Jamie Germano/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

'Compete Against the Best!' Bills' Rapp Talks Dolphins' Offense

Originally posted on FanNation Bills Central
By Anthony Licciardi | Last updated 9/30/23

No defense will be under more pressure than the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. At home against a vaunted Miami Dolphins offense, Sunday’s game will have significant playoff implications.

A loss would send Buffalo back to .500 and hand Miami a two-game lead with 13 to play. Sure, it’s not season-defining, but in a conference stocked to the brim with high-level quarterbacks, a step closer to a first-round bye is incredibly sought after.

The hype surrounding the Dolphins is well-deserved. A 70-point explosion last week has made for some silly statistics, but September was kind to Miami. Their short motions are taking over the league and they continue to marry the run and pass better than any offense in football.

Bills safety Taylor Rapp spoke about the challenge that comes with stopping such a feared offense.

“Obviously, we’ve seen what they did last week,” Rapp said. “This is the NFL. I’m a very competitive person, I think everybody in this locker room is a very competitive person … Everyone wants to compete against the best, play against the best. We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

Describing them as the best is simply the best way to put it. Through three weeks, the Dolphins lead in total yards (and both rushing and passing), points, and yards per play.

There is no blueprint for shutting down Miami. It doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist, and Buffalo being a field goal favorite may foreshadow the Dolphins’ downfall, but they’ve simply been too fast to stop.

What will it take to stop Miami? It likely won’t be on the backs of Buffalo’s pass rush. So much of the offense is built around getting the ball out quickly. There will be few opportunities to generate sacks, and having to be gap-disciplined against an explosive run game won’t make that any easier. Expect the secondary to make or break Sunday’s game.

“Communication is always a big, important piece,” Rapp said. “Especially on the back end.”

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is using motion at an incredibly high rate, forcing defenders to communicate and sort through a hefty amount of eye candy. Hesitating for a moment is lethal against an offense with this much speed.

Safety Jordan Poyer will miss this one with a knee injury, adding more responsibilities onto the plate of Rapp and, seemingly, Damar Hamlin. Delivering their best performance of the year feels necessary if the Bills are going to come out on top.

This article first appeared on FanNation Bills Central and was syndicated with permission.

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