Going to Buffalo in a win-and-in scenario, they suffered a demoralizing 56-26 defeat that not only kept the Dolphins out of the postseason in 2020 despite 10 wins, it showed there still was quite a bit of distance between them and the division-winning Bills. Buffalo went to the AFC Championship Game in the postseason.
How much can motivation from one season’s finale carry over to lift a team in an early-season rematch 8 1/2 months later?
The Dolphins, 1-0 after last week’s 17-16 win in New England, can channel that and see if they can take a two-game lead on the Bills (0-1), the favorites to win the AFC East again this year, in a home opener and 1 p.