DAVIE, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins play host to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, and make no mistake, this is a big game between 5-4 teams for many reasons.

It could go a long way in the AFC wild-card tiebreaker picture, the Bills have physically manhandled the Dolphins while winning four of the past five meetings and the losing team gets handed its fifth loss before December, a precarious position.

“The big thing I look at is it’s an AFC East game and it’s already in the middle of November, hard to believe, and we’re playing at home,” Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said.

“Those are three things that are really, really big. That’s what our focus has to be on — playing as well as we possibly can Thursday night at 8:30 (p.m. ET). If we take care of business there, some of that other stuff will take care of itself.”

There’s a good chance the defensive lines decide this game.

Buffalo leads the NFL in sacks with 34, and the Bills are eighth in run defense at 96.1 yards per game. The defensive line is the main reason for both of those rankings. Ends Mario Williams (7.0 sacks) and Jerry Hughes (7.5 sacks), and tackles Marcell Dareus (10 sacks) and Kyle Williams (2.5 sacks) have been giving the Dolphins headaches for the past two years.

Miami is tied for fourth in sacks (28), is 10th against the run (99.0 yards per game) and No. 2 against the pass (211 ypg). Again, the defensive line is the reason for those rankings.

Ends Cam Wake (8.5 sacks), Olivier Vernon (4.5 sacks) and Derrick Shelby (3.0 sacks), along with tackles Jared Odrick (1.0 sack), Randy Starks (2.5 sacks) and Earl Mitchell (1.0 sack) are enough to give any offensive line fits.

But Buffalo gets a big edge because the Dolphins’ offensive line is without Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert, who was lost for the season to a right knee injury in Sunday’s 20-16 loss at Detroit.

And there’s a chance left guard Daryn Colledge (back) won’t play for the second consecutive week.

The offshoot is the Dolphins could have three “new” starters on the offensive line – left tackle Ja’Wuan James, who shifts from right tackle; right tackle Dallas Thomas, who shifts from left guard; and left guard Shelley Smith, who comes off the bench.

That’s how the Dolphins played the entire second half against Detroit and the results were shaky, but enough to be optimistic against a “normal” defensive front.

The problem is Detroit wasn’t a “normal” defensive front, and neither is Buffalo, Denver, Baltimore or the New York Jets, who are all waiting to feast on Miami’s re-tooled offensive line.

The Dolphins, because of tiebreakers, are currently last in the playoff picture among the AFC’s three teams with 5-4 records – Miami, Buffalo and San Diego.

They’re coming off a heartbreaking loss to Detroit in the final 29 seconds, and their next game after Buffalo is a trip to Denver, where quarterback Peyton Manning rarely loses.

A Dolphins loss to the Bills on Thursday would be big on a lot of levels. The same could be said for a victory.

SERIES HISTORY: 108th regular season meeting. Dolphins lead series, 56-50-1. Buffalo won the last meeting, 29-10. The Bills have won four of the last five meetings and the reason seems to be they’re more physical than the Dolphins. The recent trend has been Buffalo making big plays (kickoff returns, long runs from scrimmage, interceptions, sacks, etc.) and using its aggressive defensive line to get victories against Miami. The Dolphins need to impose their will on the Bills, something they haven’t been able to do under coach Joe Philbin, who is 1-4 against Buffalo.

MEDICAL WATCH: TE Dion Sims (toe) participated in Tuesday’s practice. Sims, a key in the run blocking game, hasn’t played the last two weeks. … CB Cortland Finnegan (left ankle) didn’t practice Tuesday and his chances of playing Thursday are slim. … QB Ryan Tannehill (right ankle/right shoulder) didn’t seem limited in Tuesday’s practice and will be ready to go on Thursday. Tannehill. … LG Daryn Colledge (back) doesn’t seem likely to play vs. Buffalo. … S Jimmy Wilson (hamstring) has been practicing and seems he’ll be able to handle his nickel defense role as the slot DB.