Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘At 4-6, the Lions are four games behind the Vikings in the NFC North so they aren’t winning the division. However, with a three-game winning streak after a 1-6 start, they have lifted themselves into the conversation for a wild-card berth in the NFC.’

‘But this victory went beyond the standings; this was a victory for the entire organization and most certainly for the Buffalo-area community that did its part to help its beloved football team. Many fan bases pound their chests, but there is no bond stronger than the one between the Bills and their mafia and this was merely the latest example.’

‘CB Dane Jackson appeared to have a tough day and this only shines the spotlight even harder on Tre’Davious White who was once again inactive. The Bills need him back, especially with Kaiir Elam sitting out a second straight game. Jordan Poyer’s return helped and he had a nice pass breakup and a tackle for loss with a great read on a swing pass, but the Bills clearly missed Tremaine Edmunds in pass coverage.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Buffalo Bills 27, Cleveland Browns 16.’

‘Not only will the CBS crew working the game – specifically the camera operators out in the elements – not have to contend with the miserable weather in Orchard Park, the network’s local TV ratings are likely to get a nice boost.’

‘Also, with the unpredictability of the storm, the Browns’ travel plans would have likely been impacted. They were scheduled to fly to Buffalo Saturday afternoon, but that may not be possible.’

‘“Final determination is the league’s,” said Bills executive vice-president Ron Raccuia. “But we have all been communicating and collaborating on this decision. The (Erie) County Executive’s office, the governor’s office, certainly the (NFL) commissioner’s office and us, the Browns and as of recently, even the Lions. It’s really been a group effort.’

‘Chubb’s 904 rushing yards are third-most in the league, his 11 rushing TDs are No. 1, and he’s averaging 5.7 yards per attempt which is fifth among all running backs.’

‘You start with denial. But denying the loss when it was so public, when even people in Idaho are talking about it, is tough.’

‘The Bills are miles and miles better at passing the ball than the Browns, and their aerial game led by Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs is the crux of their offense. But the reality is that in all likelihood, Allen will not have the full breadth of the Buffalo passing offense at his disposal. You simply can’t play the same way as you do on a sunny September day when the conditions deteriorate to where they could be on Sunday.’

‘“I saw the amount of snow already just in that amount of time that had lapsed between going in and coming back out and I turned to him and I said, ‘Is this normal?’ Because you hear stories when you move here. And we’re walking down, I’m getting ready for the game and he goes, ‘No.’”’

‘But forecasters say that Orchard Park is right on the dividing line to northern Erie County, where heavy lake effect snow is expected to continue through early Sunday afternoon. So it’s possible, that heavy lake effect snow could still be falling as the game is set to start. according to the Weather Service.’

‘“For Buffalo, this has continued a trend of poor second-half play,” Tony Dungy said on the Sunday Night Football pregame show. “Leaky run defense in the second half, Josh Allen with bad decisions … just not playing good ball. They’ve been outscored 43-12 in the second half of their last three games. They’ve got to get that fixed.”’

‘Sorry if that offends the legions of Allen supporters who literally think he can do no wrong, but let’s be perfectly honest here: The Bills quarterback is suddenly doing a whole lot wrong and a once-promising season has taken a nasty and ugly detour.’

‘What the hell were the Bills thinking late in the third quarter when they had fourth-and-2 at the 7? Rather than kick a field goal for a 30-17 lead, meaning the Vikings would need two TDs to win, they went for it and Allen threw his first pick. It was a horrendous coaching decision by Sean McDermott that played a major role in losing the game.