Niagara Gazette

‘Gabriel Davis hasn’t played football in a year. It’s been almost two since he played for the Buffalo Bills. But the 2020 fourth-round pick returned to practice Wednesday for the first since signing to Buffalo’s practice squad. A torn meniscus sustained while playing for the Bills near the end of 2023 — which kept him out of the playoffs — continued to linger.’

‘Less than 24 hours earlier, his Buffalo Bills defense played perhaps its best game of the season in a 40-9 win over the Carolina Panthers. Sure, it was aided by subpar quarterback play from Andy Dalton, but a defense that had been gashed at a historical rate the first six games, held Carolina’s No. 3 rushing attack to 114 yards.’

‘Give Joe Brady his flowers.’

‘Often, Allen dropped back to pass and none of his receivers were open, some through talent and some through scheme. But Allen still had early issues deciphering where pressure was coming from and other times he simply had happy feet, unnecessarily leaving the pocket.’

‘Rapp’s knee appeared on the injury report for the first time since training camp Wednesday and he didn’t practice all week. McDermott said the injury has been bothering him since training camp, when he was in and out of practice for a week. After becoming a mainstay in the starting lineup last year, Rapp’s third season with the Bills has been rocky. Rapp missed seven tackles in the first six games as Buffalo’s secondary had seven pass break-ups, two interceptions and 17 missed tackles.’

‘Then-Panthers coach Ron Rivera offered a lifeline to McDermott, who was fired by Eagles coach Andy Reid as a scapegoat after two seasons. McDermott helped Carolina reach the Super Bowl in 2015, which helped earn him the Bills job two years later. “Great organization that was very kind to me and helpful to my career,” McDermott said. “… I learned so much from being there. It was a great time for our family. … Learned a lot from being there but I’m super happy being here and being a part of this community as well.”’

‘“I don’t have to be here, but I want to be here,” Poyer said. “… I see a lot of really good things from those young players. Sometimes a good player just needs someone to show them how to do some things. Show them where to go, show them what it looks like, show them what it feels like. That’s the next generation of ball players. I’ll be sitting on the beach one day with my iced tea and watching these boys play, hoping that I at least had somewhat of an impact on their career.”’

‘Hairston tweaked his need during minicamp but was healthy by the time his first training camp rolled around. But less than a week into training camp, Hairston sprained his right LCL and hasn’t practiced since July 30.’

‘Kids got off the bus and noticed a hulking man dripping in sweat on the softball field. And they called his name. Joey Bosa! Joey Bosa!’

‘During one of his weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show last year, Belichick was asked about the new kickoff rules. Belichick wasn’t a fan.’

‘But the idea of just getting into the playoffs to have a chance doesn’t offer a significant chance. Since the NFL added another wild card team in 2020, the Buccaneers (in 2020), have been the only wild card to reach or win the Super Bowl. That means winning the division is critical and a top-two seed is even better. Five No. 1 seeds have reached the Super Bowl during the current format, but it’s only produced one winner.’

‘Defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi are eligible to return from six-game suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. And Bills coach Sean McDermott said they are contemplating opening the 21-day window for first-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston to return from injured reserve after suffering an LCL injury July 30.’

‘Two losses shouldn’t change what the expectations were for the team prior to the season nor after their 4-0 start. But the Bills have significant holes to fill, ones that were obvious before losing to the Patriots and Falcons.’

‘Hard to understand. Hard to watch. Hard to find success.’

‘If you don’t know any better, you may have thought you were transported back in time 10 or 15 years.’