Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘▶ QB Lamar Jackson: He gets a little better every year, and while he’s always a major threat as a runner − and really, he is the Ravens run game at this point − Jackson has become a much more refined passer. That was the part that everyone thought would always hold him back, but he’s dropping dimes these days and it puts him into that Josh Allen category as a true elite dual threat.’

‘That they nearly won it using players you would normally only see in a preseason game speaks volumes for not only how deep and talented the Bills are, but the rather enormous amount of grit and guts that they have.’

‘The Bills have to figure out a way to run the ball because Allen can’t be asked to throw 63 passes every week, let alone tack on his eight runs for 47 yards. He needs help, and right now, the running game is not doing it.’

‘So this leaves the Bills with this starting group in the secondary to go against the prolific Miami pass catching duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle: Rookie cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford, and young and mostly unproven safeties JaQuan Johnson and Damar Hamlin.’

‘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.’