Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘No team has used six offensive linemen more than the Bills as they bring in Alec Anderson to help an already excellent five-man blocking group. Anderson was on the field for 29% of the snaps against Denver.’

‘“Anthony Brown helps with that,” McDermott said. “The full answer is if you just put a mobile person back there when you’re planning and working on the scrambles or the quarterback run game, the defensive players know this is one of those plays if you just have to sub out one of our normal quarterbacks for a mobile player like that.’

‘Of the returning players, Milano might be the most important. After playing only four regular-season games before sitting out the Patriots finale with a sore groin, Milano started to look like the All-Pro Milano of old against Denver. He has missed so much time the last two years that sometimes you forget just how good he was before the injuries.’

‘Of course, the questions were perfectly fair because at times the Bills were not a good run defense and they finished the regular season ranked tied for 18th in the NFL in yards allowed per carry (4.5), and their 62 runs of at least 10 yards were the ninth-most in the league. And as for third-down defense, it was pretty awful as they ranked 29th with a conversion rate allowed of 43.8%.’

‘The room erupted in laughs except for an uncomfortable-looking Harbaugh, who seemingly regretted asking if Coleman had a problem with Bills fans. “… I apologize to the world,” Harbaugh says.’

‘Oh, the intensity will be high, with the overheated MVP debate – is it Jackson or Buffalo’s Josh Allen – riding shotgun to this high-stakes matchup that will send one team to the AFC Championship Game, and the other into a long, frustrating offseason. “It’s gonna be a bloodbath, man,” defensive tackle DaQuan Jones said.’

‘“I’ve been saying Ty Johnson’s the best third-down back in football,” Allen said. “The things that he’s able to do for us, the way we can communicate, him in the pass game blocking and running the ball, he does it all. I’m so proud of him. He made a heck of a play. It was fourth down, no point in holding it, taking a sack there. They played man and (I) just gave him a chance.”‘

‘One of the best ways to slow down a great pass rush, which Denver certainly has, is to run the ball and wow, did the Bills ever run it. James Cook had 90 yards in the first half and finished with 120 and a touchdown, Johnson had 44 tough yards, and Allen was his usual dynamic self as he finished with 46.’

‘Nix faces none of the burden or scrutiny Allen will have in this game. The rookie is in gravy time right now, having ended Denver’s postseason drought at eight years with one of the best rookie QB seasons in recent memory.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 24, Broncos 20.’

‘The game will be available locally via the following stations: WROC channel 8 (Rochester area), WIVB channel 4 (Buffalo area), WTVH channel 5 (Syracuse area), WKTV channel 2 (Utica area), WENY channel 2 (Elmira area), WRGB channel 10 (Albany area), and WBNG channel 12 (Binghamton area).’

‘It is incredibly rare for a team to be as healthy as the Bills are as they have only one player – return man Brandon Codrington – who could miss the game with a hamstring injury, and even Codrington has a chance because he’ll be listed as questionable.’

‘The Buffalo Bills may be the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff bracket and owners of a 13-4 record, but the voters who choose the NFL All-Pro team didn’t seem to be all that impressed.’

‘The Broncos came into Orchard Park last November and hammered the final nail into former offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey’s coffin with a 24-22 victory, during which they held Allen to 15 of 26 for 177 yards, 13 rushing yards, and forced him into three turnovers (two picks and a fumble). And that was a Denver defense that was far less accomplished and effective than the 2024 version.’

‘It is known that four of the teams looking to fill vacancies – the AFC East rival New York Jets plus New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears – have requested permission from the Bills to interview Brady, and for good reason. The only teams that have not called are the Las Vegas Raiders who just fired Antonio Pierce late Monday afternoon, and New England Patriots, most likely because it’s almost a certainty that they want to hire Mike Vrabel, a Patriots Hall of Famer.’