‘”Early in the week, we had an idea it was going to work out that way. Short week, but it was something that we talked about,” Leslie Frazier said. “That Wednesday before we left to go to Detroit, we had conversations and in every conversation, you can see the excitement within (Tre)… so there was a level of comfort there and we were all excited and then he goes out and he plays extremely well.”‘
BillsBeat - November 26, 2022
BillsBeat - November 25, 2022
Observations: Von Miller's injury looms large after Bills' gutty Thanksgiving Day win
‘Head coach Sean McDermott came out to check on Miller, who remained on one knee for several minutes as athletic trainers spoke to him. After walking off the field without much assistance, Miller went into the medical tent on the Bills’ sideline. After emerging, he briefly took a seat on the Bills’ bench before being carted back to the locker room. The Bills announced a short time later that Miller would not return to the game.’
Ryan O'Halloran: A fun development for Bills? Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs getting back to having it
‘When the Bills needed Allen to be at his best, he delivered. When they needed Diggs to win his one-on-one matchup or find a seam in the coverage, he delivered. And when the offensive line, which began the game without center Mitch Morse (ankle) and played the second half minus left tackle Dion Dawkins (ankle), needed to give Allen time to throw, they delivered.’
'He lifts everybody else up': Tre'Davious White returns to Bills' lineup in limited fashion
‘“I told him, ‘You the man. You’ve been the man, you’re gonna stay the man, stay confident, and it’s your game,’ ” Diggs said. “I told him: ‘It was a game you’ve been playing since you were a child. You know, treat it that way. Welcome back – the game missed you.’”’
How It Happened: Top plays, standout players from Bills' 28-25 win over the Detroit Lions
‘Already without center Mitch Morse, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and edge rushers Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, the Bills lost top pass rusher Von Miller (knee) and left tackle Dion Dawkins (ankle) in the first half. No matter, the Bills found a way to enter December with an 8-3 record.’
Three questions: Thoughts on the Bills' survival, injuries and offensive struggles
‘A win is a win. A win on a short week is a good win. A win after you had only two full practices in two weeks is a an even better win.’
Plays that shaped the game: Josh Allen's cannon arm comes to the rescue in Detroit
‘Diggs was running from the right slot against cornerback Will Harris, who was in a trail coverage technique on Diggs’ outside hip. Diggs gave Harris a fake to the outside to get him out of the way. Allen took a peek toward Gabe Davis running up the left seam to hold the safety on that side, DeShon Elliott. The play put the ball at the Lions’ 39, and three plays later the Bills kicked the winning field goal.’
Report Card: Not every win is going to be pretty, but this one was big for the Bills
‘Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was taking a beating on social media for much of Thursday’s game, which is typical. At about this time last year, Brian Daboll was going through the same thing. Dorsey hasn’t shown a ton of creativity, but his unit came through at the end when it mattered most. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier had to start sending more pressure because the edge rushers weren’t consistently getting Goff off his spot. The Bills definitely have some work to do defensively, but Frazier is coaching quite shorthanded with all the injuries on his side of the ball. Sean McDermott is now 3-0 on Thanksgiving. The Bills handled both end-of-half situations well with the clock, which ended up being huge to the outcome. A lot has been thrown at the team over the past week, and in that time, it’s 2-0. Not every win is going to be pretty.’
Buffalo Bills survive crazy fourth quarter to beat Detroit Lions in Thanksgiving Day game
‘The math never changes in regards to the NFL standings, so when you win a game, it counts as one win. Nothing more.’
Buffalo Bills report card: They leave Detroit with another win, but the grades aren't great
‘Again, part of coaching is getting your team to overcome adversity and given all that has gone on over the last 7-8 days, Sean McDermott deserves credit for coaching the Bills to two victories under trying circumstances. And let’s not overlook the fact that having all three timeouts at the end of the game was hugely important. But each side of the ball had issues that need to be addressed.’
For the Bills, it wasn’t ‘how,’ but ‘how many’
‘A loss would have virtually dashed their hopes of recapturing a shot at homefield throughout the playoffs and, indeed, might well have jeopardized their postseason chances in a cluttered conference.’
Oliver’s big game included safety, sack
‘Defensive tackle Ed Oliver recorded Buffalo’s initial safety of the season when he dumped Lions quarterback Jared Goff for an end zone sack. It was the first Bills’ safety since wide receiver Jake Kumerow logged one, on special teams, in last season’s finale against Atlanta. Oliver has 1.5 sacks on the season.’
Bills do something in five days that Lions haven’t been able to do since 2016
‘In doing so, Buffalo won back-to-back games at Ford Field. It was the first time a team has been able to accomplish this feat in back-to-back weeks since the Detroit Lions were able to do so in 2016.’
Bills’ Josh Allen does something no other QB has done in NFL history on Thanksgiving
‘By defeating the Lions 28-25 in the early Thanksgiving Day timeslot, Allen moved to 3-0 on Thanksgiving and became the first quarterback in NFL history to win the three timeslots on the holiday.’
Here’s what Stefon Diggs said to Josh Allen after Bills’ game-winning drive
‘“That’s like my real sibling. My little, big brother. He’s huge and all, but that’s still my little brother,” Diggs said. “I can tell that he has that energy that’s contagious. And I never want him to ever display bad body language. He’s so hard on himself because he’s a great player.”’