NFL second-best five interceptions on the season.

3. The Bills signed Matt Darr and waived fellow P Colton Schmidt on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Dolphins 20, Bills 17