The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins meet in a de facto AFC East division title game as the two teams play in the NFL regular-season finale on "Sunday Night Football."
The fact that the Bills are even in this position is remarkable. The team looked like it was having its season spiraling into the wilderness after a stunning loss to the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football" dropped its record to 5-5 and well outside the AFC playoff picture. After that setback, the Bills made a switch at offensive coordinator and have won five of their last six games. They clinched a playoff berth earlier Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans, 28-20.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are stumbling to the finish line. They've lost two of their last four and are coming off an especially painful drubbing against the Baltimore Ravens, a team Miami could face again in the playoffs. Adding injury to insult was the season-ending injury to standout edge rusher Bradley Chubb. Other key players are nursing injuries heading into Week 18's pivotal game, including wide receivers Tyreek Hill (ankle) and Jaylen Waddle (ankle), running back Raheem Mostert (ankle) and cornerback Xavien Howard (foot). Howard, Mostert and Waddle are inactive for Sunday night's game.
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Where field stands during Week 18
USA TODAY Sports will bring you the latest updates, scores, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the Bills-Dolphins game. Follow along.
Dolphins star Tyreek Hill didn’t need to trek too far into the end zone. A quick cut and turn, and Tua Tagovailoa delivered a 3-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-7 lead late in the second quarter. The Dolphins have scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions, and there’s 1:43 left in the first half for the Bills to respond.
Hill has 13 touchdowns this season, and is tied with Mike Evans for the NFL lead in the category. — Safid Deen
Wide receiver Gabe Davis and linebacker Tyrel Dodson are both injured and questionable to return for Buffalo Bills.
Davis was targeted on both of Allen's interceptions. — Safid Deen
And just like that, we’ve got a tied game in Miami.
Josh Allen connected on a 36-yard pass deep to Stefon Diggs at the 7-yard line, and two plays later, Allen’s pass deflected off a helmet and into the hands of second-year receiver Trent Sherfield to tie the game at 7.
Sherfield, who spent his rookie season with the Dolphins, but was no re-signed. Now, he’s the catalyst to a tied game with 4:31 left until halftime. — Safid Deen
The Dolphins are on the board.
Rookie running back De’Von Achane scored on a 25-yard touchdown run to give Miami a 7-0 lead with 8:51 left in the first half.
The Dolphins went 11 plays for 80 yards, with Tyreek Hill catching a 23-yard pass and Tua Tagovailoa scrambling for a first down to extend the drive. — Safid Deen
Tyreek Hill climbed the ladder to make a 23-yard catch from Tua Tagovailoa, becoming the NFL's receiving leader this season.
Hill entered the game needing 33 yards to surpass Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb for the receiving yards lead.
Hill has 49 yards early in the second quarter. He needs one touchdown to tie Mike Evans, who has 13, this season. — Safid Deen
Josh Allen has thrown interceptions on Buffalo’s first two possessions.
On fourth-and-2 from Miami’s 35-yard line, Allen couldn’t find an open wide receiver. Instead of trying to run for a first down, Allen tossed a desperation pass to wideout Gabe Davis that was picked off in the end zone by Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott.
Allen’s interception ended a promising drive for Buffalo. The Bills quarterback now has 18 interceptions this season, the most in the AFC. — Tyler Dragon
Two turnovers, and both teams have spoiled their opportunities to cash in.
After Josh Allen’s interception, the Dolphins barely crossed midfield.
Tua Tagovailoa’s pass to the right side led Tyreek Hill out of bounds, and the Dolphins punted with 2:29 left in the first quarter.
Buffalo’s second possession coming up. — Safid Deen
The Bills and Dolphins traded back-to-back turnovers.
Following Tua Tagovailoa opening drive interception, Josh Allen tossed an interception in the red zone.
Allen led the Bills on a 79-yard drive but forced a pass in the end zone that resulted in a bad interception. Dolphins cornerback Eli Apple recorded the pick in the end zone and returned it to Buffalo’s 3-yard line.
Allen’s now thrown 17 interceptions this season. — Tyler Dragon
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was picked off by Bills CB Christian Benford on a deep shot that was underthrown to wide receiver Tyreek Hill to end Miami’s first drive of the game.
The Dolphins had early success running behind rookie running back De’Von Achane, and took a deep shot down the field on third and 7.
While it looked like Benford gave Hill a slight shove in the back, Benford came down with the interception and turnover for the Bills. — Safid Deen
- Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
The Bills vs. Dolphins "SNF" matchup is set to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday night. The game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
NBC is the broadcast home of "Sunday Night Football." Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will be on the call, with Melissa Stark providing updates from the sideline. The game will be streamed via Peacock and is also available to stream for free on Fubo.
The Bills are favorites to defeat the Dolphins, according to BetMGM NFL odds.
- Spread: Bills (-3)
- Moneyline: Bills (-165); Dolphins (+150)
- Over/under: 50
USA TODAY Sports’ staff picks for this game:
- Lorenzo Reyes: Dolphins 23, Bills 21 — Miami has lost 10 of its last 11 against the Bills. The Dolphins are super banged up. The Bills are surging with plenty of momentum. Why do I have a feeling that the Dolphins are due to buck the narrative that they’re incapable of beating good teams? Suddenly, the pressure is gone and no one is expecting them to win, at home, in the battle for the AFC East crown. I understand this pick may seem illogical, but if Miami plays loose — something it hasn’t done recently — and if the Bills continue to turn the ball over, the Dolphins could pull off the upset here.
- Tyler Dragon: Bills 26, Dolphins 24 — These two teams are going in opposite directions. The Bills have won four in a row and can steal the AFC East title from the Dolphins with a win. The Dolphins got beat up in a 56-19 loss in Baltimore. Miami is dealing with multiple injuries. The Bills need a win to ensure a playoff berth.
- Safid Deen: Bills 34, Dolphins 28 — Josh Allen has struggled a bit offensively in his last four games, but there’s something about the Miami Dolphins that turns him into Superman. Allen is 9-2 and accounted for 36 touchdowns in his career against Miami. With a shot at the AFC East and the No. 2 seed, Buffalo sends Miami on the road to begin the postseason amid an epic collapse.
- Victoria Hernandez: Dolphins 24, Bills 20 — The Dolphins have been inconsistent this season, but have had moments of greatness. Yes, they're banged up, but the Bills have also been inconsistent. No better time to shine than when it matters most.
- Jordan Mendoza: Dolphins 34, Bills 31 — This is such a tough position for the Bills, as it could either be the No. 2 seed in the AFC or miss out on the playoffs altogether. With the stakes high, Josh Allen makes too many mistakes that Miami takes advantage of and wins the AFC East for the first time since 2008, while Buffalo can only hope results before the game work in its favor.
The Jaguars' loss to the Titans clinched a playoff berth for the Bills, who still can win the AFC East division title with a win over the Dolphins on Sunday night. The Dolphins — once in the race for the AFC's top playoff seed — now are playing for a home playoff game. — Nate Davis
The injury-riddled Dolphins will be without a number of key players in what is their most important game of the season. Running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) will not play Sunday night. Neither will cornerback Xavien Howard (foot), who already had been ruled out prior to Sunday. Mostert and Waddle had been listed as questionable on the team's most recent injury report.
Bills' inactive players:
- S Damar Hamlin
- CB Kaiir Elam
- RB Latavius Murray
- DE Kingsley Jonathan
- OT Alec Anderson
- DT Linval Joseph
Dolphins' inactive players:
- QB Skylar Thompson (third QB)
- WR Jaylen Waddle
- CB Xavien Howard
- RB Raheem Mostert
- CB Ethan Bonner
- OT Kion Smith
- TE Tyler Kroft
For the Bills, edge rusher Von Miller — who was a healthy scratch last week — is active for Sunday night's game. — Jim Reineking
Highlighting Sunday Night Football odds, the Miami Dolphins are among the best bets for NFL Week 18 as home underdogs against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins are getting 3 points at home in a game that will decide the AFC East, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023.
According to the top NFL betting apps, Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+3000) boasts some of the best NFL MVP betting odds in 2023. The Bills (+800) have some of the best Super Bowl betting odds.
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds, Monday Night Football odds and more.
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Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts each entered Week 18 with 15 rushing touchdowns, tied for the most by a quarterback in a single season.
Hurts did not score a rushing touchdown in the Eagles' 27-10 loss to the Giants, which means Allen can own the record for himself with a rushing score against the Dolphins. Allen enters Sunday night's game having rushed for a touchdown in five consecutive games.
Allen ranks second all-time among quarterbacks with 53 rushing touchdowns, training Cam Newton's 75 career rushing touchdowns. — Jim Reineking
It's highly unlikely that Tyreek Hill will attain his stated offseason goal of reaching 2,000 receiving yards, but he could reach rarified air for wide receivers.
Hill entered Week 18 leading the NFL with a career-high 1,717 yards receiving, becoming the first player to record at least two 1,700-yard receiving seasons.
With 118 yards on Sunday night against the Bills, Hill can surpass Antonio Brown (1,834 yards in 2015) for the fifth-most receiving yards in a single season. With 83 yards, Hill will become the seventh player ever to reach 1,800 receiving yards in a season.
Players with the most receiving yards in a season in NFL history:
- Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions (2012): 1,964 yards
- Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (2021): 1,947 yards
- Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (2015): 1,871 yards
- Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers (1995): 1,848 yards
- Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (2015): 1,834 yards
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (2022): 1,809 yards
- Isaac Bruce, St. Louis Rams (1995): 1,781 yards
- Charley Hennigan, Houston Oilers (1961): 1,746 yards
- Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints (2019): 1,725 yards
- Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts (2002): 1,722 yards
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (2023): 1,717 yards
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (2022): 1,710 yards
Entering Week 18, Hill ranked second in the NFL with 12 touchdown receptions; teammate Raheem Mostert led all players with 18 rushing touchdowns. — Jim Reineking
No one is disputing Stefon Diggs’ status as the Buffalo’ Bills top playmaker. And quarterback Josh Allen once again insisted Wednesday it's important to get Diggs more involved in the offense.But all the talk lauding the receiver’s ability doesn't match the sudden drop in his production over the past six weeks.
So what gives? — Associated Press
The Dolphins had seven players and the Bills had two players selected for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.
The Dolphins' best player saw his home engulfed in flames four days before the biggest game of the season. Tyreek Hill had to leave Wednesday's practice to see his South Florida home engulfed in flames. Hill’s family was safe, no injuries were reported and the fire was ruled "accidental." — Safid Deen
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