Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Cowboys 24, Bills 17.’

‘Calling this a big stage for the Bills (8-3) is like calling Broadway community theater. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, even though the Cowboys (6-5) are starting to deflate like an overcooked bird.’

‘”Mike says hi to a guy with his window down and the guy goes ‘You guys look cold, do you have far to walk?'” said Hall, a 2000 Mount Morris graduate. “Mike told him his car broke down. The guy goes ‘Is there a way I can help you out? There’s Tim Hortons a couple of miles up the road. Get in.”‘

‘“It’ll be good to see a lot of the guys I used to play with and catch up a little before the game, so I’m excited about that, but just trying to get No. 9, man,” he said. “That’s the most important thing.”’

‘“People were coming up the whole game asking if I’d sell it and I was like ‘No way,’ ‘’ said Drumm, who handed the ball to a male friend, Josh Pfluke, for safe keeping. “Honestly, I was hiding the ball the whole time because people were trying to steal it. I don’t want money, I want the ball. I’m getting a case for it. I have a whole bunch of jerseys at home, but this is special. I just think it’s awesome. I love Josh Allen. I liked him in the draft and didn’t think we’d get him. But I think he’s been great despite what other people think. I like the guy a lot.’’’

‘The Bills now have a quick turnaround as they head to Dallas for a Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. And heading to Big D with eight wins is sure more comfortable than with seven.’

‘The Bills were outstanding on defense as they have been for a good portion of the season, and as has often been the case, White was in the middle of it all.’

‘“That’s my thing, I talk junk. You can’t out-junk me. I like that stuff. To start the game, I think it was No. 60 (center Connor McGovern), he goes ‘I haven’t remembered you since college.’ I said, ‘I bet I show you.’’’’

‘Penalties were a big problem in this game (12 for 90 yards), and while I typically blame players for not executing, some of this has to be pinned on coaching. Sean McDermott called two timeouts that I felt were a complete waste and could have been hurtful in a close game. His habit of calling timeouts on defense after the opposition has shown its look on a big third- or fourth-down play seems unnecessary at times.’

‘By facing a finishing stretch that looks like the “after’’ picture in a fitness club ad, the Bills can silence those skeptics and move up the power rankings, which right now has them sitting 14th by NFL.com and barely hanging on to the final wild-card spot in the AFC.’

‘Bills 20, Broncos 16.’

‘“I’ve said it before, it’s week-to-week,” Daboll said. “You take a look at the team you’re playing, some of the things they do against it, you look at yourself and your personnel and what you think you can get out of it.”’

‘“As far as Myles Garrett goes, shoot, I have every ounce of respect that you can give that man,’’ Dawkins said after the game. “I was just happy to play against a guy like that and hopefully I’ll be playing many, many more years. But I have great respect for 95 and 65, Larry (Ogunjobi), wow, great players.’’’

‘“I wouldn’t say we’ve started talking about it, but you want to keep an eye on what everybody else is doing,” Allen said Wednesday, hours after he’d been named the AFC’s offensive player of the week. “Ultimately at the end of the day it’s going to take at least 10 wins to get us to the playoffs. We’re sitting here at seven, we have to win more games to get in there. We have a good opportunity in front of us right now, but guys aren’t looking forward, we’re taking it one week at a time and trying to win a football game.”’

‘However, while ESPN and NFL Network overlooked Allen’s performance even though it was statistically right on par with Jackson’s, the NFL decided Wednesday morning that Allen was not only a little better than Jackson, but better than anyone else in the AFC as it named Allen as the conference’s offensive player of the week.’