Report: Dolphins-Bills in Early TNF Matchup

With the full 2025 NFL schedule set to be released Wednesday night, reports about potential matchups have started to leak. 

One report has the Miami Dolphins slated to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football at Highmark Stadium. If true, it would be the second consecutive season the Dolphins and Bills played on Thursday, both times early in the season. 

Last season, the teams met at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 2, and it was the game where Tua Tagovailoa suffered his first injury of the season and the Dolphins were soundly beaten 31-10. The teams' meeting in Week 3 would make it the sixth straight season they’ve played within the first four weeks. 

Another TNF meeting also would make it four straight years these two rivals have played in primetime. The Dolphins have lost the three previous prime-time matchups against the Bills. 

Miami has struggled against its division rival in recent seasons, as the Bills have won the last six matchups and five straight AFC East titles. 

Those matchups include when the Bills beat the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 18 of the 2023 season to claim the AFC East crown and Buffalo’s victory in the Wild Card round of the 2022 season, when the Dolphins were forced to start Skylar Thompson. 

The last time the Dolphins beat Buffalo was in Week 3 of the 2022 season when they won 21-19 at Hard Rock Stadium, so perhaps the Dolphins can make it two straight Week 3 wins. The Dolphins haven't won at Buffalo since the 2016 season.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has really struggled to beat the Bills in his career. He’s just 1-8 against Buffalo since becoming the team’s full-time starter in 2021. All eight of Tagovailoa’s losses to AFC East opponents have come against Buffalo. 

In his career against the Bills, Tagovailoa has thrown nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions while posting a passer rating of just 80.5. 

On the flip side, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has a 12-1 record against the Dolphins. He’s posted 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions to go with a passer rating of 128.8. The Dolphins have yet to figure him out, and they’ll have to if they want to unseat Buffalo atop the division. 

While this matchup is just a rumor, the team’s Week 11 game in Madrid, Spain, against the Washington Commanders was confirmed Tuesday.

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