Olean Times Herald

‘Asked if White would be on the team next year, that Beane started his answer with “It’s a good question,” was telling.’

‘No, despite racking up 368 net yards Sunday night, the Bills did not have a 20-yard play against the Chiefs. Their longest play? An 18-yard Josh Allen scramble late in the second quarter. The second-longest? Allen’s scramble and lateral pitch to Ty Johnson for 16 on the first drive of the game. Allen’s longest pass plays were two 15-yard gains, also both in the first half, to Diggs and running back Latavius Murray. We still saw his big arm, of course, in how he rifled that touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir.’

‘It’s not Groundhog Day, though it may feel like it to Bills fans.’

‘The first one, Buffalo looked outclassed in the AFC Championship, a 38-24 loss. Then, Allen and Gabe Davis gave Kansas City everything it could handle in the divisional round the following year, the infamous “13 seconds” game, a 42-36 overtime loss. The regular season, however, has produced better results for Buffalo in this matchup, winners of the last three as the perennial division champs have met each year. Allen holds a glittering 97.7 rating and 999 yards, nine touchdowns and two picks in four regular season meetings with KC.’

‘“That’s a heck of an opponent,” McDermott said. “We’ll have to regroup as a staff and I know some of our staff has already been working on the Chiefs and that’s kind of what you do as a position coach, you’re able to look ahead a little bit. We’ll just have to sit down with Nate tomorrow and just try and see who’s healthy and when they’ll be healthy (if) they’re not healthy and then see what jersey numbers we have and kind of go from there.”’

‘Allen made the freezing fans at Highmark Stadium ecstatic Monday, especially on his 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. That gave Buffalo a 21-0 lead, which turned out to be enough on the way to a 31-17 victory over the Steelers in the Wild Card round.’

‘I guess it shows you can’t count out a Mike Tomlin-led team, even one that’s on its third quarterback of the season. Trusting the “hot hand” of Mason Rudolph, Tomlin is sticking with the 2018 second round pick — the sixth quarterback taken in Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson’s class — over second-year Pitt product Kenny Pickett, who returned from injury two weeks ago, and Mitchell Trubisky.’

‘And this game showed exactly what made the season so frustrating at times — trailing 14-7 after failing to score with seconds ticking away at halftime, multiple turnovers, a new rash of injuries — but it also showed why you’d be foolish to write off the Bills’ chances in the playoffs at this point. With Allen playing like a superstar and a resilient defense on the other side, fans have to be thrilled where they are compared to just six weeks ago, when a disheartening loss in Philadelphia put the Bills at 6-6.’

‘But the Bills could clinch a Wild Card spot even with a loss, and it will be known before they take the field Sunday night whether the game is for seeding purposes or a win-and-you’re-in, lose-and-you’re-out situation. (Side note, a Bills/Dolphins tie would put the Bills in as well, though the Dolphins would win the division).’

‘But if the Bills win a division title next week in South Florida (officially scheduled for the NFL’s Sunday night regular season finale) by beating the first-place Dolphins, they may want to send a thank you note to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens for making it possible — and another one to the Green Bay Packers for trading away Rasul Douglas.’

‘To get in position for either a wild-card spot or possibly challenge the Dolphins for the AFC East, though, the Bills first have to correct one of the season’s worst mistakes: a loss to the New England Patriots in Week 7. Fans probably still can’t shake the image of Mac Jones hitting the “Griddy” dance after a last-minute touchdown.’

‘Of course, the Bills will only have themselves to blame if they end up short of the playoffs, and it’ll be because of games much like the one they face on Saturday in Los Angeles. On paper, it should be an easy one: a 5-9 team, without its star quarterback and many others that just lost so badly in primetime it prompted the firing of its coach and general manager.’

‘The Bills sit at ninth, though they are tied with the aforementioned three teams at 8-6. Buffalo’s 4-5 conference record puts it at the bottom of that tie. If Buffalo beats the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night, the Bills would be in the Top 7 and in a playoff spot, though they could be knocked back out with the combination of Sunday’s results. A Bills win would increase the odds to 76 percent and would be even higher if Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati earlier in the day).’

‘Or, put it this way: when Josh Allen stayed on the sideline to let backup Kyle Allen take care of the final 11 minutes, the scoring margin (28) nearly doubled Josh’s total passing attempts (15). The total rushing yards (266) nearly tripled Allen’s passing yards (94).’

‘Bills fans were thinking they’d seen this film before, and they didn’t like the ending. Good thing Buffalo wrote a new ending, with some help from Kadarius Toney’s foot.’