‘The playoff picture in the AFC is messy – six teams have records of 7-6 from Pittsburgh (seeded sixth) to Buffalo (seeded 11th). With four weeks remaining, it’s likely that Week 18 will have plenty of high-stakes games – including Buffalo’s road contest against Miami.’
Archives for December 2023
Upon Further Review: Finally, defense saves the day for Bills in big win
‘“I wanted to be aggressive,” McDermott said after the game. “That’s how we practiced it during the week. We studied it over the bye week. We studied it long, and the staff did a great job. It was very thorough in terms of the research we did, and then we practiced it that way.”’
James Cook’s production demands more playing time
‘Cook played just 34 of the Bills’ 77 offensive snaps in his team’s 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Despite that usage, he finished with a team-leading 141 yards from scrimmage that came from 58 rushing yards on 10 carries and 83 receiving yards on five catches and a touchdown. That total was 105 yards more than tight end Dawson Knox, who was second on the team in yards from scrimmage with 36.’
Position grades: Sean McDermott got more aggressive vs. Patrick Mahomes
‘The Bills rushed five or more men at Mahomes on 12 of 47 dropbacks, according to Buffalo News charting. That’s the most ever by McDermott vs. Mahomes. It worked pretty well. Mahomes was 6 of 10 for 71 yards with an interception on blitz plays. The Chiefs also made two offensive penalties vs. the blitz.’
Buffalo Bills hire DJ Mangas, close friend of Joe Brady, as offensive aide
‘DJ Mangas, who served as offensive coordinator for the University at Buffalo this season, now is an offensive aide for the Bills, a team source confirmed. Mangas, 34, left the UB program on Dec. 1. Mangas was in the coaching booth with Brady during the Bills’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday.’
Alan Pergament: Romo, Nantz are objective but after three straight games they understand how Bills fans think
‘But you do get a sense they are Allen fans and enjoy watching him play as much as Bills fans do.’
Grueling stretch of schedule continues as Cowboys are up next for the Bills: What to know
‘Now, the 10-3 Cowboys are coming to Orchard Park, having just moved into first place in the NFC East with a resounding 33-13 blowout of the Eagles that was every bit as impressive as it looked.’
McDermott, Bills’ ‘D’ deserve credit for holding on
‘Bills fans were thinking they’d seen this film before, and they didn’t like the ending. Good thing Buffalo wrote a new ending, with some help from Kadarius Toney’s foot.’
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes expresses regret over how he treated Bills’ Josh Allen post-game
‘One day after melting down over the loss, Mahomes expressed regret for how he acted and how he treated Josh Allen. In an interview with Carrington Harrison on The Drive, Mahomes apologized for his actions and for how he acted with Buffalo’s quarterback.’
Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney turns former Buffalo Bills HC against one of his favorite things
‘One day after Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney lined up offsides and cost his team a touchdown late against the Bills, Rex Ryan said he didn’t approve of Toney’s toe because of how far offsides it was in this instance.’
Bills pass rush sticks to plan, limits Patrick Mahomes’s big-play chances
‘“I thought, overall, our defensive plan, and our defensive line, in particular, did a great job being coordinated and working well off of one another and staying aggressive at the same time and I think that that’s the key,” McDermott said. “We lost (Mahomes) earlier on a third down and he completed it over the middle to (tight end Travis) Kelce and we went with a spy the next play and we were able to get off the field on the following third down. So it was a good balance, but primarily, our front four did a phenomenal job.”’
Bills and coach Sean McDermott overcome their flaws to beat Chiefs and stay afloat in playoff race
‘Whether or not it’s fair to suggest one game represents a referendum on the coach or his players’ support for him, it’s apparent that McDermott and the Bills persevered through a tumultuous week.’
James Cook, Bills defense making strides ahead of playoff run
‘Although they weren’t always pretty, the Bills got the 20-17 win. Some season-long issues cropped up again, but there were also bright spots in the performance. And now, despite sitting in 11th place in the AFC due to tiebreakers, the Bills have a 38% to make the playoffs, per ESPN Analytics.’
McDermott appreciative of continued support from organization, community
‘”It meant a lot to me. It really did,” said McDermott on Monday during his Zoom call with the media. “First-and-foremost, it meant a lot the way that the players and staff came together and played and coached, and just kept it about the game. I think that in the midst of everything that was going on last week for us, as a team, was impressive to watch and to see. And the support that I’ve gotten, like I’ve said, from in-house, from outside across the NFL community has been just super gratifying, and much appreciated on our part.”‘
A.J. Epenesa, Micah Hyde considered ‘week-to-week’
‘Epenesa made a huge play early in the game when he batted a ball into the air and ultimately intercepted Patrick Mahomes. He was injured on the play and came out of the game for a brief time. Although he re-entered the game, he then exited again and didn’t return.’