Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“I’d say the biggest thing is that when you get to the playoffs is not trying to be something you’re not,’’ Morse said of the advice he can give. “You change things, you tighten up, and forget what got you there. You want to be on your P’s and Q’s, but if you change your identity completely, that’s when you get in trouble. The best teams I’ve been on stick to the script, they know what works.’’’

‘Coach Sean McDermott sat out seven regulars including both starting receivers, Cole Beasley and John Brown, running back Devin Singletary, and cornerback Tre’Davious White. He also played front-line starters for only a couple series, and then spent the rest of the afternoon hoping the clock would run quickly so the Bills could get out of the game healthy and ready to roll for the AFC wild-card playoff game next weekend.’

‘Houston entered Week 17 ranked 28th in yards allowed, 30th in passing yards, 31st in preventing third-down conversions, 20th in rushing and 18th in points. It’s a game where, if the Bills take care of the ball and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll comes up with a diverse game plan, they could certainly score enough to outlast the Texans who will be facing the stout Buffalo defense.’

‘“Obviously it’s one of the proudest moments as a father that I’ve had, it was really emotional,’’ said Alexander, 36, who confirmed his intention to retire, only this wasn’t the time or place to detract from the team’s playoff week. “I was surprised, I didn’t know she was singing it, so it was a really cool experience. I thought she did a great job, just very confident, but if you know my daughter, that’s right up her alley.’’’

‘Without Singletary, the Bills weren’t going to have much success on the ground against a stout Jets defense that entered the game ranked second in the NFL against the run. Frank Gore carried the early load and gained 26 yards, and then T.J. Yeldon — active with Singletary down — tacked on 18 yards in the second half. Yeldon showed some flash as a receiver, and it just remains a mystery why he was so underused in that role this year. The Bills averaged just 3.7 yards per attempt, and that was with 30 yards on two jet sweeps by Isaiah McKenzie. Had the Bills been able to establish any type of ground game it would have been interesting to see how the offense would have functioned. Then again, with a line that included T Ryan Bates, C Ike Boettger and G Spencer Long for much of the way, it simply wasn’t possible.’

‘My pick: Jets 20, Bills 17.’

‘Morse said his ankle twisted and there were a few “pops.’’ Luckily for him and the Bills, there were no “snaps’’ and “crackles’’ and he was able to eventually walk off the field under his own power. He practiced fully on Thursday.’

‘“You can’t really put into words what he means to this team, just the role that he plays,” said quarterback Josh Allen. “He’s a leader and a captain, been playing at a very high level for a long time. He does things the right way and he’s an inspiration for a lot of people here.”’

‘Owner Ralph Wilson was so impressed by Johnson’s performance that he ordered Phillips to start him in the wild-card game at Tennessee. Speculation ran wild that the edict came down from Wilson, but Phillips fell on the sword and dutifully proclaimed it was his call. No one believed that, and years later the truth came out.’

‘“We’re going to play the majority of the guys, they’re going to practice this week and play; Josh will play and we’ll go from there,” McDermott said. “Certainly there’s a lot of different ways you can go about it. I’ve been around it (from his days with Philadelphia and Carolina) and so, just where we are for this team, this year, and where we’re trying to go, we feel like this is the right thing for this team, this year, in this situation.”’

‘The Bills have scored only eight touchdowns in the last four games against playoff quality teams, which is right in line with their average TDs per game for the season (2.3). They entered Week 16 ranked 22nd in points (20.8) and yards per game (336.1), 28th in passing yards (201.2), and 21st in average yards per drive (30.0); those numbers won’t be improved heading into the finale against the Jets.’

‘Beginning with a Week 1 come-from-behind victory over the New York Jets, slow starts have plagued the Bills, putting the onus on their Top 5 defense to keep games close until Allen and his offense kick in gear.’

‘“It’s frustrating,” the 36-year-old team leader said following Buffalo’s latest loss to the Patriots, a 24-17 decision Saturday night at Gillette Stadium which officially ended the race for the AFC East division title as New England won it for the 11th year in a row. In turn, this locks Buffalo into the wild-card as the fifth seed with all signs pointing to a visit to Houston in the first round of the postseason.’

‘In losing a one-score game to the Patriots (12-3) for a second time this season, the Bills (10-5), just as they did in beating Dallas and Pittsburgh on the road and losing at home to Baltimore, showed they are “playoff caliber’’ just not “championship’’ caliber, not yet at least.’

‘Sean McDermott is now 0-6 all-time against Bill Belichick. And while it’s nice that his teams always give the Patriots a tough game, something Belichick readily acknowledges, there comes a point when you have to beat the best in the business. On offense, the Bills dialed up a couple pretty plays to score their two touchdowns, but Brian Daboll couldn’t find a way to get the running game going, and then when the Patriots brought pressure, there was no reasonable answer, which has been an ongoing problem.’