‘If they beat Atlanta, a loss by Baltimore (home against the Rams) or a loss or a tie by either the Chargers (home against Denver) or Raiders (at Indianapolis) would put them in.’
Archives for December 31, 2021
PlayAction: Bills’ defense is playing lights out on third and long
‘The Bills have been sensational on third and long. Opponents have converted just 15.5% on third and 7 or longer. That’s best in the league. Second is Tennessee at 17.6%, and New Orleans is the only other team lower than 20%. That speaks first to the Bills’ great coverage on the back end, led by safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.’
Q&A: Why Falcons linebacker Steven Means, a Buffalo native and UB grad, hates the Bills
‘“Definitely, it’s always been something I’ve been thinking about,” Means said Thursday during an interview with The Buffalo News. “And now, this game, I’ll be able to show them what they could have got if they would have picked me up.”’
Bills have no players on Covid list for first time since Nov. 2
‘“Oh man, it’s been chaos. It’s been chaos in the sense that you never know what to expect,” Hyde said. “We learned a lot last year, as all this stuff is going on, and guys were in and out because of Covid and all that. This year, just the next-man-in mentality like the boys had, and guys have been stepping up. You never really know what to expect, so all you can do is just put your head down and keep working.”’
Steve Tasker falls short of being named a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
‘Beginning next season, Tasker will be considered by the seniors committee, which was established to assure that players who have been retired for at least 25 years receive proper consideration.’
How we see it: News writers predict Bills vs. Falcons
‘From what we’ve seen out of the Bills this season, it’s entirely possible they lose this game to the Falcons, who are desperate for a victory because their season is on the line. Atlanta is on the outside looking in at the NFC playoffs but has not been eliminated. The Falcons trail the final two wild-card teams by one game with two to play. They have a savvy veteran quarterback in Matt Ryan, a rising star in rookie tight end Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson is a constant home run threat both on the ground and as a receiver. But can they keep up with the Bills? Atlanta ranks 28th out of 32 teams in scoring defense, and Buffalo’s offense seems to have found a groove since the team’s second-half comeback against Tampa Bay. When the Bills win, they tend to win big. And I expect the Bills to win. But I’m not sure they’ll cover the massive spread. Bills, 31-21.’
View from Vegas: Beware of Patriots’ hangover before laying double digits on Bills
‘Prediction: Bills over Atlanta by 11.’
Voice of the Fan: Setting the 9-6 record straight after win against the Pats
‘Bills Mafia always knew Buffalo was the superior team, despite the fluke New England win played in a twister in the Antarctic three weeks ago.’
‘We call him Rick’: No matter what teammates call him, Ryan Bates helped Bills beat Patriots
‘Unfortunately for Bates, his versatility is actually the reason why he hasn’t played that much for the Bills. He has been active for 39 of a possible 47 regular-season games including every one since Week 12 of 2019 but has played only 223 snaps on offense before last week. Why? Because the 6-foot-4, 302-pounder can line up at every position on the offensive line and coach Sean McDermott has been reluctant to give him chances to start essentially because he is trying to keep him out of harm’s way.’
Just call him Rick: Bills’ Ryan Bates creating buzz, having time of his life
‘With several offensive linemen on the Reserve/Covid list last Sunday, Bates started the first NFL regular season game of his career. He played all 79 offensive snaps and had to move from right guard over to left guard halfway through the game when Ike Boettger suffered a season-ending injury (ruptured achilles). Bates gave up just one pressure on the day and Allen was barely touched all afternoon against the league’s no. 1-rank Patriots defense.’
Why Falcons star says Bills’ Stefon Diggs is ‘blowing smoke’ up his a**
‘“I think he’s just blowing smoke up my ass,” Patterson said with a chuckle. “I appreciate that though. Diggs… That’s my guy. We reach out here and there. We don’t talk everyday but that’s my guy, man. I appreciate him. He’s an animal.”’
Bills bring NFL’s top-ranked defense into matchup vs. Falcons
‘The Bills’ defense, which allows 287.9 yards per game (No. 1 in the league) is led by linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano. Edmonds leads the team with 97 tackles.’
Bills’ Josh Allen presents last running QB challenge for Falcons
‘“He’s a great athlete,” Oluokun said. “He likes to get out of the pocket and throw it. But if you let him run around he can definitely do that on you. Over the years, you see how he likes to run the ball. He likes lowering his shoulder and all of that. He can make people miss in the open field. Just because he’s a little bigger, I think he’s a great athlete.”’
Friday’s Atlanta Coverage
Bills bring NFL’s top-ranked defense into matchup vs. Falcons (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Bills’ Josh Allen presents last running QB challenge for Falcons (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Falcons place Franks, Grant on reserve/COVID-19 list (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Hester, Seymour and Young named finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Atlanta Falcons player Mike Davis named nominee for ‘Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award’ (WXIA-TV)
‘Generational talent’: Stefon Diggs gives Cordarrelle Patterson high praise, compares Dalvin Cook, Adrian Peterson (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Falcons injury report: Updating Fabian Moreau’s participation level as Bills practice week progresses (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Falcons placed another player on reserve/COVID-19 list (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Bills Have Their Swagger Back In Preparing To Host Falcons
‘It’s a 10-quarter run in which the Bills have outscored their opponents 88-44, won consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 2-5, and reclaimed their edge atop the AFC East with a 33-21 win at New England last weekend.’
Falcons Seek To Stay In Playoff Hunt In Game At Bills
‘Key matchup: Bills LB Matt Milano vs. Falcons TE Kyle Pitts. The Bills have limited opponents’ top tight ends to scoring three TDs this season. And only Tampa Bay’s Rob Gronkowski and Jacksonville’s Dan Arnold have had 60 or more yards receiving. Pitts has had 60 or more yards receiving eight times, and coming off a six-catch, 102 yard outing against Detroit.’
Lamar Jackson thanks Bills Mafia for generous donations to his charity following playoff loss
‘”The support that Bills fans provided for Blessings in a Backpack was amazing. Obviously the playoff game didn’t end the way I had hoped but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Bills Mafia showed amazing generosity by helping out so many kids in need,” Jackson said.’
Emmanuel Sanders misses Thursday’s practice
‘Sanders missed Week 15’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers with the same knee injury that kept him out of Thursday’s practice. He was originally banged up during Buffalo’s Week 14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.’
Buffalo Bills OL Cody Ford, CB Cam Lewis activated from Reserve/COVID-19 list
‘Ford missed last Sunday’s Bills game while Lewis was activated after he was placed on the list on Monday.’
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen named a finalist for NFL 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship award
‘The award honors an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.’
Here’s how the Buffalo Bills can clinch a playoff spot this weekend
‘The Bills enter their week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons with a 9-6 record and currently lead the AFC East, owning the tiebreaker over the New England Patriots thanks to their division record. While they can’t clinch the AFC East title this weekend, they can solidify one of seven AFC playoff spots with a win AND some help.’
Allen named finalist for Rooney Sportsmanship Award
‘Allen is one of eight finalists around the league. Others include New England wide receiver Matthew Slater, Miami defensive end Jason McCourty and Minnesota wide receiver Adam Thielen.’
Buffalo Bills activate 3 additional players from COVID-19 list
‘The Bills announced Thursday morning that offensive lineman Cody Ford and cornerback Cam Lewis have been activated from the list. In addition, tight end Quintin Morris has been activated from the practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list.’
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen finalist for NFL’s 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship award
‘The finalists were selected from 32 NFL club nominees. The final eight were then picked by a panel of former NFL players from the NFL Legends Community. The panel included Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, Curtis Martin and Leonard Wheeler.’
Bills’ Steve Tasker not among Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists
‘However, Buffalo Bills legend Steve Tasker did not make the cut. Tasker, who is considered the premier special teams player of his era, is a nine-time semifinalist.’
Devin Singletary has ‘raised his level of play’ down the stretch for the Bills
‘Singletary has averaged nearly 90 total yards from scrimmage over his last three outings. He’s also scored in each of the last two games.’
Ryan (Call him ‘Rick’) Bates says Bills are ‘waking up’
‘“This football team is waking up. We’re on a roll. We’re going to be dangerous down the stretch,” Bates said. “We’ve always been dangerous. Don’t get me wrong. We’ve got a fire right now. Josh (Allen) is an unbelievable leader. He lights that fire. It’s exciting. It’s exciting to watch and be a part of it.”’
Bills’ Allen named finalist for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
‘A panel of former NFL players and coaches chose the eight finalists, which includes Josh Allen. The other seven are Brandin Cooks (Houston), Jason McCourty (Miami), Matthew Slater (New England), Lavonte David (Tampa Bay), Cameron Jordan (New Orleans), Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco), and Adam Thielen (Minnesota).’
Bills activate Cody Ford and Cam Lewis from reserve/COVID-19 list
‘The team also announced the release of running back Antonio Williams from the practice squad.’
Josh Allen named a finalist for NFL’s 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship award
‘Slater is a finalist for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall while this marks Juszczyk’s second-straight season as a finalist. David has been nominated for the award in each of the past four seasons. Allen, Cooks, McCourty, Jordan and Thielen are all first-time nominees in 2021.’