Archives for September 15, 2023

‘“I thought he played well – found himself some ways to get open,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “I think there were a couple times where (I) still could have put the ball on him, but decided to opt off and get to a different receiver. I think he played smart. I thought he did a good job with the ball in his hands of getting north and getting some extra yards. Again, that trust with me and him will grow over the course of the season.”’

‘How about the core of the roster? The Bills aren’t quite as old by that measure. Buffalo has the 11th oldest starting lineup in the league at 27.3 years (The News analysis accounts for birth date, not just the player’s numerical age).’

‘“Based on the result, I’ve got to do a better job of making sure that all 11 guys are comfortable. It starts and ends with that, because that’s 11 guys that I have no doubt are spilling their guts for the Buffalo Bills. … Obviously, that didn’t happen on that play.”’

‘Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are familiar with Raiders’ No. 1 cornerback Marcus Peters, who played for the Ravens last year. The other corner, Jakorian Bennett, is a fourth-round rookie who runs 4.30 in the 40. Look for the Las Vegas offense to try to pound the run with a fullback and try to shorten the game. Will the Bills respond with “big nickel” Taylor Rapp? Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo likes to get the ball out of his hands quickly. He needs to stay out of third and longs. Bills, 30-20.’

‘Prediction: Bills by 14.’

‘They have tried to do more, offering tailgating packages with various partners, both in-season and during the playoffs. But there’s been little interest from fans.’

‘Allen’s decision-making on when to give up on a play that was well defended appeared to be a concern as he tried to improvise and force plays. Allen seemed to pass up easy completions in favor of looking deep. Credit the Jets’ defense, whose alignments and pressure made Allen uncomfortable, but it was Allen’s big-play philosophy and his inability to be satiated with completions underneath the coverage that caused his negative plays. Allen’s turnovers were due to being unsatisfied by short gains. Perhaps the lesson in all this is that getting something positive against a strong defense is better than nothing at all.’