Archives for January 16, 2021

‘They did it last year and even if their defense isn’t performing as well as it did in 2019, the unit has shown steady improvement through the latter portion of the season. There were some breakout runs allowed in last weekend’s wild-card win against the Indianapolis Colts, but the Bills also were more concerned with not allowing Philip Rivers to beat them with his passing arm.’

‘The Bills hit the jackpot when they selected Milano out of Boston College with a fifth-round pick in 2017. The former safety turned weakside linebacker earned a starting job by the end of his rookie year and in four seasons has established himself as a dynamic contributor in Buffalo’s defensive scheme, developing into a fast, powerful and intelligent player capable of stopping the run, clogging passing lanes and pressuring the quarterback into mistakes. But it’s been difficult, at times, to bank on his availability.’

‘The Ravens will have a fast defensive back blitzing in a five-man rush drop defensive linemen drop back into coverage. It’s a fire zone, often overloading one side of the line, and it’s on Josh Allen to recognize an unblocked edge rusher. It requires the Ravens’ linebackers and safeties to adjust on the fly. The Ravens play dime (six DBs) a lot. They’ll play three men deep, three underneath (one fewer than normal for Cover 3) and have five rush. There will be mismatches to exploit underneath.’

‘Prediction: Bills 27, Ravens 24.’

‘That’s made for an unusual week for Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who will be going up against the team that employs his son. Corey Frazier works as a pro scout in the Baltimore Ravens’ front office.’

‘Ultimately, though, if he gets the right offer, I think he goes. It won’t be to the Jets, who hired Robert Saleh on Thursday. Daboll and Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco were at St. Francis at the same time. Full disclosure (as if you didn’t already know this), but I am also a St. Francis graduate. I can tell you that the family atmosphere at the school is real. They would be comfortable working together. Daboll also would have a chance to work with quarterback Justin Herbert, who is coming off a dynamite rookie season and looks to have a very bright future. If I had to put money on it, I’d say that’s where Daboll ends up.’

‘“He’s like everyone else,” said Pfeiffer, an occupational therapist at Father Baker. “It’s been a really long year, and the Bills – doing what they’re doing right now – just feel like what he needs, because everybody needs a reason to hope.”’

‘”For a small Western New York business, there’s really nothing that can elevate your profile to a national level more than working with the Bills,” Oxford co-founder David Horesh said in an interview, adding, “You get to make stuff that the world sees.”‘

‘Not good. Buffalo, objectively speaking, had offered the stronger resume: the Bills were more successful on the field and at the gate. Among the factors that weighed against them? Chicago Bears owner George Halas carried a grudge from the 1921 NFL season, when the Buffalo All-Americans alleged that he had stolen a championship from them – which is kind of crazy, when you think about it, because the bad feelings should have been all on Buffalo’s side.’

‘The 6,7000 rowdy, raucous fans in Bills Stadium seemed, and sometimes sounded, like tenfold that. Mostly well-dressed in Zubaz and war paint, and well-behaved, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the same will be allowed this week. Bills Mafia watching on TV around the world held their collective breath on the last play and then exhaled, exhilarated.’