Niagara Gazette

‘Even if there are still missing pieces when the Bills roll into Kansas City next week, they are so talented that the Chiefs are no longer the boogeyman they have been the last two seasons. From top to bottom, the Bills have a better roster and can stand toe-to-toe rather than holding on for dear life.’

‘But while you can sometimes judge a team’s competitive character in a tough defeat, it’s even more meaningful in a rousing, come-from-behind win. The Bills showed the resilience of a true contender, riding an inspired defense and the resourceful play of Josh Allen to victory.’

‘This version of the Bills hasn’t been seen since the Super Bowl era and it’s reminiscent of the post-lockout Sabres. There’s always a possibility they may come back and you can’t turn off the TV because they’re talented enough to climb out of whatever hole they dig for themselves.’

‘It’s not always winning that bonds a great team. Often, it’s when it confronts enormous adversity and has to reach deep down — in this case, deep into its roster — in search of its true competitive soul. It was hard not to be moved by all those backups battling in the Miami heat.’

‘Buffalo did what it felt was necessary to survive the game by slowing the pace to a crawl, but when the coaches review the tape, they should realize that deviating from what the offense does so well is a gross mistake.’

‘Perhaps this is what he had in mind. On Monday night, before a national TV audience, Diggs had an utterly dominating performance, one of those games when he seemed to be playing on an altogether different level from the hapless Tennessee players who tried to cover him.’

‘“We’re not surprised that we did so well,” Epenesa said. “None of us are satisfied, either. In our minds, last year was last year. We could say we were 2021’s best defense all we want. But all that matters is the here and now, the season that’s currently upon us. No one cares about that anymore. All they care about is today, the next day and the day after that.”’

‘The Bills more than justified their status as the Super Bowl favorite, dominating the Rams in a 31-10 rout, a powerful opening statement that could have been a lot worse if not for four turnovers. This was against the defending league champions, mind you, but for much of the night it might as well have been the Jets or Dolphins in November.’

‘Allen is starting to look like the quarterbacks who picked the Bills apart for 20 years. The ball left his hand early, went to the right place in the right location. No down or distance seemed insurmountable and the Bills went 9 for 10 on third downs.’

‘“Even if I weren’t a Bills fan, when they do well, Western New York does well,” Casale said. “Everyone’s happier and more energetic when they win on Sunday and it’s easier to go to work, as opposed to suffering a loss.”’

‘“I don’t root against the Bills unless they are against my team,” he said. “This town, this city needs a championship. Whether it comes from the Sabres or Bills, this town deserves a championship 100 percent.”’

‘It beats the alternative — trying to convince themselves that a dysfunctional organization with a parade of flawed quarterbacks might actually shock the world and make a title run, when it became yet another heroic run to 7-9 or 6-10.’

‘“Trust me, I do get tired of it,” McKenzie said. “But at the same time, I know it’s not going to go away. I know each and every day, I’m going to have to come out on the field and I’m going to have to prove (GM Brandon) Beane wrong. I’m going to have to prove Coach (Sean) McDermott wrong. I might have to prove the media and the doubters wrong.”‘

‘I expect them to go 12-5 and win the AFC East, then fall short of the Super Bowl again.’

‘The 1980s Browns, the 1990s Chiefs and the mid-2000s Chargers all had loaded rosters, but never made a Super Bowl. That doesn’t include all of the superb teams that reached one Super Bowl and never returned.’