‘“By him converting that one, and the power that he showed on the finish of that run, that just got our whole team going and it enabled us to go down and score, actually,” Bills running backs coach Kelly Skipper said in a phone conversation with The Buffalo News on Friday. “He had a couple checkdowns that he took on that drive where he finished, he was breaking tackles, just that energy uplifted our whole team.”’
Archives for January 2, 2022
Scouting Report: Falcons present a different challenge for Bills, but one home team should handle
‘The Falcons rank 27th in Football Outsiders’ rankings of special teams, with their kick- and punt-coverage units struggling, ranking 25th in the NFL in both categories. There could be an opportunity for rookie returner Marquez Stevenson to make a big play.’
Bills Mailbag: How much will Isaiah McKenzie be used moving forward?
‘McKenzie clearly has the skills to challenge defenses with his speed, and it’s on Daboll to come up with ways each week to take advantage of that. I think we’ll see more of him going forward.’
Keys to the game and Sal’s prediction for Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons
‘Sal’s prediction: Buffalo Bills 30, Atlanta Falcons 10.’
Josh Allen, Bills offense have no shortage of weapons vs. Falcons (Things to watch)
‘Isaiah McKenzie, the star of last week’s win over New England, also deserves his fair share of reps after an 11-125-1 stat line. McKenzie’s speed is an asset in the intermediate part of the field. He’s also great in terms of presnap motion and on pop-passes.’
Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons 2021 preview with odds, predictions for Week 17
‘Atlanta, still in the Wild Card hunt in the NFC, have some weapons in rookie TE Kyle Pitts and jack-of-all-trades player Cordarrelle Patterson, but it won’t be enough to consistently put up points against Buffalo’s defense.’
No contest: Falcons RB apologizes for egregious chicken wings take, admits Buffalo has ‘best wings I done ever had’
‘On Saturday, Ferguson delivered on his promise to send wings to Davis. The running back shared a video of all of the wings that were sent to Davis’ room in Buffalo. Needless to say, there was a wide variety of wings for Davis to sample.’
Five takes: Bills rolling with Falcons coming to town
‘Two Bills enter today’s game with an injury designation, as Ed Oliver and Emmanuel Sanders are both listed as questionable to play against the Falcons. Oliver was limited in practice throughout the week with an ankle injury, while Sanders was limited on Wednesday but did not practice Thursday or Friday. On Saturday, Buffalo elevated DT Eli Ankou from the practice squad in time to play against Atlanta, which may hint at Oliver potentially being absent for the game.’
Bills Elvis partners with local artists to create gameday guitars
‘“I just thought it would be something cool for me to do – I didn’t really expect to get any sort of blow up over the whole thing,” Dusza said. “But it’s a beneficial collaboration. I don’t mind a little bit of attention, especially if it’s based off my art because it’s the one thing I absolutely love to do. It’s combining two of my favorite things – Bills Mafia and my artwork.”’
Sunday’s Atlanta Coverage
On the hot seat: The Falcons’ entire offense (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Falcons activate three from reserve/COVID-19 list (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Playoff corner: Here’s the Falcons’ path to the playoffs (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
5 things to know before Falcons-Bills kickoff (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
X-factor for Falcons-Bills: Can the Falcons play in the cold weather? (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
3 key matchups: Falcons at Bills (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Where to watch, listen, stream Falcons at Bills (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Dan Reeves remembered as consistent, caring coach (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Dan Reeves: The man who made the Falcons a Super Bowl team (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Reeves brought credibility to Falcons from the start (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Former Falcons head coach-Georgia born Dan Reeves dies at age 77 (WSB-TV)
Former Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves dies at 77 (WAGA-TV)
Dan Reeves, coach who took Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII, dies at 77 (WXIA-TV)
‘Grateful to have known him and to have been his friend’ | Jeff Hullinger remembers Dan Reeves (WXIA-TV)
Falcons activate trio of players off reserve/COVID-19 list, still bring in reinforcements (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Five things to watch as Falcons travel to face Buffalo Bills (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Who will win, Falcons or Bills? Experts’ Picks (AtlantaFalcons.com)
How to watch Falcons vs. Bills: time, tv, live stream, radio (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Former Falcons head coach Dan Reeves passes away at 77 (AtlantaFalcons.com)
Opinion: Falcons at Bills: Sal’s keys, notes, and stats
‘Patterson is one of the best dual threats in the game, totaling 579 yards rushing and 523 yards receiving so far in 2021. His former teammate, Bills’ receiver Stefon Diggs, said he’s one of the best players he’s ever seen with the ball in his hands. He can do everything. The Bills can’t just focus in on him as a runner when he’s lined up in the backfield and always be aware of his ability to catch the ball, regardless of down and distance.’
WKBW Sports staff predicts Week 17 match up vs. Falcons
‘Like the Bills, the Falcons are also still fighting for their playoff hopes, although their path to the postseason is much more complicated. For the Falcons, they need to win their final two games and have multiple teams ahead of them in the standings lose multiple games. Atlanta has a 4-7 conference record, which doesn’t bode well for any tiebreaker scenarios.’
Atlanta Falcons players react to receiving chicken wings in Buffalo
‘After trying some wings at Bar Bill Tavern in East Aurora, Davis correctly acknowledged that the best wings are in Western New York.’
Week 17 preview: Bills have playoffs in mind with Falcons in town
‘Allen said it earlier this week, with the emergence of Davis and Isaiah McKenzie over the past few weeks, as far as opportunity going forward, it’s going to come down to whoever gets open. The good news is, Allen has an arsenal of players he can clearly trust with the football.’
Carucci Take2: Bills’ biggest opponents in final 2 games are themselves
‘It’s fair to conclude, based on the way the team has performed at times, that they haven’t always been as dialed in as necessary. Last year’s success and the lofty preseason expectations for this season undoubtedly seeped into the Bills’ collective psyche and provided a false sense that they could win by simply showing up.’
Thad’s Three Things: Bills vs. Falcons
‘The Bills offense is good enough in a lot of different ways to exploit what Atlanta doesn’t have on defense even without Josh Allen having all day to throw. Unless the weather becomes some sort of factor, there is little reason for the Bills to run the ball much. Just let Allen drop back, take his time getting to whatever read eventually becomes open and play pitch and catch for 60 minutes. If you’re in a fantasy championship, I hope you have Allen on your team this week.’
Bills Mafia making the best out of bad news
‘Following that news, Bills fans quickly decided to make donations in the amount of $8.90 to the Rural Outreach Center as well as the Child Family Services in the player’s name.’
Bills elevate DT Eli Ankou
‘Ankou has seen action in four of the last five games. He has six tackles in those games with one tackle for loss.’
Top 5 storylines to follow for Bills vs. Falcons | Week 17
‘It’s been a wild NFL season full of unexpected upsets and plenty of dark-horse playoff candidates. With that, it seems like several teams still have a postseason pulse and that’s the case for Sunday’s game against Atlanta. The Bills (9-6) have a chance to clinch a playoffs spot on Sunday and the Falcons (7-8) still have a path to a playoffs spot.’
5 things to watch for in Bills vs. Falcons | Week 17
‘While the Bills haven’t necessarily been sack artists themselves on defense, Atlanta’s pass rush has trouble even getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Already saddled with a league-low 16 sacks on the season, the Falcons also rank 31st in the league in quarterback hits. That’s a problem when it comes to facing a quarterback like Josh Allen.’
NFL game predictions | Bills vs. Falcons | Week 17
‘If Buffalo keeps Josh Allen upright against the pass rush, which it failed to do in a Week 9 loss to Jacksonville (a true trap game), the Bills will cover the spread easily.’
What Bills fans need to know about the 2021 AFC playoff race | Week 17
‘Buffalo has a 97-percent chance to make the playoffs following last week’s win over New England, according to The New York Times playoff machine.’
Bills vs. Falcons | How to watch, stream, and listen | Week 17
‘In addition to Buffalo and Atlanta, the game will be broadcast in Hartford, Connecticut and parts of Wyoming among other markets.’