Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘The Bills’ defensive line is admittedly a mess with Ed Oliver, Michael Hoecht, DeWayne Carter and Landon Jackson all on injured reserve. In the last two games, they have been playing rookie DT TJ Sanders on the edge and that has predictably been a mess because he’s never played on the outside.’

‘Miller set a Bills rookie record with 208 rushing yards, and with Roland Hooks contributing 115 yards, the Bills piled up a team-record 366 yards on the ground, prompting Hooks to say, “I haven’t seen holes like that since I was in high school.”’

‘Attack through the air. Opposing teams are passing on 62.5% of plays against the Steelers’ defense, the fourth-highest rate in the league. This is a pretty mediocre Steelers defense which is unusual for a Mike Tomlin team, and it’s particularly vulnerable against the pass as it ranks 31st at 258.7 yards per game.’

‘But this feels like a season where it’s just not going to happen for the Bills because so many things are holding them back, not the least of which are a never-ending series of injuries that have shredded the defense, and the fact that Josh Allen simply doesn’t have enough weaponry at his disposal, especially when he comes face to face with an elite defense like the one he faced at NRG Stadium.’

‘Brady had a tough night because he did not have nearly enough answers for Houston’s outstanding defense. He can’t be blamed for the protection breakdowns, but the continued issue with scheming receivers open was a big issue on a night when Allen had no one open in the face of that pressure.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Texans 23, Bills 19.’

‘This is an exclusive Amazon Prime game, with the exception of the local Buffalo market (which does not include Rochester). In Buffalo, the game will be available over the air on the ABC affiliate, WKBW, channel 7. You can also watch on NFL.com and the NFL mobile app, and if you have a subscription to NFL+, the league’s own streaming service, but in that case you can’t cast the games to your TV so you must watch on your phone or tablet.’

‘Norwood made three field goals while New York’s Pat Leahy made two, but the Jets kicker had a chance for a third, one which would have won the game at the end of regulation. Fred Smerlas wouldn’t let that happen as he got his meaty paw up and blocked the kick, forcing overtime.’

‘Bringing Codrington back is a tell-tale sign that the Bills will not have new kick returner Mecole Hardman, or wide receiver/returner Curtis Samuel, available for the game.’

‘The Bills re-signed Codrington to their practice squad Tuesday, the team announced. The move comes three days hours after Buffalo released him from the active roster to make room for Mecole Hardman.’

‘Fans like him are always along for the ride, no matter how poorly the team is performing, and Bills-backer bars like this one become hubs for those longing for a taste of the uniquely-Buffalo atmosphere, whether they’re staying to watch the game or just passing through on their way to Highmark Stadium, which sits a third of a mile, or about four football fields, to the north.’

‘Down in Houston, the Texans are also a team riding a little momentum. They pulled off an incredible comeback victory two weeks ago, scoring 26 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat AFC South rival Jacksonville 36-29. Sunday, while they struggled mightily against the worst team in the NFL, they pulled out a last-second 16-13 victory in Tennessee to square their record at 5-5 which has them on the periphery of the AFC playoff chase.’

‘Houston Texans starter C.J. Stroud has missed two straight games since suffering a concussion in Week 9. Stroud was hit while sliding on a scramble by Denver Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine and Stroud’s head slammed against the turf. The initial flag for unnecessary roughness was picked up after review because there was no contact with Stroud’s head or neck area. Stroud lied on his back as he was tended to by trainers.’

‘One cannot imagine a more embarrassing day in the illustrious history of the so-called America’s team than this one when the Dallas Cowboys made their first visit to Rich Stadium and somehow found a way to lose 14-3 to the woeful Buffalo Bills.’

‘No doubt, the Bills showed some mettle, especially coming off such a deplorable performance last week in Miami. They survived a track meet in which there were nine lead changes because their quarterback rekindled some of the magic that has been missing this season, and the defense – after playing poorly most of the day – came up with some huge plays in critical moments.’