Olean Times Herald

‘“I’m very confident in Josh. I’ve had conversations with him … just life stuff. He reached out to Diggs and some of these guys we signed and he’s working. Josh is not going to leave a stone unturned. He’s his own worst critic. I know he has many critics out there … some which I just think are way off base. Sean’s confident. Our team is confident. Our fans and everyone else should be confident in Josh Allen. I have no doubt — he took a big step from Year 1 to Year 2 — that he will continue to grow. He’ll have to. I know he’ll figure it out … how to make improvements to some of the things that didn’t go perfect for him last year. But I thought he took some great strides and he’s looking forward to taking that next step and proving any of the doubters and naysayers wrong.”’

‘“Everyone would love to get back to normal, but right now, this crisis and the health of our country and our world is No. 1. My focus right now is what’s in front of me and that’s the draft. When we get done with that, maybe I’ll dig in a little deeper and see where things are on May 1 … then June 1, but we’re going to be ready for all scenarios.”’

‘Still, it’s worth noting that since Sean McDermott took over as Buffalo coach in 2017, while the Bills are 0-6 against New England, Brady was hardly the executioner. In those six games he’s thrown four touchdowns and been intercepted five times with a passer rating of 80.2 … profoundly pedestrian. Buffalo has lost those games because it hasn’t scored against the Patriots, averaging under 11 points in those meetings with a high of 17.’

‘He played four seasons for the Bills, after taking a year off, but was never the same player he was in college. His career total was only 420 rushing yards, though he averaged nearly four yards per carry, impressive for a fullback. He added 75 receptions and finished with two TDs. After retiring, at only 26, Moore became a deputy sheriff in Flint, Mich., and died of a heart attack in 2009 shortly after turning 50.’

‘As for the price, it’s a bit steep. But, with the Bills having nine draft choices and general manager Brandon Beane insisting that not all of them would make the 53-man roster, Buffalo had some extra collateral. As it is, he still has seven draft selections, one each in Rounds 2-5, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.’

‘Clearly, Addison is seen as the replacement for end Shaq Lawson with Jefferson providing depth, and Butler will vie for the spot of Jordan Phillips while Klein is viewed as the heir apparent to retired strongside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander.’

‘The reality is, though, Orchard Park is an ideal compromise location from all directions. To be sure, road access directly around the stadium can occasionally be problematic on game day, but the Thruway and Route 219 get fans reasonably close and tailgating is helpful in that it extends arrival time. Rarely is there a monster traffic jam.’

‘“Last year I had to defend Buffalo,” Beane said. (But) I think people understand and see what we’re building here. People across the league see that we have a young quarterback that’s developing and growing. You look at what Green Bay did all those years with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. If you have a quarterback to build around, (that’s an) attractive thing.”‘

‘Bills fans probably don’t want to hear this, but it’s entirely possible Buffalo will be improved in 2020 and not get to 10 wins or return to the playoffs. This coming year’s schedule is as daunting as last season’s was soft.’

‘But he also admitted, “I don’t think we’re looking at an overhaul. Last year, offensively, was an overhaul. We’re going to look under every rock to find competition and upgrades where we can. But my philosophy hasn’t changed, we’ve got to draft, develop and sign our guys. Now we’re getting into the area where guys who have been here for three years are up for contracts. All those discussions will commence real soon — the guys who are potential free agents — whether we want them back and can we work it out with them?”’

‘“I get emotional because I feel bad for them that we didn’t win that game. You go back to Nashville (Titans), Miami (Dolphins), Houston (Texans). (At) Nashville, that was like a bowl game — their team does something good and you hear that side of the stadium, our team does something good (you hear our side), it was truly like a neutral field. To have the Bills Mafia, Bills Nation, support us that way all season long is unmatched. (Myself), our players, our entire building (are appreciative).”’

‘“Execution,” McDermott said when explaining the offense’s problem. “It doesn’t matter, regardless of what you do or who you have, at the end of the day you have to execute better than the defense executes to score points … we’ve got to score more points. Everybody knows that.”’

‘“It’s been a painful couple of days for all of us. My hope is, in time, if it’s handled the right way, the pain will turn into strength and that strength will turn into growth. That’s what really separates the winning organizations.”’

‘Oh, there were the obligatory “You need to retire” and “What are YOU watching?” emails, and that’s fine; part of the fun of sports is disagreeing. The bothersome comments were that I had something against Josh or held him responsible for the playoff loss in Houston. I don’t and I didn’t.’

‘Buffalo needed a “franchise quarterback” and, after two seasons, we have no idea whether Allen is it. Indeed, following his incredibly uneven performance on Saturday, the answer could well be “He isn’t.”’