The Miami Dolphins are preparing for their Week 2, Thursday Night Football contest against the Buffalo Bills. An AFC East division rivalry game in primetime could be the springboard for a run into the league’s elite for Miami, or it could be just another loss at the hands of the Bills. Which will it be?
That question is one of the questions we asked during this week’s SB Nation Reacts poll, brought to us courtesy of FanDuel sportsbook. FanDuel has Miami favored by 2.5 points. Do the fans think Miami will come away with the win? Check out this week’s poll results below for the answer and check back next Tuesday for our next poll here on The Phinsider.
National Power Rankings - Week 2
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The national poll established NFL power rankings for the week, providing the top ten teams in the league from the fan perspective. The Kansas City Chiefs are firmly entrenched as the number one team, followed by the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and San Francisco 49ers. The Bills come in as the fifth-ranked team, with the Dallas Cowboys sixth, the Houston Texans seventh, and the Philadelphia Eagles eighth.
The Dolphins were voted as the ninth-best team in the league. The Green Bay Packers then round out the top ten.
Fans seem to think the Dolphins are on the verge of being elite. A win on Thursday night against the fifth-ranked team could result in a big number for Miami.
The poll also asked for the worst teams in the league, with the Carolina Panthers leading that vote. The Arizona Cardinals were placed as the 31st team, the New York Giants the 30th, the Atlanta Falcons the 29th, and the Denver Broncos the 28th. The Cleveland Browns come in as the sixth-worst team, 27th overall, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, and Cincinnati Bengals. The Washington Commanders were voted the 10th worst, 23rd overall.
Miami Dolphins fan confidence
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The Dolphins beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, giving the team a quality win over an opponent with playoff expectations this year. That should lead to Dolphins fans seeing the team heading in the right direction and an increase in the fan confidence rating over last week. After the preseason and heading into Week 1, 85 percent of the fans saw the Dolphins as headed in the right direction.
With the win in the rear-view mirror this week, the fan confidence rating dipped slightly to 82 percent. Miami struggled in the first half of their game against the Jaguars and now are preparing to face a team that has beaten them in four straight meetings. While the Dolphins did respond in the second half, a rough start and a tough game seem to have impacted how confident the fans are in Miami’s direction.
How will the game against the Bills impact the confidence score next week?
Preseason: 85%
Week 1: 82%
Dolphins opponent fan confidence - Week 2 vs. Bills
The SB Nation Reacts poll over on the SB Nation’s team site for the Bills, Buffalo Rumblings, ran their fan confidence poll as well. Only 76 percent of the Bills fans are confident in the direction of their favorite team. That is a slight uptick from the 74 percent results the team had before Week 1.
Dolphins Week 1 Game Ball
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After the Dolphins’ win over the Jaguars, we wanted to know who you thought should “receive” the “game ball” for Miami. We provided a series of options, but it was obvious to whom you wanted to give the recognition. Receiving 75 percent of the vote, safety Jevon Holland is our Week 1 game ball recipient.
Holland made the game-changing play for Miami. His forced fumble, punching the ball out of Jaguars running back Travis Etienne’s hands just before the running back reached the goal line, shifted the momentum completely in the Dolphins’ favor. Miami scored on the next play, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finding wide receiver Tyreek Hill for an 80 yard touchdown, completing a 14-point swing.
Holland finished the game with four tackles, a pass defensed, and the forced fumble.
Will the Dolphins end the four-game losing streak to the Bills?
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The Bills have been able to dominate Miami over the past several years. The four-game losing streak, which includes a playoff game, has been rough on fans and the players. It is something that needs to be ended.
According to Dolphins fans, Miami will end the streak tonight. The poll results showed 79 percent of Dolphins fans expect a win over the Bills. Will it happen?
A win against the Bills would give Miami a 2-0 start to the season, an early tiebreak lead in the AFC East division standings, and could go a long way toward positioning Miami in the AFC playoff picture later in the year.