The first go round vs NE would have been a loss for Buffalo if not for Cam Newton grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory. The Dolphins are a problem though, to be sure.
I thought it was impressive for the Bills to win on the road out West. They are legit and I like the QB play. That was a must win for the 49ers and the Bills said so what. Hard to beat when Josh Allen is fired up.
Matty.........Buffalo schedule is tough in December.......the end with the FISH in January/21 I hope they go 10-6 and win the division......Changing of the Guard in the AFC East.
Could be. But, very unlikely (from a pure statistical perspective); the Bills have a one game lead and have beaten the Fish in their one head-to-head. Swinging the division is going to be predicated on he Fish winning most of their other remaining games, and the Bills losing a game they should have won. That's why the odds are so favorable for the Bills to be the AFCE winner.
Bills sign general manager Brandon Beane to extension through 2025 The Buffalo Bills are back among the best in the AFC and they are making sure the architect of the current AFC East frontrunners will be around for the foreseeable future. The Bills announced they have signed general manager Brandon Beane to a multi-year extension on Thursday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Beane's new deal will keep him in Buffalo through 2025. As the Bills have been resurrected from a club long absent from the playoffs to a division favorite and one of the AFC's top squads, Beane and coach Sean McDermott have led the way. Thus, Beane's extension is through the same year as McDermott's, which the coach signed in August. "Brandon is an outstanding leader, and he has brought a great level of stability throughout our organization. One of the things we appreciate and respect about Brandon is that he is very thorough in his decision-making process. No decision he makes comes without a great deal of study and research," Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula said in a statement. "We appreciate his strong communication skills, and he works extremely well with us, with Sean and with all levels of the organization. We are happy to extend his contract and to have Brandon and Sean leading our football team for many years to come." Though Beane replaced former GM Doug Whaley after the 2017 NFL Draft and McDermott's signing, Beane and McDermott have gone hand-in-hand, season-by-season in the Bills' turnaround. Their first season (2017) in Buffalo saw the Bills return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999, ending the league's longest playoff drought at the time. Heading into Sunday's matchup against the Steelers, the Bills can clinch another postseason berth, which would be the third in the last four seasons, also known as the Beane-McDermott era. Beane, who came to the Bills after a tenure with the Panthers just like McDermott, looks to have hit big in his first draft, selecting quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds with a pair of 2018 first-round draft picks. While the defense's rise, led by the likes of cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano, was the focal point for the Bills' past three seasons of success, the maturation of Allen and building around him has been the key this year and possibly for the future. Beane orchestrated a trade for receiver Stefon Diggs in the 2020 offseason and has signed receivers Cole Beasley and John Brown, whose production has risen since joining the Bills. A franchise that famously went to four Super Bowls in the 1990s, the Bills fell upon more than a decade of arduous times before McDermott and then Beane's arrival. A new era is most assuredly underway in upstate New York and the Bills have made certain to extend it. NFL.com
Bills can clinch first AFC East title since 1995 this week The Bills’ long drought without a division title can come to an end this weekend. A win over the Broncos on Saturday afternoon is all the team needs to secure the AFC East crown for the first time since the 1995 season. According to the NFL’s release about this week’s playoff scenarios, the Bills can also wrap up the division with a Dolphins loss to the Patriots or if both they and the Dolphins tie their games. If the Bills lose and Dolphins win, the Bills can clinch a playoff spot with a Ravens loss to the Jaguars. Two other teams can wrap up divisional titles this weekend. The Steelers will be AFC North champs with a win over the Bengals on Monday night or a Browns loss to the Giants on Sunday night. The Saints will win the NFC South by beating the Chiefs and they can wrap it up if they lose and the Bucs lose to the Falcons. The Buccaneers have an outside shot at clinching a playoff spot. If they win and the Bears tie the Vikings, they will advance to the postseason. The Titans have a few paths to the postseason, but none are totally in their control. They will move on to the postseason if they beat the Lions and the Ravens lose to the Jaguars. They can also get in with a win, a Raiders loss or tie in their game against the Chargers, a Dolphins loss, and a Browns win. A final Week 15 path involves the same results for them, the Raiders, and the Dolphins along with the Titans or Browns clinching the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Dolphins. It’s more straightforward for the Rams and Seahawks. They are both in the playoffs with a win or if the Bears and Vikings tie. The NFC West cannot be settled this weekend, however. NBC
My question is, is there any value to fighting for the number two seed? Home and away doesn’t make much difference this season. I almost believe that the Steelers should try using the last couple of games as preseason if they beat the bengals and secure the AFCN. The Steelers have a lot of players that need to rest and get healthy for the post season. Fans in the stadiums seems to be going backwards.
The problem as I see it from this side of the Atlantic is that PIT will need more than a week or two for injury recovery. And seeding determines the strength of the playoff opponent. If I were Tomlin, the last thing I'd want to do is concede anything to the AFC playoff foes. They should play like cats on fire for the best record possible.
John Brown will not play for Bills Saturday Bills wide receiver John Brown has been designated to return from injured reserve, but he will miss at least one more game before returning to the lineup. While Brown has been cleared to practice with the team after missing three games with an ankle injury, head coach Sean McDermott said during an appearance on WGR 550 that he will not be in the lineup against the Broncos on Saturday afternoon. Brown has 29 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns in eight games this season. McDermott also said that safety Jaquan Johnson will miss the game due to an ankle injury. Johnson also missed last Sunday’s win over the Steelers. NBC
It may be an opportunity to attempt to choose what, in their minds, is the best matchup. Still, IMO, most of the Steelers worst injuries are the ones that are done for the year.
Thank you. The entire team is on the same page. I loved reading a story about Bass, the K, who is looking great as a rookie. The Bills asst. interviewed him predraft and reported to the team “he fits our profile”. This tells me that the team finally has the self-identity needed to overcome the inevitable problems and setbacks in a season. They’re also turning it up a notch in December. After four years Beane and McDermitt have hand-selected an entire roster to fit their model. It’s all the more satisfying after the looong stretch of poor-to-mediocre but always boring brand of football Buffalo knew and the rest of the league ignored. No team, not even KC, will want to play the Bills in the playoffs. (Note, “not wanting to play” is NOT the same as “afraid to play”.)
It’s now known that the Bills will host at least one playoff game next month. It’s not known whether fans will be present to witness the game. Via the Buffalo News, Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed the situation during a Sunday press conference, an event that began with Cuomo proclaiming, “Go Bills!” “I would like to be at that game — a playoff game — as much as anyone,” Cuomo said. “This has been a long time coming for Buffalo, and there are no fans like Buffalo Bills fans. . . . I’m a fan of the Giants. I’m a fan of the Jets. But Buffalo, they have really stood the course for many years, and they should be as excited as they are. We need some good news, and the Bills are delivering good news.” When it comes to the possibility of fans attending a home playoff game, no news isn’t good news or bad news, yet. Per the Buffalo News, New York currently is contemplating “some alternatives and ideas” aimed at allowing partial attendance. Cuomo said he wants to see the local infection numbers for early January before the issue is resolved. “What’s the overall infection rate? What’s the overall hospitalization rate?” Cuomo said. “That really makes a major difference, the environment that you’re in.” Before the season, the team wanted to have 17,000 fans at home games. Erie County revised that number to 7,000, based on factors like restroom size, public areas, and concourses. According to the report, the Bills likely will implement a timed system of entry and exit, along with the perfunctory mandatory mask policy, cashless transactions, and restroom barriers aimed at enforcing distancing. Luxury boxes will present a separate challenge, even with windows open. The article explained that tailgating could be problematic, and it makes vague reference to the possibility of Bills fans storming the stadium. (After they showed up at the local airports in the thousands early Sunday to welcome the team home from Denver, nothing can be ruled out at this point.) Whatever the decision, the clock is ticking toward a decision on the extent to which the turnstiles will be spinning when the Bills are hosting an AFC foe in fewer than three weeks. NBC
New York reviewing plan to test and trace 6,700 fans at Bills playoff game When the Bills clinched their first home playoff game in a quarter of a century, questions were immediately raised about whether fans could attend. It’s sounding like the state is increasingly optimistic that fans will be there. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said today that the state is reviewing a plan that will allow 6,700 fans to attend a home playoff game, with those fans all getting rapid-result COVID-19 tests before entering the stadium. “You could show up a half an hour before a football game, and get a test, and go into a game,” Cuomo said. Cuomo indicated that he thinks the plan for testing fans before the game and tracing them afterward to see whether the virus spread inside the stadium is feasible. “We’re exploring some options,” Cuomo said. “The Bills proposed 6,700 fans for their upcoming playoff game. The New York State Department of Health is working on a model where fans get tested on the way in and contact traced after to see what the effect is.” The Bills will likely host a playoff game on either Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10. By then they hope the plan has been given the OK by state authorities, and that some members of Bills Mafia will be there with their team. NBC ________ ________________ I think this is a groovy plan. Get as many in there as possible.
Full practice for Stefon Diggs Thursday Wide receiver Stefon Diggs‘ stellar first season with the Bills is on track to continue against the Patriots on Monday night. Diggs was listed as a full participant in practice on Thursday’s initial injury report for the week. Diggs hurt his foot during last Saturday’s rout of the Broncos, but there was never much sign of concern from the team about his condition and he was on the field for Wednesday’s informal practice session. Cornerback Tre'Davious White (neck) was also a full participant after being knocked out last weekend. Quarterback Josh Allen (knee, ankle) and defensive end AJ Espenesa (non-injury related) were also full participants. Tight end Reggie Gilliam (knee, hamstring) and tackle Ty Nsekhe (groin) did not practice. Kick returner Andre Roberts (back) and right tackle Darryl Williams (groin) were limited after sitting out on Wednesday.
