Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘On December days, I always asked the fans how they survived the cold. “Layers, man,” they would say. “Dress in layers.” On this snowy Sunday, I have followed this advice, T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, down vest, coat, blanket, garbage bags, etc. Maybe enough, maybe not.’

‘”I didn’t post the photo until the ride home,” said Wittmeyer, a Brighton-based professional photographer. Minutes later, he said, his telephone started to thrum with vibrations, both from notifications of the photo’s use and from family and friends who were seeing it (in the instances when Wittmeyer was actually credited for the photo).’

‘The Ravens lost to the Steelers, blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead and falling to 7-6 in the process. Here’s the caveat for Baltimore, though: It could not have an easier finishing schedule with a game at Cleveland, home vs. the Colts, then at Cincinnati. It’s not hard to conclude the Ravens could run the table and get to 10-6.’

‘Beyond the news on Peterman, coach Sean McDermott didn’t have much more to share on the quarterback position because it’s too early in the week to make any true determinations. However, it is known that Taylor thought he was healthy enough to play against Indianapolis and that he wanted to play, so perhaps that’s an indication that he’ll be able to start against Miami, assuming Peterman can’t.’

‘We’ve seen the Lake Erie snow machine turned up full throttle many times but not so perfectly timed for a Bills game. The flakes fell like rain and after being whipped about with each puff of Old Man Winter’s cheeks, true blizzard conditions ensued, taking the game plans with it.’

‘The snow began falling about an hour before kickoff, and it was so intense that the field was soon covered, never to be seen again. From the press box, the huge scoreboard at the far end of the field could not be seen, and as warmups went on, the Colts, in their all-white uniforms, were invisible. The Bills wore their all-red color rush uniforms, and they were tough to make out, too.’

‘Given the rosters of these two teams, the Bills were clearly better, and this was a game I believe they would have won without much trouble on a normal day. Instead, the Colts would have won if not for a penalty that wiped out what would have been a game-deciding two-point conversion with 1:16 left.’

‘There aren’t many games where a team throws for 92 yards and I don’t type a capital F on the report card, but this was the game. Passing the ball was next to impossible, yet the Bills completed three tremendous passes, all of which played a major role in the victory. The first two came at the end of the first half on back-to-back plays, Nathan Peterman to Kelvin Benjamin for 21 yards on a critical third down, and then an 8-yard TD pass that gave the Bills the only points I thought they’d need. I was wrong, as the Bills needed an eye-popping 35-yard pass from Joe Webb to Deonte Thompson in overtime to set up McCoy’s winning run.’

‘Those three, all selected in the first two rounds, have played significant roles in a somewhat surprising 2017 season for the Bills, and they are being counted on to produce just like any veteran as the Bills continue their quest for a playoff berth. And later-round picks Matt Milano, Tanner Vallejo and Nathan Peterman have made varying contributions to a season that has already exceeded the expectations of some observers who thought the Bills would be out of playoff contention by Halloween and angling for a top 10 draft pick.’

‘The fact that they still have a road game at New England makes that scenario a bit unlikely, but the other three games are certainly winnable, and the first of those comes up Sunday at New Era Field when the Indianapolis Colts take up residence on the other sideline.’

‘McCoy is responsible for 57 of the Bills’ 203 first downs.’

‘Orchard Park, location of the Bill’s New Era Stadium, is among a number of locations placed under a winter storm watch by the National Weather Service. Forecasters say six to 10 inches of lake-effect snow could fall in persistent squall area Sunday and Sunday night.’

‘He’s the same guy who can’t execute a functional passing game when he’s healthy let alone with a bad knee that will reduce his mobility, so I’d rather watch Peterman get another shot, especially in a game where the odds won’t be completely stacked against him.’

‘“Big accomplishment, something I’m very proud of,” Reilly said. “They say better late than never, and I’m glad it came this season. I’m looking forward to seeing what my role is and seeing what I can do. There’s not many NFL receivers in the world, whether it’s practice squad or active. I got strong feelings for it. Don’t take any day for granted because you never know when it will be your last.”’

‘“There’s no timetable. I’m not going to get into the timetable on if he practices, if he doesn’t practice, what that means,” coach Sean McDermott said regarding Taylor, who hurt his knee on the first play against the Patriots, played into the fourth quarter, then took himself out. “Obviously today he’s not going to practice; Nate will get the reps. Joe (Webb) will also work. We’ll see, we’ll take it one day at a time.”’