Toronto Sun

‘So, is America ready finally to again embrace a Bills team that’s actually, well, good? Because it is.’

‘Both the Bills and Ravens clearly decided beforehand that the best way to slow down the other team’s hot, second-year dual-threat quarterback and his recently romping, run-based offence was to blitz like crazy. That is, to send extra rushers at the quarterback on expected pass plays, and to move up extra, attacking defenders on expected run plays. Boy, did it work.’

‘The Bills proved to a snickering continent, and to a too-often-scarred and thus cautiously hopeful fan base, that their renaissance this season is no fluke.’

‘Broncos receivers Sutton, Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton and Diontae Spencer simply could not get open much against Buffalo’s shutdown secondary, headlined by cornerback Tre’Davious White.’

‘Do. Not. Be. Fooled.’

‘So, the Eagles chose to run it more than usual. Much more. They debuted at least one run-game wrinkle that surprised the Bills, and blew a close game open on the second play of the second half.’

‘Considering all the young, discarded NFL players on Miami’s roster, one could argue that Flores and his first-year coaching staff are performing half-miracles just to get these guys close the past two weeks; Miami lost by one point last week at game’s end to Washington, on a failed Dolphins two-point conversion.’

‘So many Bills fans were on hand at Nissan Stadium in Nashville that at times on TV it sounded like fans cheered louder for good Bills plays. A couple times you could even hear Bills fans chanting, “Duuuuuuuuuke!”’

‘Now it’s just a question whether Williams will be among the maximum 46 players the Bills choose to dress for Sunday’s game at the Tennessee Titans. The Bills now have an uncommon seven wide receivers on the active roster. One of them, Robert Foster, is questionable Sunday with a groin injury.’

‘The Edmonton Eskimos running back is, after all, cousins with Frank Gore, who had just become the fourth player in National Football League history to reach the 15,000-yard mark in rushing.’

‘Indeed, how in the name of piling-on cruelty could the Bills not finally beat a completely rattled Brady here, to end a seven-year home-field losing streak against these hated Patriots? On a day when the 42-year-old completed only 46% of his throws for a meagre 150 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and at least 10 forced throwaways — for a pathetic 45.9 passer rating? Easy. The Bills quarterbacks stunk the place up even worse.’

‘Hasn’t mattered which QB the Bills throw out there to square off against the visiting Brady. Every one so far has a losing record against the native Californian in games played in Buffalo.’

‘A check of the combined records of each of the eight’s remaining opponents reveals that the Buffalo Bills have the least bumpiest road ahead. Here’s a quick look at each’s remaining schedule, with the combined record and winning percentage of their remaining foes in brackets…’.

‘On a 3rd-and-7 from Buffalo’s 43-yard line he rolled right, away from duress, and this time instead of firing to a safely open receiver, or just running out of bounds for a short gain or loss, or just throwing it away out of bounds, Allen chose to throw off-balance back inside the field of play, to wide receiver Cole Beasley. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.’

‘“I’m very confident with my arm and my ability to make throws,” Allen said defiantly, after a late July practice. “The type of throws where I struggle are kind of the underneath patterns, where I’ve got to tone down my arm a little bit. And sometimes, you know I hate to use an analogy, but it’s like I’m 100 yards out and I have a 4-iron. So I’m just trying to develop more clubs to put it on the green.”’