Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘I’m not sure what he was trying to accomplish, especially having seen how futile his defense had been trying to stop Mahomes. Frazier just never dialed up pressure and he allowed Mahomes to play pitch and catch, and just as frustrating was the constant cushions he was allowing the Chiefs receivers.’

‘Coach Sean McDermott’s Bills, however, seemingly reverted to the Bills of yesteryear. You know, the pre-Stefon Diggs offense that used every ounce of energy to score 17 points.’

‘“I have some really good friends on that team and I was happy for them, but I’m in the place I need to be,” Morse back in August when the Bills opened training camp, the first time he spoke to reporters since the Chiefs’ victory. “I couldn’t be happier about that. Watching that game, I was happy for my friends. I know the work they had put in and couldn’t be happier for them.”’

‘My pick: Chiefs 30, Bills 27.’

‘Buffalo’s Dudley Meredith fumbled the opening kickoff, Jerrol Wilson recovered for Kansas City at the Bills 31, and three plays later Len Dawson faked a draw play and hit wide-open Fred Arbanas with a 29-yard TD pass just 1:43 into the game.’

‘“No matter what, my family is gonna come first, no matter what’s going on,” White said then when he was asked about weighing that against the very real possibility that the Bills, preseason AFC East favorites, could be in for a special year. “No matter how big of a season, I’m always going to put my kids first.”’

‘“The pressure is that to win the game you’ve got to score more than them and that’s exactly what it is,” he said. “They do such a good job of moving the ball and scoring, and it could be two plays over the top or it could be a 15-play drive where Patrick is just finding his outlets and using their RPOs. Their sights are the same as ours, one team is going to win and one team is going to go home, so we have to do everything in our power to make sure we’re the team surviving.”’

‘This was a team in almost nonstop disarray for 17 years before the tandem from Carolina took over the operation, and their handiwork has produced three playoff seasons in their four years on the job, topped by the 2020 team that ended Buffalo’s 25-year AFC East drought and has advanced to the title game for the first time in 27 years.’

‘Johnson, who had been the Bills’ primary nickel corner for most of the two-plus seasons leading to that rainy night at Bills Stadium, was benched against Patrick Mahomes and the explosive Chiefs, and deservedly so.’

‘Late in the game’s fourth quarter, as the Bills marched to just within field goal range, Héroux grabbed the bottle of bubbly. As Scott Norwood was lining up to attempt a 47-yard game-winning field goal, Héroux took the foil off the cap and untwisted the cage that held the cork in place. He was poised to pop the cork just as the pigskin sailed through the uprights.’

‘And you will notice one very weird thing: Not one of the plays I selected was made by a Bills’ offensive player. There are obviously great team and individual offensive performances through the years, but no one play that really stands out to me for a list like this.’

‘“I’ll kind of say the same thing I’ve said the last few weeks; I’m privileged and honored to be here and working for this organization,” he said. “Everything that I have and we have is focused on what we need to do this week which is a big game against Kansas City. I’m humbled, honored to have some opportunities … ultimate goal is to become a head coach one day, but that’s not on the agenda right now for me, it’s doing everything I can do to help our team be the best they can be this week, and that’s what it’s always been, that’s what have always be.”’

‘So now, Mahomes will be in the league’s concussion protocol for at least the early portion of the practice week, and there’s a possibility that he might not be able to play when the Bills come calling. That would mean Chad Henne, who has never started a playoff game in his 13-year NFL career, would be at the helm for Kansas City.’

‘“All throughout the week we had Isaiah run as our scout team quarterback,” said Hughes, who had big night with two sacks and six total pressures. “I think that gave us an excellent look. Somebody with the right amount of speed, because he’s probably just as fast, if not faster than Lamar. Throughout the week of practice it allowed us to really gauge our sights on how fast this quarterback will be and what he can do with his arm.”’

‘“I mean, the effort our defense put forward, I’m speechless,” said grateful center Mitch Morse. “The guys were on fire, they played with intensity, the game plan was sound, they were confident in it, and we needed them for four quarters tonight. Kudos to them, they played their tails off. We wouldn’t be in this position without them.”’