Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Of course, it certainly helped Brady that he had Joe Burrow at quarterback throwing an FBS record 60 touchdown passes on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. And Brady could scheme Burrow’s passes to future NFL star wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, and he could call running plays for Clyde Edwards-Helaire who piled up 1,400 yards on the ground behind an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best offensive line unit.’

‘The Bills are sitting in 10th place in the AFC standings in mid-November, behind teams like the Texans and Colts, and with the same number of losses as the Jets, Raiders and Broncos. If anyone saw that coming, I sure hope you played the lottery, too.’

‘And so rather than walking off the field with a wholly undeserved victory, the Bills swallowed one of their worst losses of the Sean McDermott/Josh Allen era.’

‘On offense, Ken Dorsey is the most unpopular man in Buffalo. His offense is a disaster right now, and he did not have nearly enough answers against a Denver defense that, while not as bad as it was against Miami, certainly isn’t one of the league’s better groups. The four turnovers were not the product of bad play calls, though, those are on the players.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 23, Broncos 16.’

‘Obviously, the Bills need to beat the 3-5 Broncos, who are one of only two teams left on Buffalo’s schedule with a sub-.500 record (the Patriots are the other, and they’ve already beaten the Bills). There cannot be a repeat of that debacle against New England because a loss to Denver – given the difficulty of the games ahead – could be a death knell for Buffalo’s playoff chances.’

‘Ford was supposed to give the Bills a reliable three-technique backup to Ed Oliver in the D-line rotation. Instead, he has been inactive for four games and when he has played, he has registered only four pressures and seven tackles while grading out poorly against the run according to PFF.’

‘“That was pretty awesome, pretty elite,” A.J. Epenesa said of Joseph’s performance. “I found out he was a 14-year vet when he got here and just was able to bounce some questions off him, see him work and it’s understandable why he’s been doing it for so long because he’s just a pro when it comes to every aspect.”’

‘I’m sure Miller was pressuring the Bills to activate him, but there was zero reason to do it. They had a 21-day practice window before they had to activate him after he came off PUP, so what was the rush? At the time the Bills were 3-1, their pass rush was going bonkers, and they didn’t need Miller to get into the lineup at far below 100%.’

‘“Well, I get it. I understand everyone’s frustration, I absolutely do,” he said regarding the criticism that has been lobbed at Dorsey at times this season, and certainly the screaming that took place Sunday night and then in the Monday aftermath. “And we’re working extremely hard to make the adjustments we have to make. And Ken is doing the same. So I remain confident in Ken and our offensive staff, and we continue to work hard at improving and getting the results we need.”’

‘However, as the Bills wrap up a string of three consecutive prime-time games when they host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, America’s football fans may be rolling their eyes and saying “enough of the Bills already.”’

‘While their inferiority against Cincinnati is still in its infancy, it is very real, and the simple truth is that the Bengals are just a bad matchup for the Bills. Obviously, they have a quarterback in Joe Burrow who is every bit the equal to Buffalo’s Josh Allen and hey, don’t shoot the messenger here, but he may be better.’

‘They still have road games at Philadelphia, Kansas City, the Chargers and Miami, plus home games against the Jets and Cowboys. Maybe the Broncos next week and Patriots on New Years’ Eve (who they’ve already lost to) will be easier marks, but where are there five or six wins for this team in that gantlet?’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bengals 27, Bills 20.’

‘Sunday night, the teams will meet once again in Cincinnati and barring any medical emergencies, America should be in store for quite a matchup of two teams that are certainly Super Bowl contenders but who have struggled through some inconsistencies through the first half of the 2023 season.’