Dunkirk Observer

‘The corner of Allen Street and Buffalo Street in Gowanda has seen extensions up on both signs. Allen Street now has a new addition that says “Josh” before it, in honor of Bills quarterback Josh Allen, while Buffalo Street has a “Let’s Go” in front of the sign.’

‘I was just 7 months old in 1995 when the Bills last clinched the AFC East. I was only 5 years old for the Music City Miracle. For the vast majority of my life, all I knew was the playoff drought.’

‘We don’t know if there will still be no fans in the stands for that contest on Thursday evening, Oct. 15, though it will be nationally televised. That option is still, especially this year, better than no football.’

‘After a 10-win season a year ago and an offseason that featured the acquisition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, the Bills have earned the national spotlight on multiple occasions this upcoming season. After wins over Dallas on Thanksgiving and Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football last season, Buffalo now has twice as many chances to showcase its talents to the nation.’

‘Finally, when it was all said and done, the Bills had one of the best drafts I can remember.’

‘As far as draft mistakes go, Marcell Dareus is the prime example of the Bills’ ineptitude in the front office. In one of the best drafts of my lifetime as a fan, the Bills took a run-stopping nose tackle at third overall, immediately after Cam Newton and Von Miller. If you don’t think that says enough about how bad the move was, consider the next three players off the board, in order: Bengals receiver A.J. Green, Cardinals corner Patrick Peterson and Falcons receiver Julio Jones. While the five other players in the top six of the draft have all played at the top of the league at their position, Dareus later became a salary dump to the Jaguars. While some may argue he was not a total bust because he did have two good seasons in 2013 and 2014, if you look at what could have been, Dareus is one of the most disappointing moves in the past decade.’

‘Armed with a 16-0 lead in the third quarter against a team that has a poor track record in playoff games, the Bills found so many ways to blow the game, it began hard to keep track.’

‘What a weird feeling this is. The Buffalo Bills are actually in position to compete in a playoff game.’

‘Though much of Sunday’s performance was not pretty for Bills fans to watch, the result is all that matters. Ten times in 14 tries, the Bills have been on the right side of the result this season, and that’s something worth celebrating.’

‘Buffalo has shown so many sides of itself this season. The Bills can be the team that blows out the Cowboys on the national stage and the team that plays with New England and Baltimore. But, they could also be the team that plays down to teams like the Jets, Giants, Dolphins and Bengals, and gets blown out at home by the Eagles. If Sunday’s game with Baltimore is a sign of things to come, I think Bills fans should be optimistic. We’ll see if I feel the same way after playing a third-string quarterback with stakes attached next Sunday night.’

‘If anyone was still doubting the Bills after the first 12 weeks of the season, it’s safe to say those criticisms were put to rest on Thursday. The Bills looked dominant against a Cowboys team that should be much better than they were on Thursday. It was Dallas that made the mistakes that bad teams make, while Buffalo looked as strong as ever. It’s finally time for the league’s loudest voices to give credit to the Buffalo Bills, who have cemented themselves as one of a handful of teams that are legitimate contenders at this moment.’

‘The Bills need to carry the momentum of the last two wins into Dallas and somehow find a way to contain one of the league’s best running backs in order to keep this impressive streak going. With Dallas, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New England and the New York Jets remaining on the season, Buffalo can take nothing for granted. Although, after the last two weeks, 8-3 is looking pretty good.’

‘Were there still flaws? Yes, like giving up an onside kick and a 101-yard kickoff return touchdown. But those flaws never took away from the feeling that the result was already in-hand. The Bills were the better team before the game began and they finally played like it, especially at the quarterback position. That’s a good sign for next week, as Buffalo returns home to host another team they should be able to beat, the Denver Broncos, in Week 12.’

‘First and foremost, the Bills are paying top 10 kicker money to a below average kicker.’

‘While Gore was awful, the epitome of ineptitude on Sunday was Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. The goal line sequence was the most obvious of all the examples, but it was awful all day long. Why it took three failed attempts by Gore before realizing that maybe a 6-foot-5 quarterback could sneak the ball across for six inches is beyond me, but Daboll just kept blowing it over and over.’