Archives for January 6, 2026

‘“It was important. I said it last week at the beginning of the week, ‘This game was important to us.’ As an organization, it was important to me as a coach, it was important to us as a staff, it (was) important to the players,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I really appreciate them taking it that way in their approach. It’s a delicate balance, as you guys saw, of, ‘Hey, the health of some of the players, keeping other players managed in terms of the rep counts and giving some young guys opportunities and some new guys who have joined us opportunities to play so we could see what they bring to the table.”‘

‘The Buffalo Bills’ tight end played just four snaps in his team’s 35-8 victory over the New York Jets in the final regular- season home game at Highmark Stadium. Those four snaps were quite profitable, though, as Knox gained the necessary receiving yardage to reach 400 for the season and caught his fourth touchdown, triggering $200,000 in contract bonuses — $100,000 for each.’

‘One of the only blemishes from the Bills’ memorable 35-8 victory occurred in the fourth quarter when Hairston suffered an ankle injury that makes it “unlikely” for the rookie to play Sunday when Buffalo faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC wild-card round.’

‘The injury to Prater’s right quad is not serious enough for the Bills to rule out the 41-year-old kicker, coach Sean McDermott told reporters Monday, but the team is going to evaluate a few free agents to try to find someone who can kick Sunday against the third-seeded Jaguars (13-4).’

‘“I knew the number,” McDermott added. “I stayed up and did everything I could to make sure it was going to go the way it was going to go, not that I had any control at that point. Like I said, it’s not different. You want to protect everybody. It’s hard. It’s a hard deal. You do the best you can.”’

‘There was a celebratory feel in the air Sunday even through the emotion. The game didn’t matter much and it went as you would expect, with the Bills rolling the hapless Jets even as Josh Allen took only one snap and several starters were inactive or playing limited minutes.’

‘Just getting there will be expensive, too. As of Monday morning, roundtrip flights from Buffalo to Jacksonville, with a layover, start at just over $720 from Saturday to Monday, while flights from Rochester or Syracuse start at just over $400, according to AAA Western Central New York. There are no direct flights from the Western New York area to Jacksonville.’

‘In a season of many stressful games for Bills fans, Sunday’s broadcast was as relaxed as a preseason game. The only suspense was whether Bills tight end Dawson Knox was going to earn two separate $100,000 bonuses, whether running back Ty Johnson was going to earn $250,000 for scoring two touchdowns and when “Mr. Brightside” was going to be played. Answers: Yes, yes and at the two-minute warning.’