Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“Oh, he’s getting Edible Arrangements,” Hughes said with a laugh. “If he wants some Budweiser, he’s getting that. Whatever he wants, I’m going to be his Secret Santa for the rest of this week.”’

‘For now, the laughing ceases. The drought is over, and half a generation of sheer misery has been brought to a gleeful halt thanks to Buffalo’s 22-16 victory over Miami Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium, and Cincinnati’s somewhat stunning victory over the Ravens in Baltimore.’

‘“Andy Dalton, you heard it here first, I love you man, I love you,” said safety Micah Hyde once the media was allowed inside to witness the raucous celebration taking place.’

‘Give the Bills credit for sticking to Sean McDermott’s “process,” not only throughout the season, but in this game because it took all they had to stay focused on what was happening at Hard Rock Stadium and not worry about the proceedings in Baltimore. They certainly made their fans sweat with that scary fourth quarter, but Jordan Poyer’s interception eased the building tension. The Bills needed to take care of their own business, and they did it. Major props. Sayonara, drought.’

‘Someone is setting off fireworks in my neighborhood. Definitely #Bills related.’

‘How grateful? The team announced on Twitter that it is sending the Bengals chicken wings.’

‘Offensive lineman Ryan Groy, who was also listed as questionable, will also be available.’

‘We bring this all up because Sunday, for the first time since that Week 17 fiasco against the Steelers, the Bills are alive on the season’s final day, and they’re in a very similar situation. They need to beat the Dolphins, and then have one of two scenarios play out — the Bengals beating the Ravens, or the Chargers losing to the Raiders and the Titans losing to the Jaguars.’

‘RB LeSean McCoy on the mood around the team this week: “Just everybody’s dialed in. This is a must-win situation. Everybody’s put everything on the line and everybody knows the situation. I think you’ll see a team come out playing fast (and) playing hard.”’

‘Tyrod Taylor has played five games against Miami and he has 9 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 2 rushing touchdowns.’

‘Here are some key players who may not be with the Bills next year.’

‘Landry’s career is in full flourish. He has already surpassed 100 catches this season, and is within eight of breaking his own Dolphins single-season team record of 110 receptions set in 2015, while his 391 catches are the most in NFL history for a player in his first four seasons in the league. Heading into his free agent year, Landry figures to cash in big in 2018, and that $24,309 the league asked him to pay for the hit on Williams last year will look like chump change.’

‘It’s nearly a full 18 years since Kevin Dyson took that “lateral” from Frank Wycheck and ran 75 yards for a touchdown. That’s a long time, 18 years, so maybe you don’t remember what life was like back then. Here’s a refresher.’

‘Incredibly, the Bills have found a way to win three of the five games, which merely speaks to the level of competition. They caught the Chiefs in the midst of their puzzling slump (which Kansas City has now emerged from), and the Colts and Dolphins just flat out stink. The losses were both to the Patriots, who weren’t picky when it came to halves; they held the Bills without an offensive touchdown for all eight quarters.’

‘It’s tough to envision that second scenario happening because it involves two home teams losing. So, what Bills fans must hope for is that the Bengals somehow find it in their souls to play a great game for their outgoing coach, Marvin Lewis, and beat a division rival.’