Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Without saying it, McDermott seemed to indicate it might not be wise to send the Bills into a COVID-19 hot zone for Sunday’s 1 p.m. game, though he also made it clear, “That decision is probably not going to be made by Sean McDermott.”’

‘I do, however, believe in routine and – with a nod to Sean McDermott – process. You get into a rhythm during a season and football teams, in particular, balk when that routine and rhythm and process is altered. It’s one of the reasons why everyone hates playing Thursday night games.’

‘And then Sunday at shiny new but eerily empty Allegiant Stadium, the defense did not stop the Raiders from scoring on any of their first four possessions and you started to wonder, what in the name of Bruce Smith is going on out there?’

‘It’s surreal to see the Bills’ pass defense getting shredded the way it has the last couple weeks.’

‘It has become a theme in this 2020 season, but for the fourth week in a row, I believe the Bills are the better team in this matchup. That was obvious against the Jets and Dolphins, not so obvious against the Rams, and this time it’s somewhere in between. The Raiders have talent on both sides, but I don’t think they can match the Bills on either side and they’re missing a few key players, too.’

‘If the spread doesn’t end this weekend, the Titans will not be allowed to open their building or practice, and that would mean a new date will have to be found to play the Bills.’

‘“He’s very intelligent, not just … you know he’s book smart, but he’s also very football savvy for a young player,” said offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. “He understands the game. He understands leverage and angles and stems. We’ve put a lot on his plate since he’s been here. He’s done a really good job.”’

‘Yes, it was easy to see that Allen had a great chance to be the best version of himself that we’ve seen since the Bills made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Easy to see that he would take the next step forward, one that anyone who is being counted on to be a franchise quarterback, must take if he hopes to reach that pedestal.’

‘It’s too early to call what happened last Sunday afternoon the start of a trend, but given the running backs the Bills will be facing the next two weeks, it could become one and the Bills know they need to nip in the bud the problems that cropped up against the Rams when they yielded 167 yards.’

‘“We’re not really paying attention to it at all. We’re focusing on what we got over here in Buffalo and what we got on Sunday against a really good Raiders team,” Allen said. “I honestly don’t know what’s new with that situation.”’

‘”It’s something we’re looking at. I spoke with the commissioner. I understand the plans they are working on,” Cuomo told reporters on a conference call to discuss the latest COVID-19 data.’

‘However, the key word there is “most” because after opening a seemingly insurmountable 28-3 lead seven minutes into the third quarter, then falling apart in inexplicable fashion to the point where they were on the brink of one of the most deplorable losses in team history, they somehow managed to pull out a 35-32 victory at empty Bills Stadium.’

‘Here’s another indication of how poorly the Bills’ defense played: It didn’t force the Rams to punt once on nine possessions (not counting the last one after Buffalo went ahead). The only highlights were Levi Wallace’s interception to kill one LA drive, and then early in the third the Bills stopped a fourth-down play, which essentially is a turnover.’

‘“We haven’t asked a bunch from our tight ends, so to kind of step in and catch two touchdown passes for us … ” Allen said of Kroft. “And you look at Lee Smith, he suits up today for the first time this season, comes in, scores a touchdown. This team is just made up of selfless guys that are just trying to do their job when their numbers called.”’

‘My pick: Bills 29, Rams 27.’