Olean Times Herald

‘Yeah, the Pats are are fifth in offensive yardage (395 yards per game), sixth in passing yards (278), seventh in scoring (27 points per) and ninth in third-down conversions (42 percent). But the defense is showing cracks. It’s 29th in sacks and 23rd in both offensive yards (373) and passing yards (257) surrendered per game.

‘Alexander’s seeming slight is tied to the reality that many fan voters cast their ballots for more than his play on the field. They considered his extremely high character and vast leadership skills which easily make him a Pro Bowl “person,” especially since he’s the Bills representative for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his work both on and off the field.’

‘What decided this non-conference meeting before a crowd of 59,110, that finished in an economical 2:58, was a bad snap on the extra point following Detroit’s first touchdown and a missed 48-yard field goal by Lions kicker Matt Prater that would have given his team the lead with under six minutes to play.’

‘The defense had four such players: defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (3rd round ‘18), safety Siran Neal (5th round ‘18) plus two free agents, end Eddie Yarbrough and linebacker Deon Lacey. And their collective contributions to the win were not insignificant.’

‘But, offensive struggles aside, Buffalo’s real problem has been poor play on the part of the special teams in the consecutive losses to the Dolphins and Jets.’

‘Simply put, this was a terrible loss for the Bills … and a big step backward for the organization.’

‘It would seem this was the first of many meeting between quarterbacks of division rivals who meet twice every year. And, without question, Darnold won Round 1.’

‘Finally, Bills linebacker Matt Milano, in the midst of an outstanding year and ranking second on the team in tackles, left the field on a cart with an undetermined injury the play before New York’s winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.’

‘Today will mark Allen’s eighth start — he’s 3-4 —and he’s taken strides toward proving he’s the franchise quarterback the Bills have been seeking in the new millennium. Darnold, meanwhile, is getting his 10th start — 3-6 — and returns after missing three games due to a foot injury.’

‘Sunday marked the sixth time Buffalo was flagged for at least 10 penalties in a game and the fourth occasion where the yardage exceeded 100.’

‘It hit Clay, totally alone, in the hands … that’s all you need to know.’

‘And though six of Buffalo’s seven losses have been of the blowout variety, coach Sean McDermott’s young team (23 of the roster’s 53 players are rookies or second-year players) is showing signs of improvement.’

‘“I think you’re going to start seeing better football from this team. Obviously, the coaching that we have here is awesome and special. The feel in the locker room right now is really good. We have veterans that are teaching the younger guys … younger guys that are taking it and applying it to the football field. In return, you see we’ve had a few really good games in the past couple of weeks against some really good defenses and against some really good teams.”’

‘But, the past two games, Buffalo has offered a different vibe.’

‘“Our defense stepped up … they started with the ball inside the one and ended up trying a field goal, and they missed. I thought that gave us a spark.”’