Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“When the country shut down, I thought, Brandon (Beane) and his staff really did a phenomenal job of continuing to do the job and go through the process of getting us to draft day,” coach Sean McDermott said of the Bills’ general manager. “And then the way the draft was handled overall, it was a communication challenge to say the least. I think just the work that went into it led us to where we are and the players that we were able to get that have made an impact.”’

‘Tailgate parties, a staple of games at Bills Stadium for decades, will be prohibited, according to Cuomo. Fans will also be required to wear masks, maintain social distance and cooperate with contact tracing after the game.’

‘The Bills announced Wednesday that tickets will be available for purchase on Friday for season ticket holders that opted into purchasing playoff tickets earlier this year. They will be notified based on seniority.’

‘“Those conversations are taking place and we’ve got a plan on keeping those plans internal for a number of reasons,” McDermott said. “We’ve got a plan and we’ll execute that plan this week. I’m going to keep that within our organization for a lot of reasons. We could sit here all day honestly and talk about pros and cons.”’

‘As for their potential opponents, the possibilities are multiple and include Indianapolis, Cleveland, Tennessee, Baltimore or Miami, but there are too many permutations in play to accurately predict who they would play.’

‘“I think when you’re executing and scoring points, it’s hard to do in this league,” said center Mitch Morse. “It’s extremely gratifying to see your hard work put to the test. And our defense put us in some great situations. I thought they played red hot today. … It was just a total team win.”’

‘Allen will not win the league MVP award, but there’s no one right now who can say that Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes have played better than him in the second half of the season.’

‘Bills 27, Patriots 13.’

‘This has been a frustrating season for Milano, a fourth-year player who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March. Unlike fellow 2017 draft class members Tre’Davious White and Dion Dawkins, Milano was not offered a rich, multi-year contract extension. And then, when it came time to play and perhaps show the team that extending him would be a good idea, he was felled by injuries.’

‘“He’s been crucial for our success here the last couple years,” Allen said of the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Beasley. “He’s hard to guard, he’s a very smart player, he wants the ball and he’s always ready when his number is called.”’

‘“One hundred percent,” McDermott said Wednesday during an appearance on WGR-AM (550) radio in Buffalo when asked if he expects his two coordinators to get interviews. “And I would recommend them. I think they’ve both done a phenomenal job. They’ve shown they can lead and do the coordinator job at a high level. I’d hate to lose those guys but understand that when you win and have sustained success like we’ve had the last two seasons, that’s what happens.”’

‘The plan, which has yet to receive final approval, would involve using rapid COVID-19 tests, which can return results within 15 minutes, for every fan entering the stadium.’

‘“A few weeks ago I was asked about Ed and how he was performing,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said Monday. “Although he may not have the statistics to show how disruptive he’s been for our defense, he’s played really well throughout the season. The splash plays haven’t been there, but that’s not because he hasn’t given the effort.”’

‘But in 1980, everything changed in Chuck Knox’s third year as head coach. He built an outstanding defense led by the Bermuda Triangle of Fred Smerlas, Jim Haslett and Shane Nelson, and the offense thrived with quarterback Joe Ferguson, receivers Jerry Butler and Frank Lewis, and running back Joe Cribbs.’

‘“It’s hard to remain humble when the team hasn’t been good since I was 11,” he said. “What’s the saying — act like you’ve been there before? Pretty hard to do when you haven’t been there in a generation.”’