‘Each team is averaging 28 points a game, tied for third-best in the NFL, hence the oddsmakers’ over/under of 53½ points.
Archives for January 22, 2022
As always, focus will be on Allen and Mahomes
‘Allen produced 42 touchdowns (36 passing, 6 rushing) and 5,170 yards (4,407 passing, 763 rushing, second on the team). Mahomes accounted for 39 touchdowns (37 passing, 2 rushing) and 5,220 yards (4,839 passing, 381 rushing).’
Flipping amazing: Bills’ Josh Allen undefeated in coin toss this season
‘Allen is undefeated when he gets to call the coin toss, going a perfect 8-0 in the traditional pregame ritual on the road, where the visiting team’s captain picks heads or tails at midfield and the referee flips a coin to determine which team receives the ball first.’
Bills linebacker Matt Milano’s instinctive play a boost to defense
‘“I think he’s had a really good season,” coach Sean McDermott said. “He’s a big part of our defense, he’s a big part of the edge of our defense, if you will, and just does a phenomenal job in the run and the pass game, which is hard to find for a linebacker that can do both so well at such a high level.”’
Giants hire Bills’ Joe Schoen as GM; interview Brian Daboll
‘First up is hiring a head coach. New York fired head coach Joe Judge last week after he went 10-23 over the past two years. The question is whether Schoen will seek to hire Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as head coach in hopes of developing quarterback Daniel Jones. According to a report earlier this week, the Giants are “very interested” in Daboll. Schoen and Daboll also worked together when Daboll spent one season as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator.’
Buffalo fans head to Kansas City as Bills and Chiefs renew acquaintances in a decades-old rivalry
‘Evan Davis, 36, said he hears the same thing from Chiefs fans in Kansas City, where he has lived since 2011. The South Dakota native, who defied his family to unexpectedly pick the early 1990s Buffalo Bills as his favorite team, said Buffalo and Kansas City fans endured long stretches of futility earlier in this century.’
Sean Kirst: In Cuba, celebrated artists team up to honor All-Snow Bills quarterback
‘To again capture such lightning demanded two basic elements: You needed success in the playoffs and you needed snow. Both arrived a few days ago in a big way, after the Bills swept past New England 47-17, closely followed by a snowstorm that zeroed in on Western New York.’
Erik Brady: A fight about a new stadium? If only Steve Weller and Phil Ranallo were here to write about it
‘The dome was supposed to be in Lancaster. The open-air stadium was supposed to be at the foot of Main Street. And now many of the old arguments are back, but without a couple of counterpunching columnists who duked it out in the public press back in the day.’
It’s a football party gone national. The Buffalo Bills have become regulars on prime time
‘Even in 2019, Allen’s first full season as a starter, the Bills came into the season with just the Thanksgiving Day game against Dallas as its lone prime time slot. That was the game where the Bills surprised the Cowboys and no doubt played a role (along with playoff implications) in the NFL’s decision to flex Buffalo’s game two weeks later against Pittsburgh into a Sunday night game. It was the first Sunday night game for Buffalo since 2007.’
Bills’ skill players much healthier for playoff rematch vs. Chiefs (What we’re watching)
‘Buffalo’s cornerbacks versus the Chiefs’ wide receivers should be the biggest concern for Bills fans heading into Sunday night. In their Week 5 matchup, Buffalo had Tre’Davious White shutting down a portion of the field. White is out for the season which means Levi Wallace and Dane Jackson will be responsible to slowing down the Chiefs’ outside receivers. The duo has done a good job for the most part since White was lost for the season, but Mahomes’ ability to keep plays alive with his legs outside of the pocket could lead to some breakdowns in the secondary.’
Giants hire Bills’ Joe Schoen as new general manager; could Brian Daboll be next?
‘Whoever the Giants hire as their next head coach will likely be tasked with trying to find away to save Jones’s career. If Daboll is the guy, his experience with developing Josh Allen in Buffalo would seem to be a big reason why. The Giants could also make a run at Mitchell Trubisky, who’s been in Buffalo with Daboll this season as Allen’s backup. Trubisky could be the backup play if Jones just isn’t the guy.’
The inside story of how Bills fan snuck sweet potato into a game; how it’s triggering Chiefs fans
‘Buffalo hasn’t lost since, and Lee’s been at every game with a sweet potato in his pocket.’
Jessica Pegula writes message to Bills on camera after win at Australian Open
‘Pegula, the daughter of Bills owners Kim and Terry Pegula, was wearing blue, white, and red as a show of support for her favorite NFL team on the biggest week of their season to date.’
Sullivan: Forget the Patriots. Chiefs poised to be Bills’ true rivas
‘It takes two top teams to tango, to constitute a genuine rivalry. There should be high stakes, a belief that both teams are capable of winning it all, which certainly was not the case when Tom Brady was dominating the Bills all those years.’
It’s a growing rivalry with the Bills’ road going through Kansas City again
‘Still, we get the rematch everyone wanted to see. From a Buffalo standpoint, it’s clear the defence is improved. Against the pass, it’s the best in football. Allen, meanwhile, may not have quite the numbers he had last year, but most believe he’s a more mature quarterback today and he certainly showed that last weekend against New England when he led his team to seven touchdowns on the Bills’ first seven possessions.’