Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 27, Commanders 16.’

‘Play-by-play: Andrew Catalon. Analysts: Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan. Sideline reporter: AJ Ross.

‘The storm is forecast to bring heavy rain and high winds to the mid-Atlantic region, and tornadoes are even a possibility along with flooding and storm surge along the coast. While the winds are expected to die down in time for the 1 p.m. kickoff against the Commanders, it will most likely be raining for part, or most of the game.’

‘When asked if he loves Jesus, Kelly answers with the enthusiasm Bills fans love him for. “Yeeesss I do!”, he says with conviction.’

‘If you were building a team from scratch, this is the defensive line you would craft. Young is 6-foot-5, Sweat is 6-6 and with their length, power, athleticism and speed, they not only can create havoc in the pocket, they tighten the throwing lanes with their wing spans. On the inside, Payne is a 320-pound brick wall against the run, and Allen is a 6-3, 300-pounder who excels against the run but also pushes the pocket as his 34.5 career sacks since 2017 would attest.’

‘Oliver played outstanding in the loss to the Jets and the victory over Raiders. He has totaled eight QB pressures with one sack and two QB hits, has six total tackles, five of which were considered by Pro Football Focus as “stops,” meaning a tackle that constituted a “failure” for the offense.’

‘Allen completed 31 of 37 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns in Buffalo’s 38-10 victory. Obviously, that’s a heck of a day, but there have been times when Allen won this award where he was putting up 400 yards passing and four or five touchdowns.’

‘Let’s take a look at where the Bills are in the latest round of power rankings…’.

‘With the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles and the currently rolling Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East, the Washington Commanders don’t seem to have much of a chance to win that stacked division. However, two weeks into the 2023 season Ron Rivera’s team is right there, tied for the lead with those two powerhouses at 2-0 after a thrilling 35-33 victory over the Denver Broncos Sunday.’

‘Allen claims he didn’t see any of the media coverage of the Jets game, and all the barbs he received, and I don’t believe that for a second. These guys see almost everything, and don’t ever think that they don’t. So I think that was part of what drove Allen to be great against the Raiders, the joy of spitting it right back in everyone’s face. You thought I was terrible? Well, watch this.’

‘Ken Dorsey will never not get heat, even in victories. It’s just the way it is for offensive coordinators. For instance, I hated his play call on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the second quarter when it was still a 14-10 game. He had Allen in shotgun when he should have been under center and sneaking it in.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 31, Raiders 17.’

‘But Josh Allen essentially handed New York that game, and now the Raiders come to Orchard Park, an improved team from last season but also a team that is not expected to be playing postseason football come January. The Bills are the clear-cut favorite and they need to take care of business and get their season headed in the right direction.’

‘One of the popular theories was that Josh Allen’s propensity for turning the ball over was going to continue because he simply can’t – or won’t – pull back the reins on some of his reckless decision making. In turn, that would lead to the Bills’ narrow Super Bowl window closing even further.’

‘Benford’s all-out hustle saved the Bills four points because the defense stiffened and forced a field goal which tied the game at 3-3. It didn’t end up mattering in the final result, a 22-16 overtime loss, but plays like that can often determine the outcome of games.’