Miami Dolphins O-line ready for Buffalo Bills pass rush?
By Cory Buck
The Miami Dolphins would have made the playoffs last season if they’d been able to handle the Buffalo Bills pass rush. The team lost both of its game against Buffalo in 2013 and its first one — a home loss in which the Dolphins led late — was an especially stinging reminder of how important bookend tackles can be for a passing offense. The team hasn’t forgotten those hard lessons learned a year ago and with a more talented crew in tow, the Dolphins believe they have an answer for one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
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In response to Buffalo’s Pro Bowl presences up front — including Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcell Dareus — the Dolphins picked up All-Pro tackle Branden Albert, then drafted the promising Ja’Wuan James. As the Miami Herald notes, the two are in for a treat as “Dolphins coaches are calling the Bills’ defensive line the best Miami will face all year.”
Mario Williams shrugged off such talk though, telling the Herald, “Nothing that happened last year really dictates anything. … This is obviously a new year, with new faces on both sides of the ball.”
Branden Albert credited Mario Williams while also expressing admiration for Buffalo’s line. “He’s a hell of a player,” Albert said of Williams. “Somebody of his stature speaks for itself. We’re going to have our hands full.”
The respect is healthy on both sides of this matchup that very well may determine who wins a Week 2 game that already appears critical in the AFC East.