Niagara Gazette

‘Under Brady, Josh Allen’s passing numbers diminished by 30 yards per game, but his rushing totals doubled, posting four games with at least 65 yards after not having any games with 50 over the first 11 contests.’

‘Keeping Brady brings stability and familiarity to Allen and the offense, but the Bills went down that path when they promoted Dorsey to offensive coordinator when Brian Daboll left to become head coach of the New York Giants after the 2021 season. It didn’t work out with Dorsey, which may leave the Bills uneasy about doing it again, although Brady offers a sample size Dorsey couldn’t.’

‘Epenesa is also set to be a free agent with his rookie contract set to expire and so the Bills must find ways to retain one, both or replace 17 sacks worth of production. Both expressed a desire to return, but being projected to start the new year more than $40 million over the cap, it seems unlikely both fit into their future plans.’

‘“To be honest, when we first found out we had to leave Green Bay, I was sad. Bills Mafia? What was that? and what could be better than playing in Green Bay? Nothing, right? Wrong. So wrong,” her letter begins.’

‘And yet the Bills are a team that has lost 18 games by an average of six points per game over the last three years, with 16 losses by one score. There is no questioning the Bills are close to getting over the edge, but they also can’t deny the shortcomings that have kept them from getting there.’

‘“I thought Joe did a really nice job coming in and building great communication, collaboration, a vibe with Josh,” McDermott said. “And then I think you saw the results of that through the course of I believe it was six games and so I thought he did a very nice job in that regard.”’

‘“Every year when you lose, you wake up the next day and you’re filled with so much frustration because you weren’t able to get it done,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said. “I feel like I could have done more, but this morning I woke up and I’m just like, ‘Wow, like that was a run.’ That was an amazing run we went on and I’m forever grateful for this team, their hard work, the resilience that they showed.”’

‘“People are going to say what they’re going to say,” the Bills tight end said. “People were saying we were 6-6 and had not shot of making the playoffs and here we are in the second round. It’s about proving the naysayers wrong. The ultimate goal is the Super Bowl … but to make it this far, I say it’s a win.”’

‘The Buffalo Bills played a run-first, clock-controlled, mistake-free game. The Bills held the ball for more than 37 minutes, ran 78 plays — a 50-50 split between pass and run — had seven more yards, six more first downs and one fewer turnover. And they still lost.’

‘The Bills dominated the time of possession by 15 minutes, they ran for 182 yards and punted two times. They still lost the game because the Chiefs averaged 7.7 yards per play and only faced five third downs all game.’

‘On Friday, McDermott ruled out cornerback Christian Benford (knee), linebacker Baylon Spector (back) and safety Taylor Rapp (calf) — along with receiver Gabe Davis (knee) — while linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) and cornerback Taron Johnson (concussion) are game-time decisions. Meanwhile, cornerback Rasul Douglas (knee) is listed as questionable after practicing in full Friday.’

‘Bills bagels are available before this weekend’s playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, while supplies last. The eatery is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and is located at 444 Third St.’

‘Edwards was 2 miles from the stadium and 3 miles from the hospital on Abbott Road, thinking he was driving along the right side of the road. The snowbank he crashed into at no more than 10 mph told him otherwise.’

‘With Allen being 27 years old and Mahomes 28, it seems there are more of these matchups to come. But despite combining for 10 Super Bowl appearances in 15 years, Brady and Manning met just five times, meaning a 3-0 Mahomes lead might be too much for Allen to overcome.’

‘Thursday’s full practice will bring more clarity as to who will be available to play against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoff game Sunday and that includes Bernard, who recorded a team-high 143 tackles to go along with 6 ½ sacks and three interceptions. Bernard’s injury appeared devastating when he was taken off the field on a cart after making a tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday.’