‘Hanging over Buffalo is the fact that it has lost its last six postseason games.’
Archives for January 8, 2021
Lots at stake for Reich’s ‘homecoming’
‘As for tomorrow’s game, Reich admitted, “I’d rather be the No. 1 seed, but I do feel good about our team. The pressure is not on us. We should be loose. We should be aggressive. We should be freed up to play our best game of the year against a really good football team. In reality, no one’s going to give us a chance (Buffalo is favored by 6½ points). It’s that us-against- the-world mentality, and that’s all you need. I don’t care what seed we are. We’re the No. 7 seed, big deal. We’ve got to seize the opportunity. This is the first year for a seventh seed (due to the Covid-19-expanded playoffs). Well, let us be the first No. 7 seed to win a world championship.”’
Bills hope to slow down major roll of Colts rookie Jonathan Taylor
‘“I think it’s going to be a challenge this week,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “They’ve got a couple first-round picks up front, and their interior offensive line does a great job. I think we’re going to be challenged as a defense. They like to set the line of scrimmage.”’
Inside the Bills: How the deal for Stefon Diggs ranks among top trades in team history
‘Diggs is a perfect fit for the Bills. His skill set matches perfectly with quarterback Josh Allen. Any concerns about his unhappiness in Minnesota carrying over to his new home haven’t come to fruition. It’s hard to be too upset as a receiver, after all, when you get 166 targets and your team wins 13 games.’
X’s and O’s: Bills must keep DeForest Buckner from ruining pocket
‘The Colts have one of the top-five inside linebackers in the NFL in Darius Leonard. Their other nickel linebacker, Bobby Okereke, is well above average, with 4.58 speed in the 40. (Matt Milano runs 4.67). Let those two cover massive space underneath, get pressure with the front four and make the quarterback hang onto the ball until the heat gets home.’
Bills’ receivers Cole Beasley, Stefon Diggs questionable for AFC wild-card game
‘”I appreciate where he’s coming from,” coach Sean McDermott told reporters before practice when asked about Diggs’ assurance. “At the end of the day, I’m always concerned when guys are in the training room, no matter who it is.”‘
Bills QB Josh Allen named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December
‘For the month, Allen threw for 1,516 yards with 15 touchdowns and a 117.5 passer rating in the final five games. He also had 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.’
How will Bills fare in wild-card game against the Indianapolis Colts?
‘The Bills’ defense has shown its vulnerability against outstanding rushers, but it should have little trouble getting after 39-year-old Philip Rivers, who has virtually no mobility and has a history of struggling in cold weather and forcing turnovers. The Bills also have exceptional coaching in all phases. Bills, 30-23.’
View from Vegas: Despite the 7-point spread, expect Bills-Colts to be close
‘Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers is 6-2 against the spread as a playoff underdog, and 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread in his career against the Bills.’
Even Steve Tasker, a self-described Bills ‘homer,’ underestimated the Bills
‘“I was just like everybody else,” said Tasker. “I didn’t think he would have to be this good because I thought the Bills defense would be a different defense than it was.”‘
Erie County will watch for restaurant violations during Bills playoff game
‘Health inspectors will be deployed during the game to enforce the state’s restrictions, the health commissioner said.’
Erik Brady: 40 years after injury derailed Super Bowl hopes, Joe Ferguson remains a Bill at heart
‘“That was our chance, right there, for my group to get there,” he says. “It’s a shame it happened the way it did.”’
When the 1988 Bills stare into the mirror, in many ways it’s the 2020 Bills staring back
‘Coming off a 2-14 season in 1984, Bills general manager Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack and his duties were transferred to a guy named Bill Polian. Polian had made a name for himself as a scout in the NFL, CFL and USFL, but he’d never held a GM role until Ralph Wilson put him in charge in Bledsoe’s stead early in 1985.’
For Pinto Ron and Bills Mafia, playoff ‘fandemonium’ gets a pandemic spin
‘”I’ve put an asterisk on my streak right now where I say that I’ve been to 426 games in a row that have fans,” said Johnson, who lives in the town of Greece. “But I have to get into the games that have fans to continue that.”‘
Colts’ Darius Leonard out to prove he’s better than Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds in Wild Card game
‘“I want to outplay them and show the opposing team what they could have had. If you think that guy is better than me, I want to go out and prove that I’m better,” Leonard said. “(Edmunds is) a great linebacker. We were at the Pro Bowl together, he’s a great guy. But on the field, I’m competing. I’m competing against the opposing offense, and I’m competing against him. Because I have a point to prove. Every linebacker who you all say is better than me, I want to go out each and every week to show that I can be better and I can outwork him.”’
Bills’ Cole Beasley, Stefon Diggs return to practice Thursday, questionable vs. Colts
‘“We have some good receivers, especially Cole, John Brown, but you’ve also got to look at a guy like Isaiah McKenzie, who stepped up big for us (against Miami) and made some plays and showed that he’s a guy that — he isn’t the starter, but he can go out there and play some good ball and step up if we need him to,” Diggs said. “Having that depth, having guys, in this playoff run, you don’t what’s going to happen. Guys can get hurt. Covid and all the stuff that’s going on. Having depth doesn’t hurt you. It kind of puts you in space where that next man up is really, really real. I say more so give all the credit being able to find the open man, deliver a strike and being able to have success offensively with the guys you haven’t typically had a lot of reps with.”’
Should Bills use Roethlisberger game plan vs. Colts’ Philip Rivers? (7 things to watch)
‘Don’t be surprised if Buffalo’s pass defense game plan is very similar to what the unit did a few weeks back on Sunday Night Football with cornerbacks playing tight coverage near the line to make those quick passes challenging.’
Buffalo Bills 2020 AFC East Champions gear: 10 essential buys for Bills Mafia fans
‘Right now, Fanatics.com has some essential commemorative gear for the Bills Mafia, so fans can always remember the 13-3 Bills led by star QB Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott that took the division.’
Before earning first playoff win in 25 years, Bills must go through future HOFer Rivers, Colts revamped offense
‘Last season, with QB Jacoby Brissett under center, the Colts finished 16th in the league in points scored (361) and 25th in total yards (5,238). This year, with Rivers, Indianapolis is inside the top-10 in the NFL in both categories, ranking ninth in points scored (451) behind the 10th most yards in the league (6,049). Rivers has completed 68% of his passes on his way to his eighth consecutive 4,000-yard season as the 17-year veteran has totaled 369 completions for 4,169 passing yards, with 24 touchdowns against 11 interceptions on the year. Last season, Colts quarterbacks threw for only 3,314 yards and 22 touchdowns.’
Allen, Bills hoping to use lessons learned from last season’s playoff failure
‘“I think the main thing is taking it one play at a time. Not getting too high, not getting too low,” said the Bills’ quarterback. “Whatever happens in the flow of the game that next play, you got to let it go. You got to focus at the task at hand and it’s always the next play.”‘
Golden ticket: Local Bills fans relish the opportunity to attend this week’s playoff game
‘Dickens — who is the head boys basketball coach and softball coach at Cal-Mum — has been a season-ticket holder since 1994 when he bought them for just $210 and he was able to secure a pair of tickets on New Year’s Day, after the allotment of four-person ‘pods’ were sold out. Dickens’ seats will be just across the aisle from his normal seats and this, by far, won’t be his first time at a Bills playoff game.’
Local art teacher works with Buffalo Bills on “My Cause, My Cleats”
‘“They will meet with me two to three days and we exchange ideas about what their cause is and I try to use my skills to give them what they want,” he said.’
This feeling of euphoria is unfamiliar to a whole generation of sports fans in Buffalo as Bills take 13-3 record into playoffs
‘“A lot of people expected this team to be good, but no one could have predicted this good. Josh Allen just flipped the switch. I’ve got people calling who are in their late 20s and were only two years old the last time this happened,” Graham says. “This reminds me of the (1996) Sabres who reached the conference finals. They were coming out of a year-long lockout, the team had been bankrupt, the owners were led away in handcuffs, and no one expected them to win.”’
Friday’s Indianapolis Coverage
Colts Rock Ya-Sin OUT vs. Bills; Khari Willis, DeForest Buckner will play (Indianapolis Star)
Colts players DT DeForest Buckner, RB Jonathan Taylor earn NFL Player of the Month awards (Indianapolis Star)
Insider: Why it will be more than just Indy rooting for Philip Rivers, Colts in playoffs (Indianapolis Star)
Colts Notebook: Taylor surging into playoff debut (Anderson Herald Bulletin)
Reich Remains Focused On Game With Return To Buffalo Looming (AP)
There’s a blueprint to upset Buffalo, and it includes Jonathan Taylor (WTTV-TV)
Strong finish to regular season nets monthly honors for Colts’ Taylor, Buckner (WTTV-TV)
Colts vs. Bills: a look at playoff stats past, plus weather predictions for the Wild Card game (WTTV-TV)
Colts players get player of the month honors (WTHR-TV)
Colts Thursday Notebook: Khari Willis Expected To Play Against Bills (WFNI-AM)
Seven Things To Watch For: Colts At Bills (WFNI-AM)
Will Holden, Rock Ya-Sin Ruled Out Saturday Against The Bills; DeForest Buckner Questionable (Colts.com)
Players Of The Month: DeForest Buckner, Jonathan Taylor Capture League Honors (Colts.com)
Darius Leonard Named Week 17 NFL Way To Play Recipient (Colts.com)
Josh Allen has totally eclipsed fellow Class of 2018 QB Sam Darnold
‘While the Jets have foundered during Darnold’s career — there have been two general managers, two coaches and three losing seasons — Allen is surrounded by a terrific cast of players who have fueled the team’s meteoric rise to the top of the division.’
Bills List Diggs, Beasley Questionable For Playoff Opener
‘For Beasley, who has missed one game, it marked the first time he’s practiced since hurting his knee in the fourth quarter of a 38-9 win at New England on Dec. 28. Diggs, meantime, returned after not practicing Wednesday because of an injury to his oblique muscle.’
Bills Face Reich-Coached Colts In 1st Home Playoff Since ’96
‘“He said, `We’re going to have a home playoff game. And we want to be walking into our stadium, going through the tunnel and listen to the salt crack underneath your shoes,‘” Hyde recalled this week. “So that vision that we had since ’17 has come true.”’
Bills Host Ex-AFC East Rival Colts For 1st Time In Playoffs
‘In its past 10 games, Buffalo’s defense has 19 takeaways (13 interceptions), forced 46 punts and limited opponents to convert just 38 of 120 third-down opportunities. That represents a big turnaround from Buffalo’s first six games in which the defense had seven takeaways (two interceptions), forced 17 punts and allowed opponents to convert 38 of 66 third-down opportunities.’
Bills fans undergo COVID-19 testing ahead of AFC wild-card game
‘”The state has said, ‘You can plan (for fans at a second playoff game), but there’s no guarantee,'” Pegula continued. “They want to see how this process goes, in terms of mask-wearing, ingress, egress, all of that. So a lot of our messaging to our fans is to just really follow the protocols that are in place.”‘
Buffalo Bills’ Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley questionable for playoff game vs. Indianapolis Colts
‘The NFL’s leader in receptions and receiving yards, Diggs was limited in the Bills’ walk-through Tuesday before missing practice Wednesday. Both he and Beasley participated in limited fashion for the team’s final practice of the week Thursday.’
Buffalo Bills’ Taiwan Jones gifts playoff tickets to wrongfully imprisoned man
‘After it was announced that Bills Stadium would open for the first time all season, Jones gifted Dixon tickets to the Bills’ wild-card game Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts. It’s the latest in a series of highlights in Dixon’s life since he was exonerated and released from prison in 2018 after serving 27 years at Attica Correctional Facility in New York.’
Fans attending Buffalo Bills’ playoff game taking COVID-19 tests
‘”It’s such a great sports town, and this being our third year (of the last four) in the playoffs but not having a home (playoff) game in 26 years, it’s really special for the community,” Pegula said. “I’m amazed. Today we tested over 5,000 people and it went really smoothly and we got it done.”‘
For Buffalo Bills’ 1995 team, playoff surge evokes memories of last time franchise ruled AFC East
‘Cottrell said Levy “treated them like men” and “didn’t have 5,000 rules” when he took over. Instead, he told players he expected them to be professional and work hard.’
Diggs, Beasley questionable to play Saturday against Colts
‘It turns out Diggs is as fine as he claimed, as No. 14 was back on the practice field on Thursday at Bills Stadium, seeming to be in good spirits and ready to play in Saturday’s playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts.’
Josh Allen named AFC Offensive Player of the Month
‘Allen was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week four different times in 2020, and was also named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.’
Josh Allen named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December
‘Every game the Bills played in December, they won, led by Allen, ending what has been a record-breaking year for the team. In fact, Allen now holds the franchise’s single-season records in completions, completion percentage, passing yards, games with 300 yards or more passing, passing touchdowns and total touchdowns.’
ECSO announces road closure, new traffic pattern for Bills playoff game
‘The section of Abbott Road in front of the stadium will close to traffic at 9:30 a.m. Saturday an remain closed until after the game. Parking pass holders will still be able to access lots 2 and 6 from Abbott Road.’
Bills WR Stefon Diggs says ‘we don’t have to do anything different’ when it comes to playoff approach
‘“You get a new season, a new opportunity that we earned as a team you know throughout this season we had our ups and we had our downs and it seemed like we grew throughout this year. We got better throughout this year especially through out downs, especially with our losses, we learned a lot from them, growing from them and I feel like we can carry that into the postseason,” Diggs said.’
Josh Allen named AFC Offensive Player of the Month
‘Over the course of five games, which included nothing but wins for the Bills, Allen completed 70.11 percent of his passes “for 1,516 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions,” the Bills wrote.’
Twenty-five years later, Bills seeking that next playoff win
‘“The offense was hitting on all cylinders in that game,” said Cornelius Bennett, who signed with the Falcons after that ’95 season. “It was typical Buffalo weather. I remember more after the game, having a good time with the fans going through the tunnel.”‘