Niagara Gazette

‘The middle linebacker did not practice at all — and wasn’t at the team facility for personal reasons — last week, but returned Wednesday on a limited basis. Bernard says he’s “still dealing with some stuff” and it’s the ankle injury that is bothering him most and his status is unknown against the Dolphins Sunday.’

‘Once opponents enter the red zone, that’s when the Bills start to buckle down and they have been suffocating with their backs against the goal line, as the Seattle Seahawks traversed to the Bills’ 3-yard line or closer three times and came away with one touchdown in Buffalo’s 31-10 win Sunday. The Bills are giving up touchdowns on 44.4% of red zone trips — 33% over the last four games — which is the team’s best mark since Sean McDermott became head coach in 2017, allowing fewer than 50% just once (2022) during that time.’

‘It was the kind of complementary football McDermott craves, but Cook was shifted out of a starring role and Allen no longer the game manager. Allen threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns, while Cook still ran for 111 and two scores and only needed 17 carries to get there.’

‘Cooper played 19 snaps five days after being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Browns, but with another week to dig into the playbook, the Bills should be able to utilize him more often. It seems unlikely the Bills will force-feed him the ball as they did with Stefon Diggs at times, but Cooper showed he still has enough juice left to be a significant contributor.’

‘“Even when there’s lulls of on offense or when we might not be clicking all the way … as long as those drives are ending in a punt … we have an opportunity to flip the field,” Brady said. “Being able to regroup and not feel like, ‘Oh, man, we got stopped because we turned the ball over,’ whether it was a fumble or an interception. And so not playing scared, not playing conservative, but understand the importance of, if we can just protect the football for 60 minutes, good things usually happen.”’

‘The last time Geno Smith threw a pass against the Buffalo Bills, Doug Marrone was in his final year as head coach. Rex Ryan was still coaching the New York Jets.’

‘But Shakir’s ability to catch the ball near the line of scrimmage and create positive yards afterwards adds another element to the offense, serving the same purpose as running the ball. It’s also clear that Allen trusts no one more than Shakir in critical situations.’

‘The Bills had some success stopping the run when they brought a safety into the box — the area 3 to 5 yards within the line of scrimmage — in the first half. They held the Titans to 2.6 yards per carry on seven attempts with an extra defender in the box, compared to 7.6 on the seven carries without an extra safety near the line of scrimmage.’

‘“Making key adjustments, knowing our players, as well, and what they do best,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “Usually when you’re giving them what they do best, they’re able to execute and show who they really are.”’

‘It’s hard to envision Levis beating the Bills with his arm, but the Titans do have a quality running game. Half of their two-pronged attack is out, as Tyjae Spears won’t play due to a hamstring injury, but the Titans still have Tony Pollard.’

‘On Sunday, though, Allen faces an enigmatic Tennessee Titans defense that will test his patience more than any other defense the Buffalo Bills have faced this season, despite having played three of the top-five defenses in the NFL over the last four weeks. The Titans don’t force turnovers nor do they hit the quarterback often, but force quarterbacks beat them with short throws, trading field goals for touchdowns.’

‘Bass is in the first year of a four-year, $21 million extension signed April 20, 2023, and his $7.83 million dead cap hit makes releasing him difficult. But after missing a field goal and an extra point against the New York Jets, the Bills appear to be inching closer to making a switch, which is something that franchise hasn’t done in-season since 2001.’

‘“I would still have to kind of go through the week, get a routine,” Cooper said Wednesday. “Still learning the playbook and everything. I just got here … so I don’t really have an expectation right now that I can chalk up to being realistic until I go through the week.”’

‘The 30-year-old Cooper has eclipsed 1,000 yards seven times in 10 NFL seasons since being drafted fourth overall by the Raiders in 2015. Cooper is entering the final year of his contract, which the Browns restructured in the offseason and now the Bills are on the hook for less than $1 million for the remainder of the year.’

‘The Guardian Cap gave Rapp an extra layer of padding on the outside of his helmet, and while it doesn’t give him a free pass to play recklessly, it did allow him to get up from a hit that many players may not have. Rapp made the decision to wear the Guardian Cap during the week, placing him on a short list of NFL players and the first Bills player to wear one during a game.’