Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘OK, it’s not all luck that has allowed the Chiefs to win their first nine games because they are a great team. But yeah, they’ve certainly had some things break their way to get them to 9-0.’

‘Coach Sean McDermott said Monday that wide receiver Keon Coleman will not play in the game, though that was expected. There has not been a decision made on whether Coleman will go on injured reserve, but for now, it seems like with the bye coming after Kansas City, the Bills are trying to avoid that.’

‘For the first time since 1993, the Bills have won eight of their first 10 games. In a weird slice of symmetry, that season, Buffalo played the Chiefs in their 11th game, that one was in Kansas City, and Joe Montana outdueled Jim Kelly in a 23-7 Chiefs victory.’

‘But Allen somehow found a way to get the Bills past a pesky Colts team because he made just enough of those Allen-esque plays to will Buffalo to a 30-20 victory over the turnover-plagued Colts.’

‘I wasn’t enamored with Joe Brady’s play-calling in the first half, but he got more in line in the second half. Same for Bobby Babich who had a few challenging moments in the first half, but dialed up a great plan in the second as the Bills limited the Colts to a garbage time TD with two seconds remaining.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 26, Colts 19.’

‘When Allen was still a junior in high school, Flacco was leading the Ravens to their Super Bowl victory in January 2013 over the 49ers, winning game MVP honors in the process.’

‘Coleman was spotted wearing a brace on his right wrist after the game. He reportedly underwent an MRI on Monday. McDermott would not get into specifics, but when he was asked about how long he could be out, “that remains to be seen at this point.” He added that a stint on injured reserve has not been ruled out, but he’s hoping that won’t be necessary. If he were to go on the injured reserve list, it would mean he’d have to miss at least four games and thus wouldn’t be eligible to return until the Dec. 15 game in Detroit.’

‘“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.’