Niagara Gazette

‘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.’

‘That idea, though, was built more on myth than any facts to support such a claim. Some of it is an assumption that the Bills are a high-scoring offense centering on the quarterback, so they can’t run the ball, while the Steelers averaged 155.7 yards rushing — on just 4.1 yards per carry — in their three wins to end the regular season and some of it is simply the Steelers logo because of course, they must be a good running team.’

‘If the Bills want to win Round 3 with the Chiefs, putting the ball in Allen’s hands seems to be the most logical solution.’

‘In a press conference with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Hochul announced Buffalo’s wild-card game has been moved from 1 p.m. Sunday to 4:30 p.m. Monday. The game will still be broadcast on CBS.’

‘“This year we rode a roller coaster a little bit as far as having wins and having losses,” Bills receiver Stefon Diggs said. “I’m not going to say we got hot at the right time, but we start winning at the right time towards that (time) in a year when you start finding yourself, what kind of team you got, the character of your team, too, as far as — when we were losing, nobody really kind of jumped out of the wheelbarrow.”’

‘The Bills are 11-2 this season when rushing for 100 yards and they are 18-5 since 2019 when rushing for 150. And it may be wise for Buffalo to control the clock, considering the risk of fluke plays induced by the weather.’

‘Outside Flyby Cafe in the town of Wheatfield, owner Herminio Cruz Jr. has his prediction for the Bills to win the Super Bowl on full display, predicting they beat the Dallas Cowboys with a final score of 17-10.’

‘Buffalo also has several veterans with contracts that expire following the 2024 season, some of whom may be salary cap casualties for a roster that currently projects to be more than $40 million over the cap next season, according to Spotrac.com.’

‘The Bills love to use the “next-man-up” phrase, but this year it’s not just patching holes and hoping to hide them. Buffalo has found unlikely performances throughout its five-game winning streak and it has been a big reason for the late-season turnaround.’