‘Hanging over Buffalo is the fact that it has lost its last six postseason games.’
Archives for January 8, 2021
Lots at stake for Reich’s ‘homecoming’
‘As for tomorrow’s game, Reich admitted, “I’d rather be the No. 1 seed, but I do feel good about our team. The pressure is not on us. We should be loose. We should be aggressive. We should be freed up to play our best game of the year against a really good football team. In reality, no one’s going to give us a chance (Buffalo is favored by 6½ points). It’s that us-against- the-world mentality, and that’s all you need. I don’t care what seed we are. We’re the No. 7 seed, big deal. We’ve got to seize the opportunity. This is the first year for a seventh seed (due to the Covid-19-expanded playoffs). Well, let us be the first No. 7 seed to win a world championship.”’
Bills hope to slow down major roll of Colts rookie Jonathan Taylor
‘“I think it’s going to be a challenge this week,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “They’ve got a couple first-round picks up front, and their interior offensive line does a great job. I think we’re going to be challenged as a defense. They like to set the line of scrimmage.”’
Inside the Bills: How the deal for Stefon Diggs ranks among top trades in team history
‘Diggs is a perfect fit for the Bills. His skill set matches perfectly with quarterback Josh Allen. Any concerns about his unhappiness in Minnesota carrying over to his new home haven’t come to fruition. It’s hard to be too upset as a receiver, after all, when you get 166 targets and your team wins 13 games.’
X’s and O’s: Bills must keep DeForest Buckner from ruining pocket
‘The Colts have one of the top-five inside linebackers in the NFL in Darius Leonard. Their other nickel linebacker, Bobby Okereke, is well above average, with 4.58 speed in the 40. (Matt Milano runs 4.67). Let those two cover massive space underneath, get pressure with the front four and make the quarterback hang onto the ball until the heat gets home.’
Bills’ receivers Cole Beasley, Stefon Diggs questionable for AFC wild-card game
‘”I appreciate where he’s coming from,” coach Sean McDermott told reporters before practice when asked about Diggs’ assurance. “At the end of the day, I’m always concerned when guys are in the training room, no matter who it is.”‘
Bills QB Josh Allen named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December
‘For the month, Allen threw for 1,516 yards with 15 touchdowns and a 117.5 passer rating in the final five games. He also had 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.’
How will Bills fare in wild-card game against the Indianapolis Colts?
‘The Bills’ defense has shown its vulnerability against outstanding rushers, but it should have little trouble getting after 39-year-old Philip Rivers, who has virtually no mobility and has a history of struggling in cold weather and forcing turnovers. The Bills also have exceptional coaching in all phases. Bills, 30-23.’
View from Vegas: Despite the 7-point spread, expect Bills-Colts to be close
‘Meanwhile, quarterback Philip Rivers is 6-2 against the spread as a playoff underdog, and 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread in his career against the Bills.’
Even Steve Tasker, a self-described Bills ‘homer,’ underestimated the Bills
‘“I was just like everybody else,” said Tasker. “I didn’t think he would have to be this good because I thought the Bills defense would be a different defense than it was.”‘
Erie County will watch for restaurant violations during Bills playoff game
‘Health inspectors will be deployed during the game to enforce the state’s restrictions, the health commissioner said.’
Erik Brady: 40 years after injury derailed Super Bowl hopes, Joe Ferguson remains a Bill at heart
‘“That was our chance, right there, for my group to get there,” he says. “It’s a shame it happened the way it did.”’
When the 1988 Bills stare into the mirror, in many ways it’s the 2020 Bills staring back
‘Coming off a 2-14 season in 1984, Bills general manager Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack and his duties were transferred to a guy named Bill Polian. Polian had made a name for himself as a scout in the NFL, CFL and USFL, but he’d never held a GM role until Ralph Wilson put him in charge in Bledsoe’s stead early in 1985.’
For Pinto Ron and Bills Mafia, playoff ‘fandemonium’ gets a pandemic spin
‘”I’ve put an asterisk on my streak right now where I say that I’ve been to 426 games in a row that have fans,” said Johnson, who lives in the town of Greece. “But I have to get into the games that have fans to continue that.”‘
Colts’ Darius Leonard out to prove he’s better than Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds in Wild Card game
‘“I want to outplay them and show the opposing team what they could have had. If you think that guy is better than me, I want to go out and prove that I’m better,” Leonard said. “(Edmunds is) a great linebacker. We were at the Pro Bowl together, he’s a great guy. But on the field, I’m competing. I’m competing against the opposing offense, and I’m competing against him. Because I have a point to prove. Every linebacker who you all say is better than me, I want to go out each and every week to show that I can be better and I can outwork him.”’