Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Sal’s prediction: Buffalo Bills 35, Miami Dolphins 27.’

‘If that isn’t enough to give you the shakes, both Buffalo safeties – Jordan Poyer (foot) and Micah Hyde (neck), who form perhaps the best duo in the league – did not practice Thursday and their status seems questionable at best. If they can’t play, it’s JaQuan Johnson and Damar Hamlin as the last line of defense.’

‘“Once you and your opponent were in the end zone near the tunnel, you confronted him and immediately swung at him with a closed fist, striking the head of a Tennessee coach. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”’

‘Buffalo also lost safety Micah Hyde (neck), defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (hamstring) and linebacker Matt Milano (stinger), and it is uncertain what the status of any of these players will be for the showdown in Miami. Sean McDermott had no updates on Tuesday.’

‘The Titans have just been a physically tough matchup with their powerful ground game and stout defense. That is, until Monday night as the Bills ran them out of the stadium in a memorable home opener that featured yet another virtuoso performance from the firm of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, and a dominant defensive effort that throttled Derrick Henry and forced four turnovers.’

‘The Bills have been one of the most fortunate teams in the NFL the past two years when it comes to injuries, but these things always seem to even out and two weeks into a season filled with Super Bowl aspirations, the Bills are already facing some trouble.’

‘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.”’