Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘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.’

‘Buffalo’s run defense continues to struggle as it allowed 202 yards to a team that didn’t have its best RB, Bucky Irving. Rachaad White has been the primary fill-in for Irving and he had 51 yards on just 10 carries, but the Bucs leaned on Tucker because he had the hot hand and he finished with 106 yards and a 5.6 average per carry with two TDs.’

‘So it was not a surprise that when Josh Allen took off on a mad dash through the Kansas City defense and scored on a breathtaking 26-yard run to put a capper on Buffalo’s victory over the Chiefs, Nantz finished his call by proclaiming, “Oh, the play of the year in the NFL.”’

‘Scott Norwood’s 47-yard miss to the right prevented the Bills from winning Super Bowl XXV in January 1991 and obviously carried more significance, but Lindell’s botched field goal dropped the Bills to 5-5 and it pretty much killed any chance they had in 2008 of getting into contention for a playoff berth.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 26, Buccaneers 20.’

‘These teams have played just 13 times overall and in a weird scheduling blip, the first eight were in Tampa Bay between 1976 and 2005, and Buffalo lost eight of those games. The Bucs finally came north on Sept. 20, 2009, and the Bills rolled to a 33-20 victory, one of the few high points in the final season of the Dick Jauron coaching era. He was fired midway through that season with the Bills on their way to a 10th straight absence from the playoffs.’

‘In a year where the Bills’ lack of production from their receiving corps continues to be a major issue, Kincaid has been one of Josh Allen’s most trusted targets as he has 29 catches while his 448 yards trail only Khalil Shakir (457) and his four TDs have already matched the number he scored in his first two seasons combined.’

‘Several players have been on the injury report this week, but all appear set to play including wide receiver Khalil Shakir who has been in a red non-contact jersey due to ankle and ribs issues. But McDermott said he’s, “Heading in the right direction and should be in a good spot for the game.”’

‘“Overall, we can all do better in some ways,” McDermott said Wednesday. “It has been, at times for the whole group, working through some injuries, working through the continuity piece when guys have been out. You want to be playing next to the person that you worked with in practice and that’s been a challenge. Beyond that, we can all do some things better.”’