Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘It was rather stunning to see the Bills get overwhelmed by a Falcons team that, while individually talented, certainly won’t have any reason to keep its schedule open for early February.’

‘This was as bad as Josh Allen and the pass offense has looked since the debacle in Houston last year when he completed just 9 of 30 passes. The Falcons overmatched Buffalo’s offensive line and finished with four sacks, six QB hits, and double-digit pressures. The key was their reliance on blitzing, which the Bills never figured out.’

‘Sal’s prediction: Bills 26, Falcons 24.’

‘With your TV subscription you can watch on your phone or tablet on ESPN.com, the ESPN mobile app, and ESPN Deportes. You can also watch games on NFL.com and the NFL mobile app, and you can subscribe to NFL+, the league’s own streaming service, though you can’t cast the games to your TV – you must watch on your phone or tablet.’

‘He has a 215-pound tank who moves like a sports car in running back Bijan Robinson, and he knows that no matter who the opponent is, this week being the Buffalo Bills Monday night, their defense is going to be operating under stress to find ways to stop him.’

‘As expected, linebacker Matt Milano will not play due to his pectoral muscle injury, and safety Damar Hamlin (pectoral) and defensive tackle TJ Sanders (knee) are also out. Further, both Hamlin and Sanders have been placed on injured reserve and McDermott hinted that Hamlin could be out a long time, perhaps the rest of the season. Sanders is undergoing surgery, but McDermott did not seem to think it would end his rookie season.’

‘This was the first time I attended a night game at the stadium, and man, it was worth it. With Howard Cosell up in the press box serving as a target of derision for so many in the sellout crowd, the Bills put on quite a show for the national TV audience as they raced out to a 31-7 lead and coasted to victory.’

‘“I wouldn’t call it a setback, you know, it’s just a growing pain in the sense,” Coleman said Thursday as the Bills returned to practice in preparation for Monday night’s game in Atlanta. “It is frustrating because you know you’re better than that as a person and an individual and you don’t like the things that it shows. Sometimes it might show that you don’t care and things like that, and that’s not the case.”’

‘The potential good news is that defensive tackle Ed Oliver is practicing again, though McDermott said it would be on a limited basis. That has been Oliver’s designation the last couple weeks, and McDermott said Monday that he was “hopeful” that Oliver can play for the first time since Week 1. He sprained his ankle in practice a few days after that game and has missed four games.’

‘Since the moment the Bills convened for training camp at St. John Fisher University, one of the biggest questions McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich needed to determine was who would start opposite Benford.’

‘Cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. and running back Nathan Carter both trace their origins to western New York, where their families and early football journeys took shape before diverging onto very different paths to the NFL.’

‘Five games into his tenure with the Bills, 2025 free agent signee Joshua Palmer is following in the footsteps of 2024 free agent signee Curtis Samuel, and that’s not a good thing.’

‘On Monday, McDermott was asked whether that “too cute” remark referred to the Allen-Knox play. He didn’t bite. “I don’t want to single out one play,” McDermott said. “It’s overall. Just more physical. More urgent. You get a couple plays here and there that we’re going downhill and we’re going to run through people. But I don’t want to single out a play. Back to basics.”‘

‘If there was a game that better epitomized what it was like for the Buffalo Bills and their fans during the 17-year playoff drought, this Monday night debacle has to be in the discussion, and the 71,000-plus who were there that night would surely agree.’

‘So yes, Dempsey’s kick was incredible, and the state of NFL kicking in that era when a 55-60% success rate was considered good. He went on to play 11 years in the NFL for the Saints, Eagles, Rams, Oilers and Bills, and across his unlikely career he made 159 of 258 field goals and 252 of 282 extra points.’