Two Bills Drive

'But Bills coach Sean McDermott called time out before the play. Atlanta stayed in its base personnel for fourth down. Buffalo switched its defensive line, subbing stouter defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Cedric Thornton for Jerel Worthy and Ryan Davis. Jerry Hughes and Lorenzo Alexander were at defensive end. Preston Brown and Matt Milano were the linebackers. But Johnson didn't re-enter the game.'

'"The coaches put together a good game plan across the board and they stayed with it," coach Sean McDermott said. "This is a tough place to play. They are the defending NFC Champions, with one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Things didn’t always go our way. We had some things we would like back so we have some work we have to do in that regard, but I am just extremely happy with the way the guys battled, they are a very resilient group."'

'They're playoff chum: It feels weird thinking about the playoff implications of the Bills' Week Five game in a year they were presumed to be rebuilding, but at 3-1 it's not crazy. The Bills have a viable path to 10 wins if they beat the Bengals (1-3), Jets (2-2), Chargers (0-4), Colts (1-2), and Dolphins (1-2) twice, plus one of Tampa/Oakland/New Orleans/Kansas City/New England (x2). Every mention of the Bills actually having a shot comes with obligatory reminders to, 1) pump the brakes, and 2) remember nothing ever goes this smooth in the NFL … but this scenario strikes me as not unrealistic. If the Bills are thinking playoffs, this is a game they have to have.'

' Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus played just 22 snaps in his first game back after missing Week Three because of an ankle injury. Dareus' snap count was the lowest of any player on defense. He did not record any statistics, and remains at one assisted tackle in three games.'

'The Bills got so many controversial calls Sunday you almost wondered if the officials were confused and thought they were the New England Patriots. And that may continue to happen because good teams customarily get more calls and the Bills are in the customary spot of the Patriots atop the AFC East standings.'

'Sunday's game started with a 30.9 rating, which is low by Bills standards. But it grew to a 37.1 at halftime and ended with a 41.5 rating.'

'“You need depth in this league to sustain winning and injuries are going to hit every team,’’ said McDermott, who set out to tackle his team’s latest challenge in the same process-oriented approach he always takes.'

'Matthews suffered a broken thumb against the Falcons that will require surgery and sideline him indefinitely. Coach Sean McDermott said Monday he would have a clearer handle on the time frame in a couple of days. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Matthews is expected to miss up to a month.'

'The Bills were well represented in Atlanta on Sunday. Videos showed fans together before and during the game and a fan took a shot of many Bills fans exiting the stadium.'

'Buffalo's kicker went 3-of-3 on field goals against the Atlanta Falcons in their 23-17 upset win over the defending NFC champions. Hauschka's first field goal was a chip shot from 24 yards out, but two kicks of over 50 yards helped Buffalo seal the game.'

'Stephon Gilmore had a poor game on Sunday. The cornerback was responsible for blown coverage on a touchdown to Fozzy Whittaker during New England's matchup against Carolina. Gilmore was temporarily benched after the mistake, but came back into the game after an injury to Eric Rowe.'

'"How do you handle winning?" McDermott said. "You go back and focus on the grind, the process of what got us to winning the first place. That's what winners do. That's what teams that are used to winning do. You focus on that process. What we talk about is 90-percent process, 10-percent result. That's where I expect us to be as of a few hours ago is to be focused on that process, focused on the Cincinnati Bengals. Learn from the film that the guys are watching as I speak. Celebrate the good and the things that are up to the standard of performance that we're looking for. And the things that aren't, we better get them corrected fast."'

'"I'd say hold your horses a little bit," Sean McDermott said after the game. "One step at a time. What more could you say? It's a great win, but it's the next game, the next win."'

'This injury will likely mean a bigger role in the passing game for running back LeSean McCoy and tight end Charles Clay, who already lead the team in receptions and yards.'

'Micah Hyde showed why he was the Bills' top priority in free agency this offseason. The safety had seven tackles (1 TFL) and two big interceptions for the Bills. Hyde won a jump ball for his first interception during the game and made a terrific catch off of a batted ball on his second interception. Through four weeks, Hyde and Jordan Poyer have emerged as one of the best safety tandems in the league.'