‘But Rivers’ shortcomings as a passer and a mover should allow the Bills’ defense to play a key role in allowing Buffalo to advance to the divisional round for the first time in six wild-card appearances since 1996.’
Archives for January 7, 2021
Bills notebook: Stefon Diggs doesn’t practice, but says he’s good to face Colts
‘”I’m cool. No major issues,” Diggs said. “Don’t believe everything you read. I’m just messing. I’m all right though, big guy. Thanks for asking.”‘
Mass Covid testing begins for Bills’ playoff game: ‘It was quick. It was easy.’
‘A steady stream of fans pulled into Lot 4 and were directed toward three, long white tents, each designed to accommodate 10 lanes of traffic. As each vehicle pulled into the tent, a team of lab techs wearing personal protective equipment approached and swirled a swab around the insides of the fans’ nostrils. Then, each fan drove away with instructions to check their email in about a day and half to find out whether they were free of the coronavirus – and could safely attend Saturday’s game.’
Bills-Miami TV rating hits local Super Bowl territory again
‘The Bills’ 56-26 victory over the Miami Dolphins Sunday had a season high 49.52 rating on WIVB-TV (Channel 4), the local CBS affiliate.’
Buffalo holds special place in Frank Reich’s heart, just not on Saturday
‘“This is a business trip,” said Reich. “Fortunately, I have been back to Buffalo a few times since (leaving in 1994) as a player and as a coach. I feel like I’ve gotten all of that out of my system. Love Buffalo, will always love Buffalo, will always be a Bills fan, except for this Saturday for sure.”’
Andrew Cuomo reverses course, won’t attend Buffalo Bills playoff game
‘But Cuomo’s original decision had rankled many Bills fans, who questioned why the governor would be allowed to attend the game when only 6,772 fans — making up about 9% of the stadium’s capacity — would be allowed in.’
Bills’ quarantined quarterback Jake Fromm could be important for playoff stretch
‘“I would say it’s definitely not the most ideal thing for a rookie coming in and really trying to connect with the other guys, but this is the hand I was dealt,” Fromm said earlier this season. “You got to take on the role 100% and head on and I feel like I’m doing the best I can and really try and develop relationships and develop my game on the field as well. It’s definitely not easy. It takes a lot more work than normal and that’s part of it and let’s go play football.”’
Bills’ Stefon Diggs dealing with oblique muscle injury: What exactly is that?
‘Friday’s injury report hasn’t been released yet but will provide more clarity on Diggs’ situation just three days before the Bills (no. 2 seed) host the Indianapolis Colts (no 7 seed) in a Wild Card round matchup at Bills Stadium.’
The Buffalo Bills ‘crowning moment:’ Revisiting ‘The Comeback’ against the Oilers
‘But Reich is most fondly remembered in Upstate New York for his time as Jim Kelly’s backup with the Buffalo Bills and one memorable Sunday afternoon when he delivered one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of sports…again.’
Gov. Cuomo will not attend Buffalo Bills playoff game
‘The news comes just days after Bills fans started a petition calling to ban Cuomo from attending the game. The petition, which was created because the creator felt Cuomo shouldn’t attend because of his political stance for the previous eight home games, has yielded over 35,000 signatures.’
With Beasley banged up, McKenzie’s emergence, Brown’s return come at right time for Bills; Buffalo adds WR Stills
‘Beasley’s ability on option routes and the chemistry he’s developed with Allen on those routes is a big reason why the Bills’ offense has been one of the best in the NFL this season. Even with his absence last week, Beasley currently ranks inside the top-five in terms of receiving yards by a slot receiver, finishing the regular season with 82 catches for 967 yards and four touchdowns. Although he just missed his first career 1,000-yard campaign, Beasley has been as essential to the Bills’ success as any player not named Diggs or Allen.’
Thursday’s Indianapolis Coverage
Colts star Darius Leonard still holds a grudge against Bills for passing on him in 2018 draft (Indianapolis Star)
Insider: Why Colts owner Jim Irsay believes deeply in coach Frank Reich after 3 seasons (Indianapolis Star)
NFL playoffs: Colts face long odds against Bills (Indianapolis Star)
With head coaching interviews on tap, Colts’ coordinator Matt Eberflus focuses on Bills (Indianapolis Star)
Colts LB Darius Leonard named AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Indianapolis Star)
Colts Notebook: Rivers focused on Bills, not legacy (Anderson Herald Bulletin)
Colts’ Matt Eberflus will handle interviews after Bills game (WTTV-TV)
Colts linebacker Darius Leonard named AFC Defensive Player of the Week (WTTV-TV)
Colts LB Darius Leonard named AFC Defensive Player of the Week (WTHR-TV)
Colts Wednesday Notebook: Jonathan Taylor Gets Advice From Edgerrin James (WFNI-AM)
Colts Wednesday Notebook: Preparing For Bills’ High-Powered Passing Attack (Colts.com)
Darius Leonard Named AFC Defensive Player Of The Week (Colts.com)
Colts Sign WR Gary Jennings & RB Benny LeMay To Reserve/Future Contracts (Colts.com)
Gov. Cuomo backs out of Buffalo Bills game, gives ticket to nurse
‘He didn’t identify the lucky fan, who will be one of 6,700 people allowed into Bills Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the squad’s first home playoff game since 1996.’
Bills’ Wealth Of Depth At Receiver Making Opponents Pay
‘Injuries are suddenly catching up to Buffalo, with slot receiver Cole Beasley in jeopardy of missing his second consecutive game with a knee injury, while Diggs (oblique) and McKenzie (ankle) are also nicked up.’
Testing Replaces Tailgating As Bills Set To Welcome Fans
‘The company is converting a portion of the expansive stadium lots into a drive-thru testing site. Tests will be done over 14-hour periods both days, feature 30 lanes to accommodate the number of people showing up and have the results returned within close to a 24-hour period.’
How Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen went from mediocrity to NFL MVP contender
‘And his first two years in the NFL (league lows in completion percentage; 25th in QBR) did little to convince me otherwise. So this season, even after he roasted the Dolphins for 415 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-28 win in Week 2, there was a (large) part of me that still wasn’t quite ready to concede that Allen could, in fact, be a generational talent.’
Cuomo will give away Bills playoff ticket to nurse after controversy
‘”I’m going to give my Bills ticket to a nurse from Erie County Medical Center as a way of saying thank you and honoring all health care heroes,” he said.’
Cole Beasley, Stefon Diggs miss Wednesday’s practice
‘Neither Cole Beasley (knee) nor Stefon Diggs (oblique) practiced on Wednesday, and Isaiah McKenzie was limited. Beasley missed last week’s regular season finale against the Miami Dolphins with his knee injury.’
McDermott: ‘Right now, we’re in a one-game season’
‘”Take it one play at a time and put yourself in a position to make good decisions and to play your best football. Again, what it really comes back to is our individual quality of play, and then collectively as a team, did we do the things necessary to win the game; taking care of the football being one of them. This is a very good football team coming from Indianapolis here.”‘
Buffalo sports teams will continue to feel financial hurt with few fans
‘He even said a deeper run in the playoffs could end up costing the Bills financially because teams lose money on travel costs, especially if they make it to the Super Bowl.’
Bills running back T.J. Yeldon activated from Covid-19/Reserve list
‘The move brings the Bills back to a 53-man active roster. Tyler Kroft, who was also put on the COVID-19/Reserve list this past weekend [a possible false positive], was activated from the COVID-19/Reserve list on Monday.’
Thousands of Bills playoff ticket holders tested ahead of playoff game
‘It was the first of two COVID-19 testing days for playoff ticket holders and stadium staff.’
Gov. Cuomo to give his Buffalo Bills playoff ticket to ECMC nurse
‘Cuomo says he will not be able to attend the game due to having to rewrite the State of the State which is Monday. The governor cited the Georgia Senate runoff election as the reason for having to rewrite the State of the State.’
Bills aim to use lessons learned from Texans playoff loss in Wild Card game
‘“Getting into the playoffs, playing outstanding in the first half then things go downhill. That’s something you don’t want to feel again. We know what we have to do, we know we have to go out and execute and play great ball,” Bills receiver John Brown said. “It’s the playoffs, it’s win or go home. Just play hard, don’t make a lot of mistakes.”’
Bills fans love Reich, and they should fear him
‘So while Bills fans revere Reich, deep in their hearts they have to fear him. Once again, a man of powerful belief will try to overcome the odds. And really, has anyone in NFL history been more dangerous in this spot?’
Bills Injury Report: January 6th
‘WR Stefon Diggs (oblique) did not practice on Wednesday, but in his weekly press conference with the media, he said “I’m cool,” in reference to his oblique injury.’
Gov. Cuomo won’t attend Bills game, says he’s giving ticket to ECMC nurse
‘Cuomo says that it’s because of this that he won’t be attending the game this weekend. Instead he’s giving his ticket away to a local healthcare employee — an ECMC nurse.’
Diggs, Beasley miss practice ahead of AFC Wild Card playoff game
‘”No major issue … don’t believe everything you read. It’s only been around for a little while … but I’m fine … I’ll be alright,” he said.’
Preparations begin to conduct COVID-19 testing of Bills fans ahead of Wild Card playoff game
‘There are a lot of preparations being made to do the testing. Pre-COVID, Bills parking lots were the place to party for home games. With COVID, and with the Bills hosting a home playoff game, Lot 4 outside Bills Stadium is being turned into a massive COVID testing operation.’
Cuomo will not attend Bills game; will instead rework state’s financial plan in light of Dem. takeover of Congress
‘Governor Andrew Cuomo will not be attending the Buffalo Bills playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts this weekend after all.’
Bills ready for the mind games of Philip Rivers
‘“I love going against a non-mobile quarterback, guys like that who like to stay in the pocket,” said Addison. “We get to make the moves that we want to make to be successful.”’
Diggs does not practice Wednesday; says he’s ‘fine’
‘“I’m cool. No major issues. Don’t believe everything you read,” Diggs said. When a reporter pointed out that the injury was a part of the Bills’ official injury report and must be believed, Diggs said he was “messing”.’
Infectious disease expert discusses COVID-19 vaccine, safety at Bills game
‘“For those of you that are watching at home, please be careful, don’t cross social bubbles. We don’t want to exacerbate a situation where we’ve already had a bump of cases because of the holiday events.”’
Diggs says ‘I’m cool’ on injured oblique but did not practice
‘When asked how he’s feeling the Bills wide receiver said, “I’m cool. Don’t believe everything you read,” smiled Diggs behind his mask.’
COVID testing for Bills fans begins Wednesday
‘Season ticket holders who were able to get tickets should’ve gotten an email on how to schedule a covid test outside the stadium. Testing is being done by BioReference, and started around 6:30 a.m., and runs through Thursday.’
Former Buffalo Bill’s Running Back, Hall of Famer teaches Whitney Point High School seniors about nutritional importance
‘The school district says Thurman discussed the importance of nutrition and the role dairy plays in a healthy diet. In addition to this, Thurman told seniors how they can stay active through “Fuel Up to Play 60”, a partnership between local dairy farmers and the National Football League.’
How Buffalo’s offense transformed into a championship caliber force
‘”You really don’t know what you have until you’re out there on the practice field,” said offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. “The most important part of this whole thing is getting out on the practice field and seeing your players. Obviously we’ve known some of them, you know ‘Bease’ (Cole Beasley) and ‘Smoke’ (John Brown), but we didn’t know Stef per se. We didn’t know Gabe Davis. We knew Isaiah McKenzie’s role.”‘
Bills Today | Why this home playoff game will be special for Micah Hyde
‘”It’s been a very weird year not having any fans, kind of got used to it, to be honest,” Hyde said. “You run up the tunnel and you get used to not seeing any fans so it’s gonna be different to see fans. My wife at home has been very excited that this is the first game she gets to bring my son too. He’s gonna have no idea what’s going on but she’s excited to bring him too. That’s big for me, that’s important for me that they’re gonna be in the house watching me play and it’s going to give me more motivation. For this community to have a first playoff game in a long time and this is something we talked about since 2017. Since Sean McDermott made a pitch to us in ’17, and said, we gotta have a home playoff game. Now we want to be walking into our stadium, go into the tunnel and listen to the salt crack underneath your shoes. And we’re here now, so the vision that we had since ’17 has come true and we are going to go out there and play our best for this community.”‘