The Buffalo Bills host the Miami Dolphins in the home opener at the newly-renovated Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 14 with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.
Sunday's game will be the 97th regular season meeting between Buffalo and Miami, with the Dolphins holding a 56-39-1 advantage in the series.
With a win over the Dolphins on Sunday, the Bills will:
• Start 2-0 for the first time since 2011
• Win their third straight game at home and overall against Miami
BILLS-DOLPHINS REGULAR SEASON SERIES
• Overall regular season record: 39-56-1
• Bills at home vs. Dolphins: 23-25
• Last meeting at home: 12/22/2013, W 19-0
• First regular season meeting: 9/18/1966, W 58-24 at Buffalo
• Last regular season meeting: 12/22/2013, W 19-0 at Buffalo
The Bills will stay at home for their next game with the San Diego Chargers coming to town for a Week 3 matchup on Sunday, September 21.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR ...
**
OFFENSE**
QB EJ Manuel
• 4 completions to record 200 completions for his career
WR Robert Woods
• 6 receptions to total 50 catches in his career
WR Mike Williams
• Will record 3,000 receiving yards for his NFL career with 17 receiving yards
• 8 receptions to record 225 for his career
RB C.J. Spiller
• 8 receptions to total 150 receptions in his career
RB Fred Jackson
• Two rushing touchdowns to become the fourth Bill with 30 or more in his career
• One overall touchdown to become the ninth Bill with 35 or more for his career
• Has recorded a rushing touchdown in two straight games against the Miami Dolphins
TE Scott Chandler
• Needs 15 receptions to become fourth Bills TE with 150 for his career
• Needs one receiving touchdown to become the fourth Bills TE with 15 or more in his career
• Since 2011, Chandler's nine touchdowns in September are tied for fourth most in NFL, only trailing Jimmy Graham, Calvin Johnson and Wes Welker.
DEFENSE
DT Marcell Dareus
• 1.5 sack to post 20.0 in his NFL career
DT Kyle Williams
• 1.0 sack to post 30.0 in his NFL career
DE Jerry Hughes
• Three tackles for a loss to record 20 for his career
DE Mario Williams
• 2.5 sacks to record 80.0 for his career
SPECIAL TEAMS
CB/PR Leodis McKelvin
• One punt return touchdown to set new team record with four
BILLS-DOLPHINS SERIES HIGHS
Rushing Yards
Bills: 203, OJ Simpson 12/5/76 @ MIA
Dolphins: 228, Ricky Williams 12/1/02 @ BUF
Receiving Yards
Bills: 154, Andre Reed 9/1/91 @ BUF
Dolphins: 202, Mark Duper 10/9/83 @ MIA
Passing Yards
Bills: 419, Joe Ferguson 10/9/83 @ MIA
Dolphins: 404, Dan Marino 11/16/86 @ BUF
FORMER BILLS/DOLPHINS
• Bills K Dan Carpenter played for the Dolphins from 2008-12, leading Miami in scoring every year of his five-year tenure with the franchise.
• Bills WR Chris Hogan was on the Miami Dolphins practice squad during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
• Bills Head Coach Doug Marrone was an offensive lineman with the Dolphins in 1987.
• Dolphins LB Kelvin Sheppard played for the Bills from 2011-12
AREA CONNECTIONS
• Bills T Seantrel Henderson (2010-13) played his college ball at the University of Miami in Coral Cables, Florida.
• Bills LB Randell Johnson is from Miami, Florida and went to col- lege 35 minutes up the coast at Florida Atlantic.
• Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at the University of Buffalo from 2001-02.
NFL CONNECTIONS
• Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey, the Buccaneers Director of Player Personnel from 2010-13, played a large role in Tampa Bay drafting Bills WR Mike Williams in 2010.
• During Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey's 18-year tenure in the Bucs player personnel department, he crossed paths with several current members of the Bills coaching staff.
o While Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey was Tampa Bay's Director of College Scouting, Bills Offensive Coordinator Nathanial Hackett (2006-07) served as the team's offensive quality control coach and Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley (2006) was Tampa's minority coaching fellow.
o During Hickey's stint as Director of Player Personnel, Bills offensive line coach Pat Morris joined the organization in 2011 as the new offensive line coach.
• From 2009-11 Bills DE Jarius Wynn and Giants offensive coordina- tor Ben McAdoo were both with the Green Bay Packers, as a defensive end and tight ends coach, respectively.
• Bills DE Jarius Wynn, Dolphins G Daryn Colledge and Dolphins Head Coach Joe Philbin were all with the Packers from 20010-11, with Philbin serving as the team's offensive coordinator. They were key parts of the 2010 Packers team that won Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Bills DE Mario Williams and Dolphins offensive line coach John Benton, serving in the same position, were together as members of the Houston Texans from 2006-11.
• In 2011, Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle was the defensive backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, with Bills LB Keith Rivers and Bills DE Manny Lawson playing key roles on the starting defense.
• Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, as Eagles quarterbacks coach, and Bills RB Bryce Brown were in Philadelphia in 2013.
• Bills DE Jarius Wynn and Dolphins G Daryn Colledge played together in Green Bay from 2010-11.
• Dolphins LB Dannell Ellerbe, Bills DB Corey Graham and Bills senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler (as wide receivers coach) were all with the 2012 Baltimore Ravens team that won Super Bowl XLVII.
• Dolphins CB Cortland Finnegan bloomed into a star for the Titans under the watch of Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz from 2006-11.
• Dolphins CB Cortland Finnegan and Bills G Chris Williams were brought into St. Louis as free agents when Jeff Fisher was hired as Head Coach prior to the 2012 season. They joined Dolphins WR Brandon Gibson as members of the 2012 Rams squad and continued to play together in 2013 after Gibson left for Miami in free agency.
• From 2007-09, Dolphins QB Matt Moore and Bills special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, serving in the same capacity, were members of the Carolina Panthers organization.
• Bills T Erik Pears and Dolphins C Samson Satele were on the same offensive line in Oakland from 2009-10.
• Bills DE Jerry Hughes was a Colts teammates with Dolphins C Samson Satele in 2012 and Dolphins LB Phillip Wheeler from 2010- 11.
• Bills GM Doug Whaley was the Steelers Pro Personnel Coordinator in 2009 when the Steelers drafted Dolphins WR Mike Wallace in the 3rd round (84th overall) from Ole Miss.
COLLEGE CONNECTIONS
• Dolphins offensive line coach John Benton was Bills T Erik Pears' position coach at Colorado State from 2000-03.
• From 2000-02, Bills Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Eric Ciano and Jack Bicknell Jr. were both on staff at Louisiana Tech, with Ciano serving as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Bicknell Jr. as the Head Coach of the Bulldogs.
• In 2003, Dolphins assistant linebackers coach David Carrao was a graduate assistant at Syracuse, while Bills assistant strength & condi- tioning coach Hal Luther served in the same role for the program.
• Dolphins wide receivers coach Ken O'Keefe was the offensive co- ordinator at the University of Iowa from 1999-2011. During his tenure he coached Bills TE Scott Chandler from 2003-06.
• Dolphins LB Dannell Ellerbe, Dolphins S Reshad Jones, Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno, Bills DE Jarius Wynn and Bills T Cordy Glenn all played for the 2008 Georgia Bulldogs that started the season ranked as the number one team in the country.
• Bills LB Brandon Spikes played at Florida with Dolphins RB Mike Gillislee and Dolphins LB Jelani Jenkins in 2009, Dolphins K Caleb Sturgis from 2008-09 and Dolphins C Mike Pouncey from 2007-09.
