Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘If the Bills had a viable chance to make the playoffs, they may not have sent Johnson for the surgery. Last week in Miami he got dinged once again and had to be attended to, but he still played 30 of Buffalo’s 55 defensive snaps.’

‘“Let me start by saying (that) I appreciate, just like I do every player, what they did,” McDermott said, also referencing wide receiver Andre Holmes who joined Benjamin on the waiver wire. “Those are hard decisions to make because those are human decisions. The important thing for us is that we continue to take swings, and that’s what we did; we stepped up to the plate and you take a swing. Some of those are going to work and some of those aren’t. The only way you can get a hit is if you take a swing.”’

‘The Bills (4-8) and Jets (3-9) have been on a penalty palooza the past two games, with Buffalo committing 26 infractions for 200 yards and the Jets 19 for 143.’

‘Buffalo gave up third- and -seventh round picks in the Benjamin deal in hopes that the former Florida State standout and 2014 first-round pick — whose promising career stagnated after an ACL injury — would realize his potential with a fresh start.’

‘Ryan’s 2015 Bills tied for the league lead with Tampa Bay in total penalties, a whopping 143 that included 68 infractions against the offense, 50 against the defense and 25 on special teams. Through 12 games this year, the Bills have already had 100 penalties walked off for a total of 872 yards, both figures are second-most in the NFL behind only Kansas City.’

‘But as has been the case in the past, when the defense really needed to rise up and take care of business, it failed, and Buffalo suffered a frustrating a 21-17 loss to the Dolphins.’

‘“Great” is going too far, but Allen was pretty good, and he was the main reason why the Bills had a chance to win. Once again, he made mistakes, and once again, he showed why the Bills picked him No. 7 overall in the draft and believe that he’s going to morph into the franchise quarterback Buffalo has for so long lacked.’

‘The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Sirles will play right guard, with rookie Wyatt Teller staying at left guard. Just a month ago, the starting guards were Miller and Vlad Ducasse, and Ryan Groy was the primary interior backup. Things have changed dramatically.’

‘This was a sloppy effort in so many ways, and in the end, all of the mistakes cost the Bills dearly. There were some missed opportunities on offense despite 415 total yards which were the most the Bills have had in a game started by Allen. There was some very good play on defense, but also some poor play, particularly in the red zone where the Dolphins scored TDs on all three of their penetrations. And special teams was a complete mess. You add all that up, and you lose in the NFL.’

‘But even if they did finish 9-7, their chances remain slim because too many of their losses were to teams that they would be battling to earn a wild-card berth including the Chargers, Ravens, Colts and Texans, all of whom are currently ahead of Buffalo in the conference standings.’

‘Losing seven of the first nine games all but eliminated the Bills’ from the playoff chase this season, though two consecutive victories have raised the spirits along One Bills Drive and have the fan base feeling good about the steps the team is taking in the second half of the season.’

‘“You look around the league, there’s not too many Kyle Williams’ or Lorenzo Alexander’s in the locker room anymore,” said cornerback Tre’Davious White, the inference being that it’s unusual when a pair of 35-year-old players could still be playing as well as they are for Buffalo. “Teams are younger and we’re doing a great job with the quality of guys we’re getting. It goes to show the front office knows what they’re doing in how they’re scouting players and developing players.”’

‘With the average age of Buffalo’s eight other starters on defense being 24.9, the combined 100 years Williams, Alexander and Hughes have been on earth has proven to be a very effective counterweight.’

‘“I played the same way in Miami, it’s just more frowned upon there than it is here,’’ said Phillips, who returns to Miami Sunday with a chip on his shoulder as large as Gibraltar. “They’ve accepted me here and it’s only been smooth sailing.’’’

‘“They’ve made the most of their opportunities,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said of the two receivers who have combined to cut drastically into the playing time of the uninspiring and ineffective Kelvin Benjamin. “When the ball comes your way, it’s a critical time in the game. Those guys have done a good job so far and we’ve just got to keep improving with them.”’