Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Sal’s prediction: Buffalo Bills 30, Tennessee Titans 17.’

‘Cable/Network TV: ESPN with Steve Levy (play-by-play), Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky (analysts), and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter). With your TV subscription you can also watch on your phone or tablet on NFL.com, the NFL mobile app, ESPN.com, the ESPN mobile app, and ESPN Deportes.’

‘If you were there, you’ll never forget the emotion that erupted when the final gun sounded and the horror of that 0-for-the-1970s streak was snapped. Ferguson tried his best to make sure the streak lived as he threw five interceptions, but he directed a 68-yard go-ahead TD drive that was capped by his short TD pass to Roosevelt Leaks with 3:36 to go.’

‘Barkley ran for 164 yards on 18 carries and scored one touchdown, then also powered his way across the goal line for the game-winning two-point conversion on a shovel pass that was essentially the same thing as a run. Barkley broke runs of 33 and 68 yards, and the Giants finished with a whopping 238 yards and a 7.4 average per carry.’

‘“I would be the guy; they would come looking for A.J.,” said smiling defensive end A.J. Epensa, who has been the emergency long snapper since he came to the Bills as a second-round draft pick in 2020.’

‘Outside of the Chiefs, who have certainly had the better of the Bills, if there’s one other team that can make that claim, it’s the Titans who have beaten Buffalo in back-to-back seasons, both in Nashville.’

‘As the Bills get ready to host Tennessee in their home opener Monday night, you can expect a similar mode of attack because the Titans have their own game-wrecker, and he’s a guy Bills fans should be painfully aware of: Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.’

‘Outside of the Chiefs, who have certainly had the better of the Bills, if there’s one other team that can make that claim, it’s the Titans who have beaten Buffalo in back-to-back seasons, both in Nashville.’

‘“We needed to win one game and just put our best foot forward,” quarterback Josh Allen said, minimizing the whole statement win discussion. “Try to execute the way we know we can, execute and just try to win a game. That’s what coach McDermott preaches.”’

‘The defensive line was dominant. They obliterated the Rams front and sacked Stafford seven times with Von Miller making his Buffalo debut a smashing one with two, and A.J. Epenesa and Jordan Phillips adding 1.5 each. Even Boogie Basham got into the act as he had a sack plus tipped a pass in the air and caught it for an interception.’

‘How Allen’s Bills respond this year is one of the most intriguing aspects of the NFL season which gets underway in Los Angeles Thursday night with Buffalo playing the defending Super Bowl champion Rams.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Buffalo Bills 33, Los Angeles Rams 24.’

‘“There is no weakness. I can’t sit here and say, ‘Well, if you do this …’ It’s Aaron Donald, he’s the greatest football player that I’ve ever played with. And he’s one of the greatest football players that ever played this game and that’s counting all the greats and all the football gods that have come through here. Aaron Donald is one of those.”’

‘“I always wanted to be a quarterback. Just imagine me playing quarterback, the same Von Miller I am today. Same personality. You just take the five off (his old uniform number 58 in Denver), or you just take the eight off … ”’

‘Martin was a fifth-round draft pick of the Lions in 2013 and spent the first seven years of his career in Detroit, meaning he got an awful lot of work. For the last two seasons he has been with the Broncos.’