Olean Times Herald

‘“Ron has been one of my biggest mentors in this business, he and Andy Reid have influenced my career,” McDermott admitted. “I learned a lot in six years under Ron at Carolina and our ties go all the way back to Philadelphia (along with Frazier on Reid’s inaugural Eagles staff). I have a tremendous amount of respect and a deep friendship for Ron and his family, they’re outstanding people … people of high character. I’m happy he’s had the success he’s had.”’

‘“Ron and I played together in Chicago,” he said of the 1984-86 seasons, with Rivera as a linebacker and him a cornerback, including on the 1985 Super Bowl winner. “As a player he was a cerebral guy, really smart. I’m not surprised he’s a coach today because of the way he was as a player.”‘

‘It’s hard to complain about a shutout plus one touchdown and three field goals given up in the other over 120 minutes of football. That’s especially true when holding NFL teams to a mere 234 yards a game in two starts and surrendering under 190 yards passing in each.’

‘And there’s the matter of Allen’s struggles.’

‘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.’