Archives for January 5, 2025

‘The MVP is usually a one-player race. Not this year. For at least a month, the deck has cleared for Allen and Jackson – two 20-something quarterbacks at the peak of their play-making powers. The joy Bills fans get every week watching No. 17 is similar to that of Ravens fans when they watch No. 8.’

‘The Bills will use Sunday’s game to get a deeper look at some players who don’t play as many snaps as they gear up for the playoffs. That evaluation will include a couple of practice squad players. McDermott’s only qualm with playing practice squad players is that he can’t play more; the Bills are able to elevate just two. “Those players, all the practice squad players that you guys see out there every week, they bust their butts, they work extremely hard, and they deserve – they’ve earned, really, the right, all of them, to play this week,” McDermott said. “It’s a shame that they can’t play due to the number counts.”

‘8-2 – The Bills have won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Patriots. But the Bills still have a long way to go to catch up in the series. The Pats hold a 78-51-1 edge thanks to 20 years of dominance in the Tom Brady era.’

‘The Bills will wisely sit as many starters as possible. They should give running back James Cook a series or two to get the 19 yards he needs to reach 1,000 for the season, and give Cook a chance to tie the franchise single-season record for rushing touchdowns, which was set by O.J. Simpson in 1975 with 16. The other thing to watch from a record standpoint is which Bills receiver can catch a touchdown pass for the first time this season, becoming the 14th different member of the team and setting a new NFL mark. My money is on Reggie Gilliam. An interesting subplot is the Patriots clinch the No. 1 overall draft pick with a loss. New England has more incentive to lose than either team does to win. Are Buffalo’s backups good enough to beat New England’s starters? We’ll get the answer to that question. Bills, 20-17.’

‘Allen is the only quarterback with a season of at least 28 touchdown passes and 12 rushing touchdowns (2023 and 2024) and has led the Bills to wins over two of the top three teams in the league (Kansas City and Detroit).’

‘Anyway, the Bills having just two Pro Bowlers leaves me with a couple takeaways. No. 1, James Cook deserved a spot on the AFC roster over Houston’s Joe Mixon. No. 2, It generally speaks to the selflessness on the roster. It’s true that the Bills don’t have a receiver or tight end with gaudy statistics. Defensively, I thought Christian Benford deserved more consideration than he received, but a former sixth-round draft pick who plays in a small market is fighting an uphill battle in that regard. The recognition for Benford will come in time.’