Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘There just wasn’t a whole lot to be cheerful about because a season that in their minds wasn’t supposed to be over, now is.’

‘The expectations for Sean McDermott’s team were enormous, but here’s the thing about betting odds and expectations: They don’t actually mean a thing. Results are all that matter, and in the game that mattered the most, Sunday afternoon at snowy Highmark Stadium, all those expectations were blown away by a crushingly lousy performance.’

‘Rare is the time when McDermott’s staff gets completely out-coached, but this was one of those games. The Bills’ plan on both sides of the ball was faulty, and the Bengals had all the answers while Buffalo had none.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Buffalo Bills 30, Cincinnati Bengals 28.’

‘Online streaming services: NFL.com and the NFL mobile app. Also, the NFL has a streaming service called NFL+ which replaces NFL Game Pass, though you can’t cast the games to your TV — you must watch on your phone or tablet.’

‘The Bills now have 30 turnovers in their 17 games counting the postseason and Allen is responsible for 22 — a league-high 16 interceptions plus six lost fumbles. And there could have been many more because he has put the ball on the ground an incredible 16 times and the Bills have been lucky to recover 10 of those.’

‘It has already been determined that the Bills will play their game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Titans will also host a game there, while Jacksonville — as it has for nearly a decade — will play at Wembley Stadium. The Chiefs and Patriots will host games in Germany.’

‘It keeps happening. The Bills do something wonderous. Time stops. One official walks to the sideline. It used to be that the official went into a kind of half-booth, stared at a screen. Now the official takes a long, long look at a Microsoft tablet.’

‘Edmunds was not given a contract extension prior to 2022 and if one doesn’t happen before mid-March, the 24-year-old – how is it possible he’s only 24? – will be eligible to test unrestricted free agency.’

‘“Damar’s in the building now almost daily, and so that’s good news,” coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday before the Bills went through a walk-through practice. “It’s limited, just kind of dipping his toe back in here, but he comes in … he just started today or yesterday, just trying to get back to a little bit of a routine and just get himself acclimated again. Taking it one step, one baby step, at a time.”’

‘Each team is receiving an undetermined allotment of tickets, with season ticket holders for both teams who had previously opted-in to purchase AFC Championship Game tickets will have an exclusive presale opportunity beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday.’

‘WR Tee Higgins: He’s a big, (6-4, 215 pounds) physical player with speed who is a great No. 2 to Chase as he had 74 receptions for 1,029 yards and seven TDs. The Bills did great against the Miami duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but they had Skylar Thompson pitching, not Burrow.’

‘And one thing is for certain: If the Bills play as sloppily as they did in sneaking past the Dolphins 34-31, they will have a tough time beating a confident Bengals team that has now won nine games in a row and will tell you straight to your face that they’re the best team in the NFL.’

‘There was way too much stress for a game where the Bills were nearly two-touchdown favorites – not that that matters one bit – and playing a team that was banged up on both sides of the ball, not to mention was starting a rookie seventh-round quarterback.’

‘Ultimately, the Bills were very sloppy and their coaching staff was outcoached in this game. Though people don’t believe it, that doesn’t happen very often to McDermott’s staff.’