‘Thus, the division title is still undecided and, if the Patriots win at Miami (8-8) and the Bills were to conjure a loss to the Jets (4-12), New England would be the AFC East champion. And, get this, while Buffalo can’t do it by winning the division, the Pats, should they claim the East, could leap-frog Tennessee, Cincinnati and Kansas City (if they all lost) and actually finish with the AFC’s best record, via tie-breakers, and draw a first-round playoff bye.’
Archives for January 4, 2022
Analysis: Great or only very good? Bills’ defense on verge of top rankings
‘Yet the question remains: Is this Bills defense great? Or merely very good?’
Upon Further Review: Postseason’s now a formality, which speaks volumes about how far Bills have come
‘“I think ever since Sean and Beane took over here, they brought the right guys in to set that standard,” Poyer said. “Guys come into the season, and understand what the expectations are on both sides of the football. That is the standard. We want to continue to build off of that.”’
Harrison Phillips’ spot as a Bills’ starter looks more secure than ever
‘Phillips played 36 defensive snaps, which was 68% of the team total and the most among all defensive linemen in the win.’
Observations: Injury report looking good for Bills heading into regular season finale
‘The Bills continue to have their full roster available to them, with no players or coaches on the league’s Covid list, coach Sean McDermott said Monday. That includes special teams coordinator Heath Farwell and defensive line coach Eric Washington, who cleared the league’s protocols late last week and were able to coach in Sunday’s 29-15 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Highmark Stadium.’
Alan Pergament: Bills analyst Eric Wood gets an A on the Madden broadcasting test
‘I’m not saying Wood is in Madden territory as an analyst. No one is. I am saying Wood is an exceptional radio analyst who sees key blocks, has a good sense of humor, explains things that only a former player likely knows, and he is objective for a guy working a team’s broadcast.’
Buffalo Bills have to ‘handle business’ but likely to open playoffs vs New England Patriots
‘The Bills are out of the race for the No. 1 overall seed and first-round bye, but they can still climb as high as No. 2, though they would need some help. In addition to beating the Jets, they would need the Chiefs to lose at Denver and the Bengals to lose at Cleveland. They could also slot in at No. 3 with a win, and either a Chiefs or Bengals loss.’
Devin Singletary was ‘an animal’ vs. Falcons; Bills find run game just in time for playoff push
‘“Devin came out and was just an animal that next series, which I thought was a great momentum boost to our team,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “He’s not a very big guy but I can recall two or three runs on that next series where those were big runs for us and you could tell there was something a little bit more he was giving out there.”’
Peter King predicts Bills vs. Patriots picked for 1st-ever Monday Night Football Wild Card game
‘“As of this moment, my money would be on a New England-Buffalo show for the first-ever Monday night wild-card game,” King wrote. “The AFC, in fact, is gold for first-round matchups, if form holds. Imagine Raiders or Chargers at Kansas City in the 7-2 game, Colts-Burrow in the 6-3 game (Burrow’s going to be must-see as long as the Bengals are in it), and Patriots-Bills in the other one. Imagine three Buffalo-New England games in a 43-day span, with the rubber match on a frigid Jan. 17 night in the northeast.”’
Sabato: The most difficult playoff opponent for the Bills may be themselves
‘When Buffalo wins it wins big — it’s average margin of victory this season is 22.6 points per game — and when it loses, there are a few plays it can point to that were the difference in the game. The key in the playoffs is avoiding the mistakes that result in those few plays being the difference in a win or a loss.’
Run Game Helps Bills Prosper As They Try To Clinch Division
‘“I was very impressed with the way the offensive line took over the game, and the running backs as well,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I think it brings to the surface our two-dimensional offense and that’s a hard type of offense to defense.”’
Ryan Bates day-to-day with knee injury
‘McDermott also said that wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury, is also considered day-to-day.’
Defense stands strong when needed against Falcons
‘Perhaps the most critical moment came in the second half. After Atlanta scored 10 straight points on back-to-back drives to end the first half, the Falcons got the ball right back to start the third quarter when Josh Allen threw his third interception of the day. Even though Atlanta had good field position, the Bills held strong, forced a punt, and got their offense the ball back. It was a moment that got head coach Sean McDermott “fired up.”’
Ed Oliver flashes dominance in win over Falcons
‘“He was quick off the ball and disruptive at times,” Sean McDermott praised his defensive tackle.’
Buffalo Bills fans and local businesses gear up for the playoffs
‘“I’m excited they’re in the playoffs, it’s going to be fun to watch them,” said Bills fan Joe Klink who was shopping at The Bills Store.’
Civilians, ECSO team help save person at Buffalo Bills game Sunday
‘Officials say the patient had no pulse and was not breathing when they arrived on scene. Dr. McGee and Sgt. Soluri were able to the victim to regain consciousness. The victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance.’
Bills players eye a bigger prize after clinching a playoff spot at home
‘”(Clinching a playoff spot) means a lot,” McDermott said. “I’m just one piece of it. I think it says a lot about Terry and Kim and what they give us, the resources they’ve provided us over the years, and the partnership that I have with Brandon and the coaches who’ve done a phenomenal job. We’ve had a lot of good players for those four or five years now. It’s been a team effort, the fans included. It hasn’t all been the highest of highs all the time, but that’s to be expected around the NFL.”‘
National analysts share these opinions on the Bills after securing a 2021 playoff berth
‘Florio: I look at it this way, if the Bills don’t win the division, it will mean that they lose next week at home to the Jets. So, if you can’t beat the Jets at home with the division on the line, you don’t deserve to win the division. It’s that simple. This should be an easy win, they proved themselves and New England comes to them.’