The race in the AFC East is a jumbled affair. The New York Jets lead the way at 8-4 and just two games separate the entire pack. With all four clubs still in the playoff mix, Sunday’s showdown between divisional rivals Miami and Buffalo is the NFL Matchup of the Week.

Undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the 2008 season is the 7-5 Dolphins, who won just one game in 2007. Heading into Week 14, they are just one game behind New York in the AFC East, and trail Indianapolis and Baltimore by the same margin in the wild-card race.

The Bills were off to an equally surprising start this season. After going 7-9 a year ago, they opened with five wins in their first six games. Since then, they have lost five of their last six to even their record at 6-6. A .500 record would suggest the Bills are on life support in terms of reaching the playoffs, but they could still emerge in the AFC East with a little help. They will play the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots -- all divisional opponents -- over the course of their last four games. Buffalo travels to the Meadowlands next week to face the Jets, and closes the season at home against New England.

It won’t easy be for the Bills, who are the home team on Sunday. The Dolphins won’t be facing the cold and the lake-effect snow conditions near Lake Erie. Instead, the game will be played indoors at Rogers Centre, where the two clubs will square off in the NFL’s first regular-season contest in Canada.

That’s a break for the warm-weather Dolphins, who are 4-10 in Buffalo since 1994. They have won just two of nine games there after Dec. 1, which includes a pair of playoff losses.

Take away the cold weather, and playing Buffalo suits the Dolphins just fine. Miami has posted 47 victories over the Bills since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the most in the league among Buffalo’s opponents. The Dolphins are 47-30 against the Bills in this span.

Historical success doesn’t win games, of course, but the Bills face a tougher challenge if QB Trent Edwards isn’t healthy. He suffered a groin injury last week, which has kept him out of practice and may keep on the sideline Sunday. If Edwards sits, the Bills will go with backup J.P. Losman, who has played in three games this season and is 10-21 in his career as a starter.

Two of Losman’s best starts, however, have come against Miami. He posted his best single-game QB rating (142.5) in a start on Dec. 17, 2006, when he threw for three touchdowns in Buffalo’s 21-0 victory over the Dolphins.

Perhaps who is under center won’t matter. Both of these teams have excelled offensively on the ground of late. Over their last four games, Miami has average 148.0 rushing yards per game and Buffalo is next with 143.3. Only the Jets (170.0) have averaged more per game during this span.

The Dolphins also are one of six NFL clubs with a pair of 500-yard rushers this season. Ronnie Brown leads Miami with 690 rushing yards. Ricky Williams, who has a 4.3-yard average that tops Brown’s 4.1 mark, has accumulated 512 yards on the ground.

First-down success has been critical to both teams’ 2008 success. The Dolphins are averaging a gain of 6.20 yards on first down, the second-highest mark behind Houston (6.51). The Bills rank fifth in the league with a 6.03 average. A solid start to a set of downs has allowed both clubs to stick with the running game.

Scoring at least 20 points may be critical to the Bills. When they tally fewer than 20, they are 0-5 this season. A year ago, the Bills were 5-7 and posted the most wins in the league when they collected less than 20 points. A strong defensive stand against Miami’s running game could take pressure off Buffalo’s offense.

There will be plenty of pressure on both teams. The upstart Dolphins are looking to make their first playoff appearance since 2001. The Bills, who haven’t played in the postseason since 2000, are looking to stay alive.