Niagara Gazette

‘Time after time, Devin Singletary has proven he’s adequate enough to be Buffalo’s featured back when given the opportunity. and two days before the NFL trade deadline, Singletary ran for 67 yards and accounted for 83 total yards in the Bills’ 27-17 win over the Packers.’

‘Granted, there’s a lot of football left to be played. But after Sunday’s win, there was an unmistakable feeling that the Bills would achieve what they desperately missed a season ago, the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs.’

‘But here are the stats that matter: nine quarterback hits, three sacks, three punts, two interceptions and a missed field goal. Most importantly, Frazier’s defense came up big on the final two possessions, in situations it has too often wilted in the past.’

‘The Bills had 11 plays of 20 yards or more. They had four TDs drives that took a combined 2:44 of clock, covering 263 yards in eight total plays. If not for some shaky moments early, and if the Steelers had been able to muster any sort of response, they could have scored 50 points and gained over 600 yards.’

‘Even if there are still missing pieces when the Bills roll into Kansas City next week, they are so talented that the Chiefs are no longer the boogeyman they have been the last two seasons. From top to bottom, the Bills have a better roster and can stand toe-to-toe rather than holding on for dear life.’

‘But while you can sometimes judge a team’s competitive character in a tough defeat, it’s even more meaningful in a rousing, come-from-behind win. The Bills showed the resilience of a true contender, riding an inspired defense and the resourceful play of Josh Allen to victory.’

‘This version of the Bills hasn’t been seen since the Super Bowl era and it’s reminiscent of the post-lockout Sabres. There’s always a possibility they may come back and you can’t turn off the TV because they’re talented enough to climb out of whatever hole they dig for themselves.’

‘It’s not always winning that bonds a great team. Often, it’s when it confronts enormous adversity and has to reach deep down — in this case, deep into its roster — in search of its true competitive soul. It was hard not to be moved by all those backups battling in the Miami heat.’

‘Buffalo did what it felt was necessary to survive the game by slowing the pace to a crawl, but when the coaches review the tape, they should realize that deviating from what the offense does so well is a gross mistake.’

‘Perhaps this is what he had in mind. On Monday night, before a national TV audience, Diggs had an utterly dominating performance, one of those games when he seemed to be playing on an altogether different level from the hapless Tennessee players who tried to cover him.’

‘“We’re not surprised that we did so well,” Epenesa said. “None of us are satisfied, either. In our minds, last year was last year. We could say we were 2021’s best defense all we want. But all that matters is the here and now, the season that’s currently upon us. No one cares about that anymore. All they care about is today, the next day and the day after that.”’

‘The Bills more than justified their status as the Super Bowl favorite, dominating the Rams in a 31-10 rout, a powerful opening statement that could have been a lot worse if not for four turnovers. This was against the defending league champions, mind you, but for much of the night it might as well have been the Jets or Dolphins in November.’

‘Allen is starting to look like the quarterbacks who picked the Bills apart for 20 years. The ball left his hand early, went to the right place in the right location. No down or distance seemed insurmountable and the Bills went 9 for 10 on third downs.’

‘“Even if I weren’t a Bills fan, when they do well, Western New York does well,” Casale said. “Everyone’s happier and more energetic when they win on Sunday and it’s easier to go to work, as opposed to suffering a loss.”’

‘“I don’t root against the Bills unless they are against my team,” he said. “This town, this city needs a championship. Whether it comes from the Sabres or Bills, this town deserves a championship 100 percent.”’