Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“To be honest, I just listen to what the trainer says and when he gets the green light, that’s when he’s playing and we haven’t gotten that to this point,” McDermott said of Cooper. “All the while, somebody else has to step up for Keon (Coleman, who is ruled out) and if Amari can’t go.”’

‘All of those players were jettisoned, and now, halfway through a season in which the Bills are cruising to a fifth straight division crown, it’s as good a time as any to analyze how those moves have panned out.’

‘Jefferson, who played for the Bills in 2020, was with the Browns this season where he played in five games but was inactive for four. On his 140 snaps, some on the edge and some on the interior, he made six tackles and one sack and his Pro Football Focus grades were not good against either the run or pass.’

‘However, while it would take an all-time collapse for the Bills to blow this, I always remind people that nothing is over until it’s over. Who knows what might happen in the next two months, with critical injuries always a possibility in the violent world of the NFL, injuries (such as one to Josh Allen) that could derail the Bills in a hurry.’

‘However, while the Bills have not officially announced it, 32-year-old Jordan Phillips could be running it back with the Bills – at least according to his own Instagram post.’

‘The Bills were already without wide receiver Amari Cooper due to a wrist injury as he was inactive for the game, and it’s unknown how serious that is, or whether he can return for the Colts game. The same held true for Christian Benford who sat out with a wrist injury.’

‘Still, for the Colts’ offense to hum, it needs to be effective on the ground. That was certainly the case when Richardson was playing, and it remains so with Flacco under center. The Colts were not able to get Jonathan Taylor rolling against the Vikings (13 carries, 48 yards) and he’ll need to be much better against a Bills defense that plays the pass well, but is not at all strong against the run. The Bills allow the seventh-worst yards per run average (4.8) and have given up 35 runs of at least 10 yards, fifth-most in the NFL. Offensive balance will be imperative for the Colts, and Taylor is the key to that.’

‘Then you mix in the fact that Miami was so overdue to get one over on the Bills after losing 12 of the 14 games between the teams since Sean McDermott took over as head coach in Buffalo, it felt like it was Miami’s time and sure enough, the Dolphins played their best game of the season.’

‘Not a great day for the offensive line as it struggled to move the Dolphins out of the way. James Cook had just 44 yards on 10 carries, one of them a 13-yarder, while Ty Johnson had 17 of his 23 yards on one carry. Those helped inflate the Bills’ average per carry to 4.9 yards, but it was not easy out there.’

‘Here are the three positions the Bills might want to explore…’.

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 30, Dolphins 19.’

‘Play-by-play: Kevin Harlan. Analyst: Trent Green. Sideline reporter: Melanie Collins.’

‘McDermott said that wide receivers Amari Cooper and Curtis Samuel, linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford, will all have a chance to play.’

‘There is some nuance to the Bills’ pass rushing metrics. They rank just 17th in the NFL in pressure rate at 33.1%, and are 19th in sack percentage at 6.4%, but that’s partially because the Bills blitz at the fourth-lowest rate in the league at 18%. Because they are routinely rushing with four against five offensive linemen and an occasional chip from a back or tight end, that makes it tough to get home.’

‘NFL Hall of Famer Andre Reed and Buffalo native Chad Michael Murray are stepping in as executive producers for the upcoming series, ‘Just One Before I Die.’ The show will explore the loyal and passionate fanbase as they continue supporting the Buffalo Bills in their pursuit of that elusive Super Bowl victory.’