Niagara Gazette

‘It wasn’t terribly picturesque. They got off to a wretched start, as Josh Allen was reduced to checking down and the defense couldn’t get off the field on third downs. Midway through the second quarter, the Bills were down, 10-3, and outgained, 181-12, with zero first downs to 10 for journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Browns.’

‘The Bills have lost three times by a grand total of eight points, in games where they did more to lose than their opponents did to win. Still, no team has proven to have the ability to beat the Buffalo when it plays to maximum potential.’

‘“We just have to do a good job not giving up that explosive run Dalvin had that put a damper on some of the good things we were doing,” Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. “Chubb is another kind of back who you can stop him, stop him, stop him, but all of a sudden, he can break one. We have to learn from (the Vikings) game and just stay gap-sound and tackle throughout.”’

‘It’s never so simple, but many of Allen’s six interceptions in the last three games have the most casual viewer befuddled by where he was throwing. Buffalo wants Allen to be aggressive, but not at the risk of turnovers. So how can a guy who was so hot, so dominant, be struggling so mightily near the end zone?’

‘For the third game in a row, they did not score a touchdown in the second half. The first time, against the Packers, was easy to rationalize. The second, as a huge underdog at the Jets, was a troubling development. Three times represents an all-out crisis.’

‘It was only a matter of time the worst crept back in. That was the narrative for Allen and the Bills throughout the game. They made plenty of big plays — evidenced by their 17-point third-quarter lead — but often followed them with a letdown.’

‘Recently Lang was honored as the 2022 Bills Fan of the Year, which makes him eligible for NFL fan of the year. Bills tackle Dion Dawkins told him the news.’

‘Her children jokingly tell her she’s the jinx, the common thread for an 0-8 run, but Esposito’s never considered finding something else to do with her Sundays. Because for the feisty 86-year-old, Bills games mean a day with the family.’

‘Sure, Allen is still a freak of nature who rushed for 86 yards and two TDs. But we were supposed to be past the point where his raw running ability covered up for his poor decision-making in the passing game, what he called “brain farts”.’

‘Against the Jets, the Bills had seven called runs for 23 yards. Granted they only had 56 plays in the game, but they have invested too much capital in running backs for Allen to carry the ball more than anyone else, something he did for the fourth time this season.’

‘A 10-point win has become commonplace for this team, a yawner. Of the Bills’ last 24 wins in the regular-season, 22 have been by double-digits. They lead the NFL in point differential at plus-105. Going back to the start of the 2021 season, it’s a staggering plus-299, by far the best in the league over that time.’

‘Time after time, Devin Singletary has proven he’s adequate enough to be Buffalo’s featured back when given the opportunity. and two days before the NFL trade deadline, Singletary ran for 67 yards and accounted for 83 total yards in the Bills’ 27-17 win over the Packers.’

‘Granted, there’s a lot of football left to be played. But after Sunday’s win, there was an unmistakable feeling that the Bills would achieve what they desperately missed a season ago, the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs.’

‘But here are the stats that matter: nine quarterback hits, three sacks, three punts, two interceptions and a missed field goal. Most importantly, Frazier’s defense came up big on the final two possessions, in situations it has too often wilted in the past.’

‘The Bills had 11 plays of 20 yards or more. They had four TDs drives that took a combined 2:44 of clock, covering 263 yards in eight total plays. If not for some shaky moments early, and if the Steelers had been able to muster any sort of response, they could have scored 50 points and gained over 600 yards.’