Two Bills Drive

‘A question to ponder: Does beating the Patriots mean as much now that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are gone? You don’t need a Magic 8 ball to conclude all signs point to a Buffalo victory. Head coach Sean McDermott has traditionally feasted on rookie quarterbacks, and while New England’s Drake Maye has flashed promise, his supporting cast, in the words of the Grinch, stink, stank, stunk.’

‘Another week, another eye-popping performance by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, allowing him to create more separation in the NFL MVP race. Allen accounted for two touchdowns throwing and passing apiece, 362 yards passing and 68 yards rushing in the Bills’ 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 15 and he remains the runaway favorite for MVP.’

‘I’d say McDermott has grown more comfortable in his dealings with the media. That’s to be expected. He has been around a lot of us who cover the team for eight years now, so I’d like to think there is a comfort level that he has established with us that naturally wasn’t there in his early years as coach. That’s not to say he’s immune to criticism. He’s taken some of that, including from me with how he handled the end of the game against the Rams most recently. Overall, though, he seems very comfortable in the job, and maybe that’s what you’re seeing in his news conferences. The next challenge, and it’s the biggest, is to achieve a level of success in the postseason, and that would mean a trip to the Super Bowl.’

‘The enduring love and passion of that crowd – dogged, raucous loyalty that’s now part of the international football persona of this city – helps explain why these championship Bills still live in greater Buffalo, six decades later.’

‘Mr. Halpern represented the Bills organization and individual players from the team’s earliest days until Bill Polian became general manager in 1986. As counsel and team vice president, he negotiated player contracts, the lease on what was then Rich Stadium and business arrangements with the National Football League.’