Archives for September 13, 2026

‘At 40 years old, Leonhard reached a crossroads. His alma mater did not choose him. He wasn’t ready to step into another full-time role as an assistant coach for a different college football program. After one year working at Illinois for his former boss at Wisconsin, Bret Bielema, Leonhard returned to the NFL as a defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos. His impact eventually led him back to Buffalo as the architect of a Bills defense that needed someone to take advantage of the talented players drafted in recent years.’

‘The Texans had an NFL-leading 73 defensive possessions without allowing a first down in 2025. The Bills need to get first downs in Houston to stay on the field and buck the trend.’

‘Dalton Kincaid being healthy is a significant advantage for the Bills. Among tight ends with at least 100 catches since 2023, Kincaid ranks fourth in target rate (23.3%), fourth in yards per route run (1.8) and third in explosive catches per route (4.2%). The Raiders’ Brock Bowers, 49ers’ George Kittle and Cardinals’ Trey McBride are the only tight ends to rank higher than Kincaid in more than one of those metrics.’

‘The biggest factor to me here is the Bills’ new defense. Without any true tape on Jim Leonhard’s updated scheme, the Texans have had to plan in the dark. While they have gone down all avenues of bread crumbs for Leonhard, the Bills hold the upper hand here.’

‘A .500 start through the bye week would not be the record any fan hopes for, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world, either.’

‘“My family has had season tickets, but we didn’t get them this year because of the price. Maybe in the coming years they’ll go down a bit,” said Buckley, who used to live in Houston, relocating for her and her husband’s job, but moved back to Western New York in 2022.’

‘Tops is teaming up with the family of Bills star quarterback Josh Allen once again to bring fresh fruit and produce and now fashion to Western New York stores. Participating locations will feature Allen Family Farms cantaloupes and honeydew melons displayed in JA17 boxes in the produce department, with a portion of sales supporting the Patricia Allen Fund at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.’