Early bragging rights are on the line in the AFC East when the Miami Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills on "Thursday Night Football."
Thanks partly to two free-agent additions, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa believes Miami can record a statement win.
In March, the Dolphins added a pair of former Bills, cornerback Siran Neal and safety Jordan Poyer.
On Tuesday, Tagovailoa shared that their insider knowledge of Buffalo's defensive scheme should benefit Miami on Thursday night.
Per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, Tagovailoa said "they definitely can" assist in the crucial divisional game.
"Can take a lot of the information that I've been given from those guys early in the week and apply it on Thursday," Tagovailoa added.
Poyer played for the Bills from 2017 to 2023 and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2021 and a Pro Bowler in 2022.
Buffalo selected Neal in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he spent his first six seasons in Buffalo, mainly as a special teams contributor.
The Bills hired head coach Sean McDermott in 2017, and he has a 13-2 career record against the Dolphins (including postseason), tallying 11 wins in the teams' last 12 meetings.
Buffalo has four consecutive AFC East first-place finishes.
Per data from Pro Football Focus, Poyer had an up-and-down debut for the Dolphins. Poyer received Miami's top tackling grade (82.3) but struggled in coverage, allowing two receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown on three targets.
Meanwhile, Neal received no defensive snaps and played 20 on special teams. (h/t Pro Football Reference)
Their insights into Buffalo's defense could be their most significant contribution on Thursday.
Both teams had come-from-behind wins in Week 1. The Dolphins trailed the Jaguars 17-7 before scoring 13 unanswered points, including kicker Jason Sanders' walk-off field goal in a 20-17 win.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen played the superhero role when leading Buffalo back from a 17-3 deficit to the Cardinals in an eventual 34-28 victory.
Per ESPN Bet, the Dolphins are 2.5-point favorites. The margin between the teams could be razor-thin — every little advantage should help.
