Olean Times Herald

‘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.”’

‘And while we still don’t know, and won’t for a while, whether the former Wyoming star is the “franchise QB” Buffalo has long been seeking, the early returns are encouraging.’

‘The initial sack of the game was recorded by veteran Buffalo tackle Kyle Williams, who dumped Bortles. Later, Williams (5 sacks on the season) and end Jerry Hughes (team-leading 6) combined to sack Bortles. Buffalo’s final sack was logged by outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, giving him 5.5 on the year.’

‘The Bills are second in the league in fewest yards surrendered per game (302) and first in least passing yards by an opponent (202). Meanwhile, the Jags are fourth in yards given up (320) and third in passing yards surrendered (210).’

‘In fairness, part of the Jags’ problem is that their quarterback, Blake Bortles, while a gifted runner, is a substandard passer. That flaw is exacerbated by the NFL becoming even more air-oriented with the Chiefs and Rams putting up otherworldly scoring numbers and other teams sure to follow.’