Archives for January 10, 2026

‘”I love Coen, man,” Davis told The Buffalo News. “I’ve said it to him and I’ve said it publicly, I would have never gotten drafted if it wasn’t for him. The belief he had in me, his offensive scheme and knowing I was going to be a better player and better man. Being around him, I couldn’t thank him more.”‘

‘Coleman was a healthy inactive three times during the regular season, not including his benching for disciplinary reasons on Nov. 19, when the Bills beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 44-32, at Highmark Stadium. He sat for Weeks 16 and 17, before the team played Coleman for the regular-season finale last Sunday. His 49 yards led the team during its 35-8 win over the New York Jets, and he caught a two-point conversion.’

‘Prater’s absence was not unexpected. The Bills typically rest their kicker for their final practice of a game week. His questionable label, however, puts Bills coach Sean McDermott in a predicament with his game day roster Sunday for their wild-card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.’

‘Trevor Lawrence, the first pick in the 2021, became a long shot for NFL MVP during an eight-game win streak that earned the Jaguars (13-4) the AFC South title and the conference’s third seed in the playoffs. Lawrence completed 62.7% of his passes for 2,009 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 187 yards and five touchdowns.’

‘It also helped launch new products to commemorate the final year at Highmark Stadium and quarterback Josh Allen’s MVP award and got a nice boost from the “whiteout” jerseys that the Bills wore during a game earlier in the season.’

‘The Bills have not won in the postseason away from Orchard Park since Jan. 17, 1993, the NFL’s second-longest active drought. And if Buffalo is finally going to reach the Super Bowl again, it likely will need to travel a road only five other teams have successfully traversed since the wild-card format began in 1970.’

‘Since the wild-card playoff format began in 1970, five teams won three road games to reach the Super Bowl: the 1985 New England Patriots, 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007 New York Giants, 2010 Green Bay Packers and 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.’

‘By far the biggest statistical regression in Allen’s game came in this category. In 2024, he was sacked just 14 times, the lowest total of his eight-year career. That number ballooned to 40 this season, the most in his career.’

‘Opponents’ 5.1 yards per carry represented the worst mark in Bills history, and they gave up the 11th most rushing yards (2,315) since the team’s inception. But they allowed three fewer points than 2024, when the team won 13 regular-season games, and 10 fewer points than 2020. Buffalo made it to the AFC championship game in both of those seasons.’

‘In what became somewhat of a theme, the Bills played a miserable first half defensively, but turned things around after halftime. Allen reminded Maye who the league MVP is by directing a masterful, 65-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to put the Bills ahead before the defense closed things out in a 35-31 win.’

‘“I was saying all weekend to my teammates, particularly to Jim Rickhoff, our producer, I hope it shakes out where Buffalo’s the sixth seed, Jacksonville’s the third seed and we get that game. It just happened to work out that way. So, I’m very excited about it.”‘

‘They are the ones who snuffed the hometown sense of playoff invincibility at Rich Stadium. The Bills were 9-0 there in postseason games when the underdog Jags came to town for that wild wild-card game.’