Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘Sure enough, the Bills crushed the Jets, did enough to beat back a feisty and desperate Dolphins outfit, and now they are confronted with a Saints team that, like those two AFC East rivals, has started the season 0-3 and is coming off a 44-13 Sunday shellacking at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.’

‘Buffalo has played its last two games without two defensive starters. Cornerback Taron Johnson and defensive tackle Ed Oliver missed the Week 2 blowout win over the New York Jets. In Week 3, Johnson returned but linebacker Matt Milano was out as Oliver remained sidelined as Buffalo defeated the Miami Dolphins.’

‘The Bills lined up Butler, Lewis and Roland Hooks on the right side and they all took off downfield with the intention of Lewis trying to tip the ball to one of the other two. Instead, it was Jets’ cornerback Burgess Owens who got his hand up, but the ball still cooperated as it caromed into Butler’s hands at the Jets’ 30 and he raced to the end zone from there for one of the most improbable TDs ever.’

‘CB Christian Benford: He entered the season considered the Bills far-and-away top cover man and a rising star in the NFL, but he’s had a rather uneven start. He has allowed a reception into his primary coverage area on 11 of 17 targets for 131 yards and three TDs. There was a school of thought that teams would not bother testing Benford because there were other weak spots in the defense to attack, but that hasn’t been the case as the next-most targeted player is nickel CB Taron Johnson with nine.’

‘Hale, an Arizona native, grew up watching Bills games in a Bills backer-type bar in Chandler, southeast of Phoenix, started by a couple from Buffalo in 1979 who served up Buffalo-style chicken wings with blue cheese. His family has been in Arizona “longer than the Cardinals have” and are a mixed bag when it comes to team loyalty. Mom is a Dallas Cowboys fan; dad would rather watch college football. The Bills have a hold on one of Hale’s uncles.’

‘Things weren’t always pretty for Buffalo’s defense, particularly on third down where the struggles were immense and maddening, but just like 2024 when they lived on takeaways, the defense came up with one at the most opportune time.’

‘Cook played 68% of the snaps which is high for him, but the Bills need to continue to lean into that usage because he has become one of the best RBs in the league and needs to be on the field to threaten opposing defenses and perhaps loosen things up in the passing game.’

‘“Yes, he has had some injuries,” Beane said after the signing. “Most of them, if you watch him play, he plays the game violent, he plays reckless without care for his body, which you love, but sometimes, you’ve seen it here with (Matt) Milano a little bit, too, he plays the wrecking ball style. He knows how to rush. He hasn’t lost that.”’

‘As expected, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott declared that defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano will not play Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins.’

‘McDermott did not want to get into any long-term timeline on either player, saying, “We listen to Nate (Breske) and our training staff, our medical team, all our docs the same way. We wait on their clearance, if you will, to say, ‘Hey, yeah, it’s safe for the player to play.’ I think that’s No. 1, I know No. 1, and then making sure a player cannot hurt himself potentially more with any injury.”’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 31, Dolphins 17.’

‘Online streaming services: 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.’

‘As it stands right now, it seems highly unlikely that Oliver or Milano will play Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium.’

‘Sept. 7, 1980: Bills end the Dolphins curse in a 1980 classic.’

‘And while the Dolphins have been the closest team to Buffalo in the standings, finishing second in each of the last three seasons and in four of the five, they have been woefully inept head-to-head, losing 10 of the 11 meetings between the teams.’