1. RICHIE INCOGNITO RETURNS TO SOUTH FLORIDA
The Bills guard spent four seasons with the Dolphins, a stint that ended in controversy two years ago, when he was suspended for his involvement in alleged locker room misconduct. Incognito says there's nothing personal about his return to Miami, but he is looking forward to playing against some of his former teammates.
"I'm excited to go down there and compete against those guys," Incognito said in the Bills locker room Tuesday. "I've still got a lot of close friends on the team and within the organization, so anytime you get a chance to go down and compete against your buddies it's really special. So I'm looking forward to it."
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- MATCHUP IN THE MIDDLE: WOOD VS. SUH**
Miami broke the bank to bring DT Ndamukong Suh south during the offseason, providing a major challenge for Dolphins opponents. Bills Center Eric Wood figures to see a lot of Suh on Sunday, and he knows what he's in for.
"We've had some good battles with him over the years," Wood told Schopp and the Bulldog Monday afternoon on WGR Sports Radio 550. "One off my better games I've ever played in football was when I played guard against him in 2010. We got into a little scuffle that year in the preseason so I was amped up to play that game and really wanted to stick it to him. I felt like I did a pretty good job against him."
"Now he's in the division, so we get him twice a year, He's a good player. He's physically pretty awesome. He got that huge deal in Miami and they expect him to make a lot of plays. We'll have to do our best to try to neutralize him."
3. BILLS HAVE HAD SUCCESS VS. TANNEHILL
Buffalo's defense has had some good days against Miami QB Ryan Tannehill, since the talented signal caller came into the league in 2012. The Bills have gone up against Tannehill six times, and won four of those six games.
"Tannehill, I've been playing against him since I got here," Bills CB Stephon Gilmore said Tuesday. "He came in with me. We know him pretty well. Athletic guy. Runs the zone read and he can extend plays. We have to be ready to make plays when we face him."
Tannehill's best game against Buffalo came last November in Miami, a 22-9 Dolphins win. But he's had some rough games against the Bills, including late season losses in Buffalo in 2012 and 2013, when his quarterback rating was no higher than 46.9.
4. MIAMI HAS A YOUNG, TALENTED CORPS OF WIDE RECEIVERS
Tannehill has some new targets to throw to this year, and the Dolphins have re-tooled their receiving corps in the last few years. Last year's 2nd round pick, Jarvis Landry, caught 8-passes for 110-yards against Jacksonville last week. In 18-career games, he's already caught 100-passes, the fastest to 100-catches in Dolphins franchise history.
"He's a physical guy," Gilmore says. "He doesn't have that much speed but he's quick. He makes plays. He mostly lines up in the slot a lot. I think you have to be physical with him. "
Miami spent its' first round pick this year on talented speedster DeVante Parker from Louisville. He's got just one catch so far as he recovers from offseason surgery on his foot. When you add in undrafted free agent Greg Jennings, trade acquisition Kenny Stills, and 4th year player Rishard Matthews, it's a talented stable of downfield targets that will keep the Bills secondary on its' toes this week.
5. DEALING WITH THE MIAMI HEAT
We're not talking about Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. It's the South Florida heat and humidity that has the attention of Bills players as the work week begins. And they have a plan on how to deal with it.
"Hydrate. And you have to start your hydration plan now," says Bills WR Sammy Watkins, a native of Florida's Southwest coast. "That heat and humidity can get to you. You also have to practice hard. It's going to be a little different weather down there. It's not going to be as cool and chill. You have to practice hard and get out there and do a little bit of extra work. And be prepared. It's going to be a battle."
The Bills have battled the elements in Miami for years. Four of the Bills top-10 warmest games on record have taken place in Miami. Over the years, Buffalo has played six times in the South Florida heat in the month of September and only won two of those games. The average game time temperature for those six games? 87-degrees.
6. PENALTY FLAGS HAVE BEEN FLYING
Sunday's game features two of the most penalized teams in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season. Buffalo leads the league with 25-penalties. Miami is ranked 5th with 19-penalties.
Even though statistics have shown no correlation between penalties and winning, the Bills are already talking about cleaning up their act. Wide receiver Robert Woods says the solution is simple.
"Play within the whistles, Woods says. "A lot of stuff was after the whistle anyway. Play within the whistles, play legal and I think that will change the field position and put us in a better chance to win the game."
