Olean Times Herald

‘Then, last October at the same site, the Bills lost a 34-31 heartbreaker when Allen slipped on 4th-and-1 from the Titans’ 2-yard line in the closing seconds. That play decided the game, but the reason Buffalo was behind at that point was Henry had his way with the Bills’ defense, running for 143 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns, including a 76-yarder.’

‘To be sure, he’s a quarterback of extraordinary toughness and elusiveness. But he’s also not the slippery Lamar Jackson when on the move. Allen, while a big man, is still a mix of flesh, bones, muscle, cartilage and ligaments and isn’t immune to being hurt.’

‘Allen’s performance overshadowed an extraordinary effort by Buffalo’s defense. General manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott, for the last two seasons, have vowed to upgrade the pass rush. Against LA it materialized.’

‘If this is the way the Bills are going to play on the road against a quality opponent, then maybe the oddsmakers have been right all along.’

‘From the time the Rams held off Cincinnati, 23-20, to win Super Bowl LVI last February, speculation began that this season’s perfect NFL opener for Los Angeles would be hosting the Bills at SoFi Stadium.’

‘Buffalo’Ss first seven games are brutal with a capital ‘B’.’

‘Still, cornerback is Buffalo’s most vulnerable position, by far, at least early.’

‘If White’s return is delayed, next up is Pittsburgh in Orchard Park, at Kansas City and, after the bye, home with Green Bay, meaning matchups with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Packers’ Aaron Rodgers. It’s a stretch where a team desperately needs its top cornerback, especially one who’s among the best in the league.’

‘It’s near impossible to conjure a more devastating public relations gaffe for a team that over the years has endured its share of image management issues (aligning itself with the ethnically insensitive phrase “Bills Mafia,” for instance).’

‘Did Baltimore and the Buccaneers know something the Bills didn’t?’

‘But for the fans, there was little to criticize in Buffalo’s 10th straight preseason victory. Well, one thing. With the Bills’ offensive dominance, they only punted once, that honor going to incumbent Matt Haack. Thus, “Punt God” Matt Araiza, the rookie who unleashed an 82-yarder against the Colts, was limited to holding for extra points.’

‘The game provided one major cautionary tale. If Bills quarterback Josh Allen should be injured, given Keenum’s performance, Buffalo’s offense is toast. Third-stringer Matt Barkley performed better, albeit against Indy’s scrubs, hitting 18-of-24 passes for 224 yards with an 86.1 rating but he also threw an interception and had a two-point conversion attempt picked off.’

‘McDermott continued, “Some people say, ‘run first team,’ ‘pass first team’ and that’s how it kind of takes shape, ‘we feel like we want to run the ball outside, run the ball inside,’ that’s how coaches’ minds work. You try to identify your strengths more than anything this time of year but those can ebb and flow throughout the course of the season as well.”’

‘“I think you have to move on … it’s so important this season to what we’re trying to accomplish that you’re locked in and focused on what we’re doing in 2022,” he said, more in resignation than avoiding the question. “This season, there are so many variables that will come up along the way and if you’re distracted in any form or fashion it’s going to detract from what you’re trying to accomplish now.”‘

‘First, Buffalo is one of only six of the 32 National Football League teams that still holds at least some of training camp off-site; the others opt for their own training facilities. The Bills, after a two-year Covid-related absence, are back at St. John Fisher University, and four other teams also opt for camp at a college: Pittsburgh (St. Vincent, Latrobe, Pa.), Carolina (Wofford, Spartanburg, S.C.), Kansas City (Missouri Western State, St. Joseph’s, Mo.) and the Rams (UC Irvine). Dallas utilizes a site in Oxnard, Calif.’