ESPN

‘”I just look at it as the next game,” McDermott said Wednesday of the Week 16 matchup. “They’re a good team, we have a tremendous amount of respect for them and how they do things, what they do in terms of how they’ve been able to win multiple, multiple division titles.”‘

‘”This community and this team had such a great tradition in the late ’80s and early ’90s, to where it fell to in the 2000s until Sean and I got here, I think that’s what was exciting,” Beane said. “This was an opportunity in a place that’s been down for so long that had such a great tradition, and still has a great fan base. How exciting would it be to get this thing turned around and host playoff games here?’

‘On third-and-5 from the Broncos’ 24-yard line, Allen fielded the snap, stepped up in the pocket between Denver defensive linemen Dre’Mont Jones and Shelby Harris, and scampered for the first down. From there, Allen avoided Broncos defensive back Alijah Holder and ran untouched into the end zone.’

‘On the Broncos’ first play following Allen’s touchdown, cornerback Tre’Davious White caught up to quarterback Drew Lock from behind and knocked the ball loose. Hughes scooped up the fumble and weaved his way through several Denver players and down the sideline to put Buffalo up three scores midway through the third quarter. Hughes’ only other defensive touchdown came in 2014, his second year with the Bills. He played running back in high school and converted to defensive end at TCU.’

‘In 2019, the Vikings also turned over their offense to Kevin Stefanski, who preferred to focus on the running game and the emergence of Dalvin Cook as one of the league’s top backs. Suddenly Diggs’ life became two trains going in opposite directions: He was sure he could top the unbelievable moment he’d already experienced, but he was trying to do it for a team that, despite paying him well, wasn’t much interested in giving him the ball. After averaging 10 targets per game in 2018, Diggs saw fewer than half that — just 23 total — in the first five weeks of the 2019 season.’

‘”We thought it was a great thing to do for Jackson,” Milano said. “Christmas time, it was a chance to give back to the community — especially someone from Buffalo. … This was a quick thing. We learned about it and in the next couple days, he was doing his thing.”‘

‘On second-and-5 from the Steelers’ 47-yard line, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger attempted to hit wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on an out route. Johnson jumped the route, however, snatching the pass from Smith-Schuster and winning a footrace to the end zone with less than a minute remaining in the first half.’

‘But watch the replays as many times as you like: It’s still not totally clear what happened with nine minutes and 36 seconds left in the second quarter. Fumble? Interception?’

‘Since arriving in western New York from the Carolina Panthers’ front office shortly after the Bills hired coach Sean McDermott, Beane has revamped Buffalo’s roster, turning it into a contender in just three seasons. The Bills’ current roster features just two players from the previous regime — defensive end Jerry Hughes and long-snapper Reid Ferguson.’

‘”Yeah, yeah it was (our most complete game). I’m always looking for more and I love the fact that our players are as well,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “So we’ll go back to the drawing board this week but I thought the takeaway by Tre White was key down the stretch and the answer when they scored down the stretch — all complementary football, right there.”‘

‘Beasley joins fellow Bills receiver Isaiah McKenzie as the only non-quarterbacks to throw for a touchdown this season. The rest of the NFL has three such passes this season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.’

‘In his place, rookie Gabriel Davis figures to take a more prominent role alongside Cole Beasley and Stefon Diggs, the NFL’s leading receiver. The Bills also called up wide receiver Jake Kumerow from their practice squad.’

‘The Oklahoma product missed games in Week 7 and Week 8 before returning to the field in Week 9, but he played only 14 snaps before leaving with an injury and has not played since. NFL Network reports that Ford’s timeline to return is three to four months but that he is expected to make a full recovery.’

‘Sweeney is the first NFL player known to have been diagnosed with myocarditis this season. Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was diagnosed with the condition earlier in the year after contracting COVID-19.’

‘After faking a jet sweep to Isaiah McKenzie on first-and-10 from the Cardinals’ 14-yard line, the Bills ran the exact same play on second down — or so it seemed.’