Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘And it didn’t stop there. At around 5 p.m., in a surprise development, offensive guard Quinton Spain reported having foot pain to the training staff and he was immediately ruled out for the game. Also inactive are wide receiver John Brown, running back Zack Moss, linebacker Matt Milano, tight end Lee Smith and quarterback Jake Fromm.’

‘My pick: Bills 23, Titans 17.’

‘What prompted the bulk of the schedule modifications was a positive test on a Patriots player. The league quickly postponed the Patriots-Broncos game which had already been moved to Monday, and that will now be played Sunday as part of the Week 6 schedule.’

‘“Talking about consummate professionals, I think at a young age Cody Ford exemplifies (a player) kind of showing up and doing his job,” said center Mitch Morse. “The guys has tjumped from position to position – I know as a rookie he was a tackle – and in the NFL it’s always a tough deal (switching positions) and I thought he handled himself brilliantly. He’s tough as nails.”’

‘“His quickness and his being able to get in and out of breaks, and a lot of people don’t know how smart he is on the football field,” said Poyer, who comes up against Beasley every day in practice and knows of what he speaks. “His ability to read leverages, to read coverages, his ability to find the soft spot in zones, the ability to catch the ball and not take explosive hits. I just say I’m happy as hell he’s on our team.”’

‘If the Titans have any more tests, the game will be postponed to a later date, and the Bills-Chiefs would play in their originally-scheduled Thursday night slot.’

‘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.’