Niagara Gazette

‘It was a test that Allen had failed last season in Houston, when he came unraveled late in his first playoff game. Now it was time to find out if he and the rest of the Bills were truly worthy of their reputation as a team on the rise, a squad ready to compete for the Super Bowl. Allen was ready.’

‘But as that tweet acknowledges, this was the Jets. The Bills were supposed to throttle Gang Green. That’s what comes with the burden of high expectations. It’s no longer sufficient to beat these bottom-feeders; you have to step on their necks and crush them.’

‘Season prediction: 10-6.’

‘McDermott is 25-23 in three seasons, 25-25 if you count two distressing playoff losses. He inherited a difficult situation, but it’s his show now. It’s no longer good enough to not be Rex Ryan, Doug Marrone or Chan Gailey. He needs to win, and win in a big way.’

‘White is scheduled to make $10.2 million in 2021 in the fifth year of his rookie deal. If he had opted out, his raise would have been pushed back a year and his base salary set at $1.7 million. It also would have reduced his cap hit by $7.2 million in ’21, helping the Bills in a year when the cap is expected to go down.’

‘It would be nice to have one of our sports venues get a name that lasts forever. I can’t keep up with the baseball park. It’s still Pilot Field to me. I still call the football stadium “The Ralph.” I hesitate whenever I try to remember where the Sabres play. Frankly, I’d rather not think about the hockey team.’

‘“Josh will be getting the big payday soon,” Rex said. “I see a breakthrough year for the kid. I don’t care if they have to give him $35 million a year. They haven’t paid that kind of money for a quarterback in decades. Where did it get them?”’

‘Soon enough, you’ll see professional sports return to New York. Well, not in person.’

‘But when I see people picking them to go 12-4, my dubious side kicks in again. Twelve wins for any NFL team nowadays is a monumental achievement. The Bills could be better and struggle to win 10 games again.’

‘How can they not be favored? The Bills won 10 games last season and should have won 11; they played the Patriots close. Then New England lost Brady and four defensive starters in the offseason while the Bills were trading for Stefon Diggs and adding four significant players to one of the NFL’s best defenses.’

‘I won’t begin to pretend to be some draftnik who claims to know how certain players will turn out. I could not have named four of the seven players the Bills ended up drafting before Saturday. But Beane’s history — the Bills have gotten at least three starting-caliber players out of each of his previous three drafts, and 16 of the 22 players picked remain on the team — has earned him the benefit of the doubt. Assuming he knows what he’s doing, the Bills got better this week.’

‘But we still play the old guessing game: Where will they go with their first pick? Offense or defense? Do they add another skill player or O lineman to help Josh Allen in his critical third year as franchise QB? Or does McDermott get another piece for a defense that’s been top three in yards the last two seasons?’

‘Experts are reluctant to make them the AFC East favorite. The Bills will be better, but it doesn’t always translate in wins. The schedule will be tougher, with crossovers against the AFC West and NFC West, plus the Steelers and Titans.’

‘With the COVID-19 pandemic putting many things in the sports world on hold, though, it’ll be interesting to see if the Bills can get a deal together to keep their best player in town before the 2020 season kicks off. That’s if we even get a 2020 season.’

‘But there are no excuses now. The time for coddling Allen and coaching to his limitations is over. Beane has given him one of the best group of receiving weapons in the NFL. Allen needs to make full use of that offensive stable and take the passing game to another competitive level.’