Niagara Gazette

‘Over a span of about 10 hours late Monday into early Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills went from plucky playoff hopeful to AFC East favorite. They made the all-in move many had been hoping for, and their greatest rival folded away half its stack.’

‘The potential impact on taxpayers must be considered as part of any equation where they will be expected to underwrite expensive stadium upgrades or construction. And, it would be counterproductive for the team to pursue a new facility if it means ticket prices need to be raised to the point where average Bills fans are shut out of the market.’

‘Demone Harris, former University at Buffalo edge rusher, has found himself waking up today for “Super Sunday” and living out a lifelong dream. It’s been a journey to this point — from just beginning to play football during his junior year at Bishop Timon, to walking on to join the Bulls roster, Harris is now finding a home with his third team over the past two seasons.’

‘It’s fine to gush about Sean McDermott, who has done wonderful things since becoming head coach three years ago this month. But history will likely reflect that he made a colossal mistake by trading the 10th overall pick to his mentor, Andy Reid, on the night of that ’17 NFL draft.’

‘It’s understandable if Bills fans are tired of waiting. I’m sure they noticed that three of the four QBs in the AFC divisional round — Jackson, Houston’s Deshaun Watson and Mahomes — were guys the Bills passed over in the draft.’

‘“They’ll say, ‘This is a team that won the division,’ or advanced in the playoffs or whatever. So you’re going to get everyone’s best next season and you better prepare for it. There’s no sneaking up on anyone or people underestimating the Buffalo Bills. “That will be a different test,” Beane said, “and we didn’t always answer that in Carolina. Sean (McDermott) and I have talked about that, and it will be something we definitely focus on this offseason and into training camp.”’

‘Then reality came calling. In the end, the Bills played like a young team that wasn’t quite ready for the biggest stage. They had an opponent down and couldn’t put them away. In the most crucial moments, they lost their poise and went to pieces when the Texans got up off the mat.’

‘“I would love to be a coach,” he said, “to have more skin in the game, to feel a win and a loss. Coaching is appealing. I think I would be good at it. It think it would be rewarding. But the amount of hours those guys put in nowadays, I am not willing at this point to be away from my family that much.”’

‘Alexander’s parents came in for the game. He stood proudly with his wife and his other children as Zoie sang, thinking “Don’t forget the words, don’t forget the words.” He said a few of his teammates were crying afterwards. It was that sort of moment.’

‘That’s the thing about Allen. For all his flaws, he has a way of rising up late in games. He has a soaring belief, one that Bills fans have begun to share. But he also holds himself to a high standard and doesn’t hide from the reality of his own shortcomings.’

‘Lawson calls it “a blessing” to be able to shine light on some local kids who may go through dark days at this time of the year. He said he was the same kid who needed help back in the day and that, at the very least, he’s just happy to see smiles on kids’ faces during the holidays. Lawson knows that everyone goes through tough times, but he knows what’s more important is how we overcome adversity. No matter who it is, he hopes people just walk through it with their heads up and continue to fight with smiles on their faces, because through time he feels that things get easier and easier.’

‘But at this point, how could we rule anything out for this resilient young team? Certainly they’ll be a live underdog in a wild-card playoff game on the road. That would most likely be at Houston after the Texans knocked off the Titans on Sunday.’

‘In the end, this felt like too many other discouraging losses of the recent past— games in which the defense played its heart out, but the offense couldn’t keep its end of the bargain, when a heroic performance by the Buffalo D was wasted in defeat.’

‘It was a stunning performance, one that could nudge embattled Dallas head coach Jason Garrett onto the unemployment line. It should also momentarily elevate Sean McDermott onto any shortlists for NFL coach of the year.’

‘“We could care less about the eyes of the nation being on us,” safety Micah Hyde said. “We understand it’s a prime-time game and a lot of people will be watching us on Thanksgiving, but we’re trying to get better each and every week. We’re not too worried about Joe Schmoe in Wyoming eating Thanksgiving dinner and watching the Buffalo Bills.”’