Olean Times Herald

‘The Bills’ initial takeaway was a case of near-instant redemption for cornerback Levi Wallace. After making an impressive defense of a pass to DeVante Parker, he gestured in the face of the Dolphins wideout and was penalized 15 yards for taunting. Two plays later Wallace intercepted a pass intended for tight end Mike Gesicki.’

‘Still, Miami must prove the season-opening win wasn’t a fluke and Buffalo must show the stumble against the Steelers was an aberration.’

‘And while there are those who say a rivalry can only exist if two teams are relatively close in ability, that’s not true. In a series where one team dominates, the seemingly perpetual victim’s fans always see it as a “rival” … an obstacle to be surmounted.’

‘“It’s one game and we’re not gonna freak out over it. We know what we need to get better at. I’ve been in this league for four years now and I’ve kind of learned one thing: It’s never as bad as you thought (in losses) and it’s never as good as you thought (in wins).”’

‘That’s a lot of damage caused by a defense that was getting after the passer with only three or four rushers.’

‘When it was over on a mild, but windy and overcast afternoon, the Steelers had administered Buffalo a bitter dose of reality.’

‘But Pittsburgh’s defense, in particular, fifth-year linebacker T.J. Watt, emphatically proved that confidence to be misplaced. To wit, Watt couldn’t be blocked. He sacked Allen three times and delivered five of the eight hits on the fourth-year QB.’

‘In short, Buffalo effectively returns 21 of 22 starters and the only other change was on special teams where punter Corey Bojorquez overestimated his value as a free agent and the Bills let him leave and replaced him with former Dolphin Matt Haack.’

‘Not much to say, there are only two on roster: youngsters Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney. The Bills seem determined to prove they didn’t make a mistake in taking Knox in 2019’s third round. He’s damned by that fateful ‘P’ word, “potential,” which means nothing more than, “You haven’t done a thing yet.” His most defining statistic is 14 drops in 27 games.’

‘“To get offered the home-opener in the 2021 season with hype surrounding the Bills; the first time the fans are in the stands (in two years) …” said Blue, born and raised in Portville. “Not only is it the home-opener, but it’s opening week. It’s just the whole thing is way too big for me not to have been absolutely ecstatic to accept.”‘

‘For whatever reason, Buffalo remains enamored with the University of Mississippi tight end who never caught a touchdown pass in college. Maybe it’s because the Bills frittered away a third-round draft pick on him in 2019 and don’t want to admit they erred with such a premium selection.’

‘And, in case you were wondering, the Bills aren’t going to go without a long-snapper or third tight end. The waivers of Ferguson and Hollister, because of their experience, can be rescinded, which is what Buffalo did last year with wide receiver/kick returner Andre Roberts, before reclaiming him.’

‘In short, the impressive performance put on by the Bills’ offense, particularly quarterback Josh Allen, was accomplished against the Packers’ second- and third-string.’

‘Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo’s offensive Swiss Army Knife, caught a game-high seven passes for 72 yards and returned three punts for 51, including a 35-yarder, but he fumbled on one and the Bills were fortunate to recover. And, lest he become complacent as a returner, rookie sixth-round draft choice Marquez Stevenson went 79 yards for a TD bringing back a punt, meaning McKenzie might not be a lock for the kick returning job.’

‘To be sure, Allen’s new contract is pricey, but Beane helped construct one that was salary cap-friendly with the bigger hit coming starting in 2023 when the new TV contracts kick in with the NFL receiving more than $110 billion over the next decade and the cap increasing accordingly.’