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‘”He’s a great player,” Brady said. “He has been kind of playing that really unique style — part quarterback, mostly quarterback, but he’s got that running ability and they give him a lot of quarterback runs and he does a great job with it. He’s a real threat back there.”‘

‘You do have to give the Bills credit for clawing their way back into this game, but they didn’t do themselves any favorite throughout the evening. One of the more noticeable things that was lacking by Buffalo to begin the game was a running game. They didn’t have a single running back carry throughout the first half, which made them the first team since 1991 to do so. When they finally did give a running back a carry it came on a fake punt attempt in the opening drive of the third quarter, which resulted in a 3-yard loss. That play was one of a number of questionable decisions by Sean McDermott throughout this game.’

‘Buffalo returns to the field next Sunday, when the Bills will host the Panthers (5-8), who’ve now lost three straight after falling to the Falcons on Sunday. In the event Allen is unable to practice ahead of — or play in — the Week 15 matchup, Buffalo would likely turn to backup Mitchell Trubisky as an emergency starter under center.’

‘The Bills didn’t hand the ball off to a running back once in the first half against Tampa, and became the first team since 1991 that played an entire first half with no carries registered by a running back, per Scott Pioli. Quarterback Josh Allen was the only Bill who ran the ball, as he recorded four carries for 43 yards in the first two quarters.’

‘Score: Buccaneers 31, Bills 24.’

‘A seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech in the 1986 NFL Draft, Pike — listed as a defensive lineman — would become one of the greatest special teams players in the history of the Bills and an integral part of their dominant units of the 1990s. On a special teams unit that starred the legendary Steve Tasker, Pike’s speed and ability to run combined with his size as a defensive lineman made him especially effective at running through blocks and making plays as part of Buffalo’s coverage units.’

‘Defensively, the Patriots continued to come up in the clutch, including a key a red-zone stand in the final minutes of the fourth quarter where they forced three-straight incompletions by Josh Allen that resulted in a turnover on downs that effectively eliminated any chance of comeback for the Bills. Allen finished his night completing 50% of his throws for 145 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 39 yards as well. This loss now pushes the Bills down to the No. 7 seed in the AFC.’

‘Things don’t get any easier this coming week as the Bills travel to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with another matchup against Belichick and the Patriots looming on Dec. 26, so the sooner they can cure whatever infected their mojo in Week 6 and beyond, the better. Currently sitting at 7-5 on the year and falling further behind a surging Patriots team, it’s either go time for Buffalo, or go home time.’

‘The Weather Channel forecasts just a 9 percent chance of rain or snow, with temperatures only dropping to the mid- or high-30s, but predicts steady and strong winds throughout the afternoon and evening — regularly above 20 miles per hour. The high-wind warning, in effect until 7 p.m. Eastern, projects southwest winds between 25-35 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. Widespread power outages are also anticipated as a result of the high winds.’

‘”He doesn’t get fooled much by anything. It’s really, really impressive to watch how he’s developed there.”‘

‘White was originally drafted by the Bills with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he became an immediate starter in Sean McDermott’s defense. He was an All-Pro in 2019 when he recorded six interceptions, which was tied for first in the league, and was named a second team All-Pro in 2020.’

‘They know how to play offense. Josh Allen got himself into trouble a few times in the first half, forcing some short passes and getting picked twice as a result, but otherwise, he slung it with both authority and accuracy, taking everything the Saints gave him and, thus, feeding Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox in crucial spots. The ground game was forgettable once again, but Allen helped out a lot, and the truth is they never really needed a rushing attack to stay ahead. Defensively, they were just as impressive. Tre’Davious White’s early exit with a knee injury doesn’t bode well beyond Week 12, but Ed Oliver and Co. winning in the trenches never allowed the depth-tested Saints to establish momentum, rendering their run game nonexistent and forcing Sean Payton to rely on things like fake punts to generate movement.’

‘The Bills have been frustratingly inconsistent on offense all season. From play to play, drive to drive, and game to game. The highs have been very high, and the lows have been awfully low. Their week-by-week averages in yards per play, EPA per play, and points per drive tell the story quite well.’

‘The pick: Under 45.5. If the Saints are going to be without this many key players, it’s hard to imagine that Trevor Siemian will be able to put many points on the board, especially against this Buffalo defense that is still No. 1 in the NFL in DVOA entering Week 12. Even with the Bills averaging 31 points per game on the road this season, it’s hard banking on the Saints to carry out their end of the bargain to have this go over.’

‘This wasn’t the sharpest game by Josh Allen, who completed 21 of 35 for 209 yards, two touchdowns and two picks. Part of that was due to the rainy weather in Buffalo, but he also had a couple of poor decisions in the loss. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz completed 11 of 20 for 106 yards and a touchdown. On top of those five touchdowns, Taylor finished his day with 185 yards rushing and caught all three of his targets for 19 yards. He also became the first running back in the NFL to surpass 1,000 yards rushing this season in the midst of this win.’