Niagara Gazette

‘Four games remain, but the Bills need a win to even have a chance at winning their sixth consecutive AFC East championship. The New England Patriots steal back their crown with an 11th consecutive win Sunday.’

‘“God doesn’t give me what I want,” Benford told GNN Sports. “God only gives me what I need.”’

‘NBC nor ESPN saw this week’s Buffalo Bills-New England Patriots matchup worthy of a flex. CBS is sending its No. 2 broadcast crew. All of that seems OK to Bills coach Sean McDermott, especially the part about not getting a night game.’

‘The Bills claimed the veteran safety off waivers from the Washington Commanders after cornerback Darius Slay Jr. informed the team he wouldn’t report. The Bills freed up a roster spot Friday by placing Slay on the reserve/did not report list.’

‘Sean McDermott could feel Dalton Kincaid’s vibes as he watched his tight end interact with the crowd. Josh Allen surely felt the same.’

‘“Sometimes you’ve got to play bigger for other people,” Allen said. “… Finding ways to get in the end zone. All we had to do was score one more point than them. It didn’t matter how we did it, didn’t matter how good or bad it looked, we just have to continue finding ways to win.”‘

‘There’s a narrative that Sean McDermott is conservative. Maybe it’s because he’s not quick with a joke or doesn’t have many bombastic quotes or that his facial expression doesn’t change much throughout the course of a game. But the Buffalo Bills head coach sure isn’t conservative.’

‘“All my students have different learning styles,” Chrissy said. “And I think sometimes as teachers, we focus on the learning styles that we, as teachers, have, not what the students have. … (Alec) figured out he could learn things, but maybe in a different way. … He is smart, but he has a different way to figure things out. It might not be with pen on paper.”’

‘It started a year ago when Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott asked his top cornerback whether he wanted to shadow an opponents’ top wide receiver when the situation allowed. Do you think he was going to say no?’

‘Inconsistency has plagued the Bills in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams — at various times throughout the season. But no unit has been more mercurial than the defense, which has a habit of flipping from bad to go, not just from game to game, but half to half.’

‘A Josh Allen-Joe Burrow matchup seems tantalizing on the surface. It seems like a game built for those who like high-scoring games. The duo are among the best passers on the planet, both having a claim to the top spot alongside Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes. Throw in a Cincinnati Bengals defense that allows the most points and yards in the NFL and a Buffalo Bills defense that’s been erratic all season.’

‘Winning masks a lot of problems and Sunday’s 26-7 win may do that for some, especially since the Bills are not only two games behind the New England Patriots for the AFC East championship, but the best record in the NFL.’

‘Christian Benford’s $69 million extension says he’s a bonafide No. 1 cornerback. His numbers since inking that deal during the offseason haven’t matched. That’s not always a bad thing for a cornerback.’

‘Boos erupting midway through the third quarter, loud chants of “Fire Tomlin” mixed in and “Renegade” played to a half-empty stadium with 10 minutes remaining. The Bills punked the Steelers in their own stadium.’

‘“Extremely high sense of urgency,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. “We understand where we’re at. At the same time, we have full confidence in ourselves, but it ultimately comes down to executing on gamedays. We’ve had some good, had some bad throughout the year. But there are a lot of teams that are wishing they were 7-4 and in the spot we are.”’