Wild-card weekend: Your guide to the Buffalo Bills' showdown with the Patriots

When the Bills run: Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has unleashed quarterback Josh Allen as a runner. Over the last five regular-season games, Allen had four of his highest-rushing games of the season. He’s topped 60 yards in each of his last three games. He had 28 runs of 10-plus yards in the regular season, second only to Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (29) among quarterbacks. On designed runs, Allen carried 57 times for 324 yards, according to TruMedia, picking up a first down on 50.9% of those plays. For comparison, Hurts was the only other player in the NFL above 40%. The New England Patriots have struggled to defend the run lately, including in Week 18 when they gave up 195 yards to Miami. Devin Singletary has five rushing touchdowns in his last four games. The only game he didn’t hit at least 86 rushing yards over that time was against New England, but the Buffalo Bills have shown the threat of their run game has to be respected. EDGE: Bills.

When the Bills throw: The Patriots ramped up their usual defensive approach in Week 16 against the Bills, going with more man coverage than they usually play. It was a logical approach, given that Allen threw six interceptions against that style of defense in the regular season, second most in the NFL. Allen, though, played one of his best games, and produced 12 first downs against the coverage. Switching to zone didn’t help, either, as Allen torched that coverage by completing 80% of his passes for 173 yards. It will be interesting to see if New England plays more man defense. If the Patriots do, it could mean more snaps for Isaiah McKenzie, who worked over Miles Bryant in the last meeting of the teams. Another big development was the Patriots putting No. 2 cornerback Jalen Mills on the reserve/Covid-19 list. If he can’t play, it will weaken their secondary. EDGE: Bills.

When the Patriots run: The Bills have sold out to stop the run in both games against New England. It hasn’t worked either time. Despite putting eight or more defenders in the box about 70% of the time, the Patriots ran for 222 yards in the first game – even when everyone knew they were going to run – and 149 in the rematch. Patriots running back Damien Harris has been dealing with a hamstring injury, so he may not be 100%. The Bills allowed 12 runs of 20-plus yards in the regular season, which ranked as ninth most in the league. EDGE: Patriots.

When the Patriots throw: It makes sense that the Bills would challenge Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones to beat them through the air. Jones hasn’t had a lot of success on intermediate and deep throws, particularly to the boundary. He should be helped by having Nelson Agholor, who missed the Week 16 game with a concussion, back in the lineup. Look for New England to also try and involve tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith more than they have been against the Bills this season. Those two combined for just one catch for 9 yards in Week 16. Will the Patriots take the shackles off Jones, particularly if the Bills sell out to stop the run? It’s one of the many interesting story lines in this game. EDGE: Bills.

Special teams: The Patriots’ special teams was uncharacteristically a mess in the regular season, save for kicker Nick Folk, who was solid. New England had three punts blocked during the season and finished with a negative DVOA, according to analytics website Football Outsiders, which is the first time that’s happened since 1994. The Bills can’t feel great about their special teams, either. Punter Matt Haack struggled last week against the Jets, although it’s not supposed to be quite as windy, which should help him. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a big play on special teams matter greatly in the end. EDGE: Even.

Coaching: The enormity of the Week 16 matchup could be seen in how much both teams went for it on fourth down. The Bills were 3 of 4 in that category, while the Patriots went 5 for 6. There is no doubt that Bills coach Sean McDermott has more of the pressure on him in this game. That the Patriots made it this far with a rookie quarterback means they’re playing with house money. Given what was expected of the Bills, McDermott’s team can’t be one and done in the postseason. EDGE: Patriots.

Prediction: Bills 27, Patriots 19.

It might come as a surprise to Buffalo Bills fans that the New England Patriots created more explosive pass plays this season than the Bills.

The Patriots had 60 pass plays of 20 or more yards, 10th best in the NFL. The Bills had 51 plays of 20-plus yards, 16th most.

Josh Allen carries heavy offensive burden for Bills into playoffs

Allen arguably carried an even heavier load of the Bills’ offense in 2021 and produced one of the best quarterbacking seasons in Bills history.

Can the Patriots tap into that ability to get chunk pass plays in Saturday’s wild-card playoff game? Can the Bills’ offense score enough in the first half to force New England to open up its offense?

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones managed only 145 yards passing in the game three weeks ago, won by the Bills 33-21. He had only two 20-plus completions, 21 and 20 yards, both in the fourth quarter.

For the season, the Pats ranked a respectable 14th in passing yards.

What we learned from each Bills game on way to the playoffs

In every win and loss, there was good and bad and a lesson to be learned.

The Pats’ ability to get chunk plays is attributable to a bunch of factors. Defenses tend to gang up on the Pats’ power ground game, which opens up the pass. Jones has superb accuracy, hitting receivers in stride on in-breaking routes and giving them more yards-after-catch opportunity. The Pats’ offensive scheme sets up those in-breakers and crossing routes with good play-action fakes. Jones was eighth in the NFL in yards per attempt (9.0) on play action, according to Pro Football Focus.

Pats receiver Kendrick Bourne, who had 55 catches for 800 yards, was fifth best among the top 100 wideouts in yards-after-catch per reception (7.2), according to PFF.

Jones is better than most Bills fans want to admit. Is his ceiling lower than elite? That’s the conventional wisdom. Will he become a good version of Chad Pennington (which is darn good)? Or can he be better than that?

Here's coach Bill Belichick on Jones two weeks ago after the blowout win over the Jaguars: “Mac is super consistent. Every day is really the same day for Mac. He's always well prepared. He's in early. He's ready to go. He knows what we're going to be doing, and he's already got a head start on it. He maximizes the information that the coaches give him, maximizes the walk-throughs, the practice reps, and learns from whatever happens in those situations. He's smart. He's a good learner, but he's got good instincts and good mechanics. He's just worked hard to get better every day. A lot of consistency and great work ethic and really pays attention to details and has just improved in every area throughout the course of the year. ... He's just a really great person to coach because he's so responsive to trying to do everything the way that you want to do it.”

Heavy formations. Keep an eye on how often the Patriots power up, using No. 47, fullback Jakob Johnson, or No. 71, sixth lineman Michael Onwenu.

'We took our lumps': How the Bills' tough stretch prepared them for this moment

The journey to the postseason – which begins Saturday when the New England Patriots visit Highmark Stadium for an AFC wild-card playoff game – has been full of adversity. Some of that is the same type as every NFL team goes through, and some of it has been self-inflicted and unique to the Bills.

In the Pats’ win in Orchard Park, Pats running backs ran 26 times for 164 yards (a 6.3 average) with Onwenu on the field.

In the Bills’ win at Foxborough, the Pats ran 14 times with Onwenu for 61 yards (a 4.3 average), not counting goal-line plays. Johnson was on the field for most of those runs, too.

The Bills used third linebacker A.J. Klein against the Pats’ heavy personnel in the second game. They also used bigger Siran Neal at cornerback in place of Dane Jackson on 13 “heavy package” plays.

“They're very, very diverse and they got some good running backs,” Jordan Poyer said. “They got good contact balance, run the ball extremely hard. They got a very solid offensive line that blocks well for them. They're able to turn the dial. When one run’s not working, they mix it up and go to the next one.”

The 30,000-foot view. Bill Belichick has coached in more playoff games than anyone in history (43) and has won more (31), too. With 321 career wins, he’s just three behind No. 2 George Halas (324) on the all-time list. He’s 26 behind No. 1 Don Shula (347). Belichick is 69. He needs three more seasons to pass Shula. Sean McDermott will be coaching his sixth playoff game as Bills head coach. That’s already second most in team history, ahead of Lou Saban (4). Marv Levy was 11-8 in the playoffs. With 51 wins, McDermott is 19 behind Saban (70) for second on the Bills’ coaching list.

Buffalo Bills healthy on final injury report ahead of facing New England Patriots

All-Pro picks. This was my ballot for the NFL All-Pro team, picked by the Pro Football Writers of America.

MVP: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Defensive player of the year: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach of the year: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans. Executive of the year: Belichick, Patriots. Assistant coach of the year: Leslie Frazier, Bills. Comeback player: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys. Rookie of the year: Micah Parsons, Cowboys.

OFFENSE: QB: Brady, Bucs. RB: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts; Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers. WR: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams; Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers. OT: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers; Tristan Wirfs, Bucs. OG: Quenton Nelson, Colts; Zack Martin, Cowboys. OC: Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles. TE: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens.

DEFENSE: DE: Watt, Steelers; Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns. DT: Aaron Donald, Rams; Cameron Heyward, Steelers. OLB: Darius Leonard, Colts; Parsons, Cowboys. MLB: De’Vondre Campbell, Packers. CB: J.C. Jackson, Pats; Trevon Diggs, Cowboys. S: Jordan Poyer, Bills; Kevin Byard, Titans.

SPECIAL TEAMS: PK: Justin Tucker, Ravens. P: Bryan Anger, Cowboys. KR: Braxton Berrios, New York Jets. PR: Devin Duvernay, Ravens. Coverage: Miles Killebrew, Steelers.

Brady’s production far outpaced that of Aaron Rodgers. Conventional wisdom is that Brady has a better supporting cast than Rodgers. Nevertheless, Brady passed for 1,201 more yards than Rodgers – 1,201! – and was the least sacked QB in the NFL. ... Ekeler edged out the Browns’ Nick Chubb for the second RB spot. Another tough call was the second DT. Jeffrey Simmons of the Titans was great. But Pittsburgh’s Heyward was greater. No DT was better vs. the Bills this year. ... The safety voting will be interesting, because there are so many good candidates. Denver’s Justin Simmons and Pittsburgh’s Mikah Fitzpatrick will get a lot of votes. Fitzpatrick led all safeties with 124 tackles. Kansas City’s Tyrann Mathieu is great, but didn’t produce as many big plays. New England’s Devin McCourty is like Micah Hyde, perennially underrated. Seattle’s Quandre Diggs and the Chargers’ Derwin James (117 tackles) are great, too. ... Killebrew blocked the punt that gave Pittsburgh the win over Buffalo.

On the All-AFC team ballot, I picked Josh Allen as the QB, Poyer at safety and Tremaine Edmunds at middle linebacker. I also had Akron High School graduate J.C. Tretter of Cleveland at center. He had a superb year.

Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame linebacker Darryl Talley used to slather his body with Vaseline, then pull on a pair of Big Mama pantyhose, then his football pads, pants and jersey, just one old-school trick for staying warm in the extreme cold.

Then he’d lube up his feet and pull on silk socks, then GORE-TEX socks to remain dry, then his uniform socks, then his cleats. The idea was simple, yet brilliant.

Long-distance swimmers greased up to protect their bodies from the elements, Talley figured, and after watching the Winter Olympics, he replaced his cheap hosiery with downhill ski racing suits, including the one with the famous “Spider-Man” arms.

“I was Under Armour before Under Armour was Under Armour,” Talley, 61, said this week, laughing during a phone interview with The Buffalo News. “I’d do a lot of things that a lot of folks didn’t know about. But I was warm.”

Tips and tricks for playing in frigid conditions are offered by former players on social media and sports talk shows every time a subzero, marquee game is on tap, and this week is no different with the Bills preparing to host the New England Patriots at 8:15 p.m. Saturday in what could be the second-coldest home football game in franchise history.

Temperatures in Orchard Park are expected to be in the low single digits at kickoff, with wind chills between minus-10 and minus-15 degrees.

The record low gameday temperature in Orchard Park is zero degrees. In that game, the Bills defeated the Los Angeles Raiders 29-23 in an AFC divisional round playoff game on Jan. 15, 1994. The wind chill at kickoff, the fifth-coldest in NFL history, was minus-32 degrees.

The second-coldest game on record is nine degrees. The Bills defeated the New York Jets 16-14 on Dec. 26, 1993, when the wind chill was minus-28 degrees.

“Both teams are going to be faced with this extreme cold,” said J. Luke Pryor, a doctor of kinesiology and clinical associate professor at the University at Buffalo, “but whichever team can manage that cold the best, that’s a factor that’s going to play into who wins. I see the Buffalo Bills’ staff playing a really important role in Saturday’s game.”

Pryor is the associate director of elite athlete performance at UB’s Center for Research and Education in Special Environments. He has worked with the New York Giants, Timex-sponsored triathletes, U.S. Rowing and numerous NCAA athletes and teams.

Sports science has come a long way in the quarter century since Talley starred for the Bills from 1983 to ‘94 and greased himself up throughout the team’s run to four consecutive Super Bowls.

“Under Armour is just a brand name,” Pryor said. “But the essence of what Darryl did is spot on. The scientific term is a ‘microenvironment.’ What you actually want to do is try to create multiple microenvironments to trap the heat, so you don’t lose heat to the environment. You don’t need brand-name clothing and equipment to do that. When we grew up, there was no Under Armour, but we still were able to layer up and do just fine.”

Conserving energy

Athletic trainers are concerned with players’ core temperatures and, from a performance standpoint, muscle temperatures.

“A cold muscle produces less force and is therefore less powerful,” Pryor said. “That’s why warming up is so important to anything athletic that we do.”

The human body has three defense mechanisms for maintaining appropriate temperature in the cold, he said.

First, it redistributes blood from the skin to the core, and if that’s insufficient, it produces heat by shivering.

Then, our behavior changes and we seek heat, either by adding clothing or avoiding cold and windy areas.

Heat-loss mitigation strategies, such as wearing giant coats and sitting on heated benches, must be implemented every time a player steps off the field, and as soon as possible, Pryor said, because energy lost through shivering can add up over the course of a three-hour game and might make a difference in crunch time.

“It’s less likely that the cold is going to have an impact early in the game,” Pryor said. “It’s most likely going to be an issue in the fourth quarter, which, of course, is where most games are won and lost, and why I think the environment is going to play a role.”

Hall of Fame former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre said this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio that a temperature in the low single digits isn’t terrible.

“You know, it sounds crazy, and I tell people this all the time here at home in Mississippi – two degrees, at least in pro football terms, two degrees with very little wind is very manageable,” Favre said, adding the bigger issue is wind, which not only makes the cold miserable, but affects throws and special teams.

Former NFL defensive back turned football analyst Matt Bowen, who played for the Bills in 2006, cited several cold weather tips in an ESPN article he wrote in 2015, including the Vaseline trick, drinking hot chocolate and chicken broth, wearing layers and using hand warmers, heated benches and helmet warmers.

Former NFL linebacker turned football analyst Bart Scott, who played for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, said Thursday on ESPN that players used to pop Viagra, a male sexual enhancement pill, before extremely cold games.

“That’ll get that circulation going right,” he said.

Pryor, the doctor of kinesiology and professor at UB, chuckled at the notion.

“My understanding of Viagara is that pill is specific to receptors in the male reproductive organ...” Pryor said, adding that it would not improve an athlete’s performance during a football game. “The big thing I always tell my athletes is, ‘You better not try anything new, especially in a playoff game. You try something new and screw up, you’ll never forgive yourself.’ ”

All hands on deck

Beyond keeping players’ cores and muscles warm, it’s important to focus on the hands.

“They’re the most susceptible to cold stress,” Pryor said, “because the surface area to mass ratio is such that your hands are going to lose heat faster than any other part of your body.”

This obviously pertains to quarterbacks, but also to any player who touches the ball, including the center, punter, wide receivers and defensive backs, he said.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen has performed worse in the elements at home this season – nearly every game has featured poor weather – than he has on the road, but opponents have likewise struggled in Orchard Park.

In nine games at home this season, Allen completed 59.8% of his passes for 2,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, seven interceptions and an 85.5 passer rating. He averaged 227.6 passing yards per game.

Opposing quarterbacks completed 52.3% of their passes for 1,257 yards, six touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 63.4 passer rating. They averaged 139.7 passing yards per game.

In eight road games, Allen completed 67.1% of his passes for 2,359 yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 99.4 passer rating. He averaged 294.9 passing yards per game.

Opposing quarterbacks, playing in their home stadiums, completed 58.7% of their passes for 1,790 yards, six touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 66.7 passer rating. They averaged 223.8 passing yards per game.

“My toes get really cold and they go numb a little bit,” Allen said, “so keeping those suckers as warm and as dry as possible as well as the hands, obviously, that's a big emphasis for quarterbacks.”

Allen said he won’t wear sleeves because they make it more difficult to hold onto the ball while running, and he doesn’t intend to take any strength off his rocket passes, even though doing so would make the ball easier to catch.

“I think the second you start messing with mechanics and stuff, especially this late in the season, it only tends to make things worse,” Allen said.

‘An old-school slobber-knocker’

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs joked that Allen doesn’t throw the ball that hard, but after having a touchdown whiz through his hands against Atlanta, told the quarterback to take a little heat off his passes.

“My fingers get cold, toes get cold,” Diggs said, “Our training staff does a great job as far as the heaters on the sideline, the coats, like as soon as you come off like, ‘Do you need a coat?’ And you're just like, ‘Nah, get away from me.’ But they’re always there for me, so I feel like I’ll be fine.”

Bills safety Jordan Poyer said it’s important to set the tone early.

“You always want to start fast in any game you play. But, especially in particular, at home in cold weather games, being able to start fast and set the tone early,” Poyer said. “They’re obviously going to try to do the same. It’s going to be one of those legendary games.”

Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes, the longest-tenured player on the roster, said the third meeting with the Patriots this season is “just going to be an old-school slobber-knocker.”

Hughes is looking forward to the fan support after last year’s home playoff games allowed minimal attendance because of Covid-19. The Bills haven't hosted a home playoff game with a full crowd since a wild-card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 28, 1996, when Hughes was 8 years old.

“Take off the pants, get in some shorts, you know, enjoy that weather. Really embrace it,” Hughes said, offering tips to prepare for the cold. “Get your feet in the earth. Let your toes tickle that cold soil. Just enjoy it. It’s going to be cold on Saturday. But, you know, with the Mafia in that stadium, getting loud, it’s going to feel warm and it’s going to be fun.”

Talley said it was gratifying to watch opponents wilt in extreme conditions.

“You could see it in guys’ faces when they came on the field. ‘I’m freezing. I want to go back inside,’ ” Talley said, emphasizing the mental aspects of the game. “And then at that point is when you just decided you’re going to take over. You’re going to make them bend to your will.”

Then he laughed some more.

“The funny part that used to get me is we would be out there playing, at least we were running,” Talley said. “The guys that sat in the end zone under the scoreboard with no shirts on – that, I don’t know if I could have had enough antifreeze in me to do.”

The Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots at 8:15 p.m. Saturday in an AFC wild-card game at Highmark Stadium. The Bills are a 4-point favorite. Here is how The News' sports writers project the outcome:

Jay Skurski: Make no mistake: All the pressure is on the Bills in this one. They are the team that was a popular Super Bowl pick. They are the team with an established franchise quarterback, not the one with a rookie making his first postseason start. They are the ones who will undoubtedly be viewed as a disappointment, should they lose. I don't see that happening. The Bills' offense has discovered a running game at the right time. That's a big deal, because it could take just a bit of the pressure off quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills' defense needs to do what it did in Week 16 against New England: Force Mac Jones to beat them. I don't think he's up for the challenge. The Patriots are 1-3 in their last four games, while the Bills are riding a four-game winning streak. We'll see how much momentum means. Bills, 27-19.

Josh Allen carries heavy offensive burden for Bills into playoffs

Allen arguably carried an even heavier load of the Bills’ offense in 2021 and produced one of the best quarterbacking seasons in Bills history.

Katherine Fitzgerald: Far be it from me to count out a Bill Belichick-coached team, but I think the second meeting between these two teams was far more telling. The first game was simply too weird to replicate. I don’t think it was a really illuminating showing for either quarterback, given how unusual the weather was. If you’ve read anything about the Bills this week, you know that weather will also be a factor Saturday, but with a different forecast. It should be colder and less windy, the latter a boost for Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense. While Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has gone up against the Bills twice already, I think the Buffalo defense finds ways to rattle the rookie. I imagine it will be closer, but with the Bills giving the largest home playoff crowd in decades a reason to celebrate. Bills, 20-16. 

Mark Gaughan: The Bills are the better team, by a little. Obviously, the fact that the greatest coach of all time is on the other sideline is the big worry. The other big worry is how much will the weather negate the Bills’ passing-game advantage? Josh Allen played an A-plus game at New England three weeks ago. Can the Bills beat the Pats if Allen plays a B-plus game? I’m not worried about Allen. He will be able to throw, since the wind will be light. Allen passed for 314 yards on a 37-degree day in Foxborough. There’s no way he can pass for that much on a single-digits day. The Bills will need Allen to make some plays with his legs, and the Bills’ defense needs to play a big game. You have to think in a game this cold there will be some random turnovers. Who knows which way the ball will bounce? Nothing comes easy against a Bill Belichick team. Bills, 23-22.

'We took our lumps': How the Bills' tough stretch prepared them for this moment

The journey to the postseason – which begins Saturday when the New England Patriots visit Highmark Stadium for an AFC wild-card playoff game – has been full of adversity. Some of that is the same type as every NFL team goes through, and some of it has been self-inflicted and unique to the Bills.

Jason Wolf: Bill Belichick is one of the great coaches in NFL history, but as Stefon Diggs recently put it, the outcome of a game often depends on the Joes, not the Xs and Os. Let’s not overthink this. The Bills have the better quarterback, the better defense, more recent playoff experience and are playing at home. Yes, the Patriots won a close game in Orchard Park in December by almost exclusively running the ball, while their rookie quarterback attempted just three passes, because of gale-force winds. That was fluky. It’ll be below freezing on Saturday night, but wind shouldn’t be a major factor. Bills, 17-13.

Bills Mailbag: Should Cole Beasley or Isaiah McKenzie play more against Patriots?

Jay Skurski answers readers' questions about Isaiah McKenzie, Ryan Bates, coin flips, hand warmers, coaching hires and more.

Rachel Lenzi: It’s round three of the Patriots-Bills series this season, and this is more than a rubber game – it’s a matter of which team continues its pursuit of a championship. This is where Josh Allen has to break out of a stretch in which he’s thrown three interceptions in his last two games – great players elevate themselves and their teams when the stakes are high. The Bills' defense continues to be stout, but needs to put extra pressure on Patriots quarterback Mac Jones as a means to disrupt a middle-of-the-pack offense. The Patriots come in having lost three of their last four games, including losses to the Bills and the Dolphins. The Patriots are either on a downward slide or ripe for a win. The Bills are a championship-caliber team, and they’ll take a step in proving that by ending the Patriots’ season. Bills, 21-17.

NFL defenses did a better job of preventing the Buffalo Bills from passing deep in 2021.

The production by the Bills’ running backs was more inconsistent in 2021 than it was in 2020.

The Bills’ offensive line personnel shuffled more in 2021 and endured more difficult games than in 2020.

Yet Josh Allen ranked second among all NFL quarterbacks in total touchdowns produced passing and rushing with 42, behind only Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady. Allen was fourth in total yards produced passing and rushing, at 5,160.

The Bills’ quarterback isn’t in the discussion for NFL most valuable player, as he was last year. He didn’t eclipse his team-record totals from 2020 in passing yards and passing touchdowns.

However, Allen arguably carried an even heavier load of the Bills’ offense in 2021 and produced one of the best quarterbacking seasons in Bills history.

“There's not another quarterback I'd rather have than him,” said Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. “He just has such a strong, competitive nature built into him from his upbringing and what he stands for.”

“Four years together, I think that he's grown a lot, along with me. We have a great relationship and great trust on and off the field and I certainly have all the trust in the world in him when he's playing the game.”

Consider the exclusive company Allen keeps.

He is one of only four players in NFL history to record 4,000-plus passing yards and 40 or more total touchdowns in consecutive seasons, joining Drew Brees (2011-13), Aaron Rodgers (2011-12) and Brady (2020-21). Allen hit those marks in 16 games this year. He also joined Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Peyton Manning as the only QBs with 4,000 yards and 35 passing TDs in back-to-back seasons.

Allen’s 36 touchdown passes were second most in Bills history, behind his total of 37 last year. His 4,407 passing yards also were second only to his 2020 total of 4,544.

The dual-threat nature of Allen’s game continues to set him apart from almost everyone. He became the first NFL QB ever to have 4,000 passing yards and 750 rushing yards in a single season. Over his first four seasons, Allen has 134 touchdowns passing and rushing, second only to Dan Marino (144) in NFL history. Allen is the first QB ever to have four consecutive seasons of six-plus rushing TDs.

Despite all that production, the 2020 season was a hard act to follow. The Bills went 13-3 and ranked third in the NFL in passing.

Defenses made the Bills work harder for scores in 2021. The Bills had 66 pass plays of 20 or more yards in 2020, which was fourth best. In 2021, the Bills’ total dropped to 51, tied for 16th best. Allen completed more passes in 2021, but his yards per attempt dropped from fifth best (7.9) to 23rd (6.8).

It started right from the first game, with the Pittsburgh Steelers focusing on a four-man rush and protecting deep. The Steelers blitzed Allen once in 60 dropbacks. In Week 6, Tennessee blitzed Allen once in 57 dropbacks. The Bills’ offensive line had a terrible game against the Steelers. It played better vs. the Titans, and Allen attacked the Tennessee defense better. He passed for 353 yards and ran for 26. The Bills lost, 34-31, when Allen was stopped short of the end zone on a quarterback sneak in the final seconds.

“I know we didn't win the Tennessee game,” Allen said. “But I think I learned a lot from that game. I think seeing how teams were playing us before that game during the season, and just kind of learning obviously of getting the backs involved, getting the tight ends involved, finding the check downs a little quicker. Again, I’m still learning, still progressing in that aspect. And I've got a long way to go. But I think if there's one game where I learned I think the most this year was that game.”

Overall, Allen was blitzed a career-low 21% of his dropbacks, down from 32.5% last year, according to Buffalo News charting.

“I don’t know if the word underrated is the one I should use, but he’s a very smart player,” Daboll said. “Not only is he smart, he’s instinctive, too. I can’t speak for defenses on how they want to attack our offense or attack him. But when you bring an extra guy, unless they want to drop somebody else out there’s one less guy in coverage. And then you’ve got to decide are we going to bring five guys and play zone behind it or are we going to rush five and play man behind it? If you do that, there’s other things we have and Josh has ability-wise to attack that. It all starts with the protection aspect of it. Sometimes they can bring five and fool you and get you on a protection.”

Inconsistency in the ground game prompted the Bills to ask more of Allen as a runner.

Allen rushed for a career-high 763 yards, way up from 421 yards in 2020.

Against the best defenses, Daboll decided the Bills’ needed to make Allen more of a weapon in the run game. Allen ran 11 times for 59 yards against Kansas City. He rushed 12 times for 109 yards against Tampa Bay. In the second game against the Patriots, Allen ran 12 times for 64 yards.

“You try to be creative,” Daboll said after the Tampa game, “and find ways to either tire a line out or get the ball on the perimeter, use RPOS, or quarterback run game or quick drop back or perimeter screens. So we were going to be aggressive. That was the mindset going into it. ... I think Josh made good decisions in terms of the running game, when to throw it and when to hand it off.”

Allen ranked third among NFL QBs in rushing yards, behind Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (784 yards) and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (767).

With Allen as a big part of the rushing equation, the Bills enter the postseason encouraged about the state of their run game over the last month of the season. Devin Singletary averaged just five carries a game during a six-game midseason stretch. Over the past seven games, he has carried 15 times a game. The Bills also are encouraged about the way the offense has attacked defenses that have focused more on coverage than on blitzing.

“With what our offensive line has done the last couple weeks, it’s been awesome to see that and to see them grow, and the communication there continue to evolve, and see how well some of these guys are playing,” Allen said. “So that’s been very promising. Obviously, you’ve been able to see Motor kind of step into a bigger role for our offense, and he’s been excelling. Guys on the outside are getting open and catching balls and making plays. That’s really all you can ask for.”

The Bills have asked more of Allen than ever this season. That’s not going to change in the playoffs.

The Bills' journey to the AFC East championship and the NFL playoffs might have been more difficult than many expected before the season began. In every win and loss, there was good and bad and a lesson to be learned.

Week 1: Pittsburgh 23, Bills 16

The good: The Bills' defense allowed just one touchdown. A blocked and returned punt provided the Steelers’ other. Buffalo had two sacks on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, holding him to just 188 passing yards. Isaiah McKenzie had a 75-yard kick return to start the game.

The bad: Despite putting up 371 yards on offense, the Bills scored just one touchdown. Penalties were a problem, particularly on the offensive line. This was one of just four games without a takeaway this season for the  Bills, and three of the four were losses.

What we learned: Just one week into the season, it was clear that this year’s Bills wouldn’t cakewalk back to the playoffs. It was easy to overreact at the time, but some flaws were exposed early, particularly on offense. 

Week 2: Bills 35, Dolphins 0

The good: The defense feasted in what would be the first of two shutouts in three games. The Bills had six sacks – two from rookie defensive end Greg Rousseau – and an interception. Running back Zack Moss punched in two touchdowns.

The bad: After two touchdown drives to start the game, the rest of the first-half drives resulted in three punts, a fumble, an interception and a missed field goal. Quarterback Josh Allen didn’t have his best day. His 179 passing yards were his third-lowest this season, and he was 17 for 33 with two touchdowns and an interception.

What we learned: The Bills' offense came right out of halftime with a scoring drive, going 75 yards in eight plays, to bounce back from a second quarter where they couldn’t sustain drives. The defense showed its ability to give the offense plenty of time to fine-tune things.

Week 3: Bills 43, Washington 21

The good: Allen threw for four touchdowns, as the Bills erupted for 481 yards on offense. He ran in another himself, and had a hand in all five Bills’ touchdowns. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde each had an interception.

The bad: The Bills gave up their longest play of the season, a 73-yard touchdown from Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke to Antonio Gibson. It was a short pass on the second play of a drive, and briefly shifted momentum within the game.

What we learned: Allen’s dominant performance led to well-earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. It was his fifth-career game in which he posted 300-plus passing yards and four-plus touchdown passes, a statement in Week 3. Veteran receivers Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders had 98 and 94 yards, respectively, as Allen connected with seven different pass catchers.

Week 4: Bills 40, Texans 0

The good: It was a smothering performance by the defense, with four interceptions. Tight end Dawson Knox’s emergence was also on display. He had his first two-touchdown performance, part of a stretch where he had five touchdowns in four games.

The bad: It’s hard to say the 40 points weren’t enough, but a streak of settling for field goals on four consecutive red-zone trips was notable. Tyler Bass was reliable, but the Bills should have been able to score even more.

What we learned: Those red-zone struggles would crop up again later in the season, and against much stronger opponents. Still, three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alleviated those woes, and served as a reminder that this team still knows how to score.

Week 5: Bills 38, Chiefs 20

The good: Allen outdueled Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes in an AFC championship game rematch, throwing for 315 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday Night Football. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders scored a pair of touchdowns, safety Micah Hyde had a pick-six and Rousseau had a sack and an interception as the Bills put together a dominating performance.

The bad: The game featured a 62-minute delay at halftime because of lightning in the area. That’s it. Seriously, how much more could have gone wrong on a night the Bills knocked off the two-time defending AFC champions?

What we learned: The Bills went into the offseason knowing they needed to make some changes to their roster in order to beat the Chiefs. Even though it came in the regular season, they emphatically demonstrated they could. If there was a psychological hurdle to overcome going against Kansas City, the Bills cleared it with ease. At this point in the season, the Bills were No. 1 in power rankings everywhere and betting favorites to become Super Bowl champions.

Week 6: Titans 34, Bills 31

The good: The offense continued to hum, as Allen torched Tennessee by completing 35 of 47 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns. The Bills piled up 417 yards of offense as Diggs and Beasley combined for 16 catches and a pair of touchdowns, while Dawson Knox threw a successful two-point conversion despite a broken hand. That’s legit.

The bad: About that run defense … Derrick Henry showed that elite, physical running backs still give the Bills big-time problems. Henry gained 143 yards on just 20 carries and scored three touchdowns, the first of which came on a 76-yard run in the second quarter. The Bills led at that point, 6-0, but the lead should have been greater. Buffalo failed to score on two trips to the red zone, settling for field goals of 24 and 28 yards by Tyler Bass.

What we learned: For the second consecutive year, the Bills went into their bye week in a painful way. First, it was the “Hail Murray” loss to the Cardinals in 2020. Against Tennessee, Allen slipped on a fourth-and-1 quarterback keeper that fell short, leading to the decisive turnover on downs. Still, with the way the Bills’ offense performed most of the night, the feeling heading into the bye was that things would be just fine on the other side.

Week 8: Bills 26, Dolphins 11

The good: Sweeping the Dolphins is always good. The Bills did that, despite leading just 10-3 after the third quarter. Diggs caught a 19-yard touchdown pass and Allen ran in from 7 yards out to ice the win. It was another strong game for Allen, who finished with a 100.2 passer rating and three total touchdowns, and Beasley, who had 10 catches for 110 yards. The defense also did work, taking the ball away twice and holding the Dolphins to just 68 rushing yards.

The bad: As mentioned, this was far from a laugher. Miami put together a 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to cut its deficit to 17-11 after a successful two-point conversion. The Bills’ offense, which had been firing on all cylinders, managed just three points in the first half. The Dolphins came into this game on a six-game losing streak.

What we learned: What was supposed to be the “easy” part of the schedule was anything but. More on that in a bit. There is truth to the idea that beating a divisional opponent twice in the same season is difficult.

Week 9: Jaguars 9, Bills 6

The good: Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I defy anyone to come up with a single positive from this game. Sure, the defense did its part, but come on … this will go down as one of the worst losses in franchise history. It’s as puzzling then as it is now how the Bills managed to lose this game.

The bad: Oh, everything. The offense turned in its worst performance of the season. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss combined for 19 yards on nine carries. The offensive line was atrocious. Allen threw two interceptions. Ugly, ugly, ugly is the only way to describe this game. Oh, and all those fans from Buffalo who came down a day early for some Florida sunshine were treated to rain and temperatures in the 40s.

What we learned: The No. 1 seed in the AFC was probably a goner. In fact, the Bills’ playoff worthiness was in question after this result. This was a reminder that the NFL truly is a week-to-week league, and showing up isn’t enough to produce the desired result. That’s a lesson the Bills learned the hard way.

Week 10: Bills 45, Jets 17 

The good: Allen passed for 366 yards and two touchdowns as the Bills rebounded from the humbling loss at Jacksonville. Four players rushed for a touchdown in the same game for the first time in team history. Diggs had eight catches for 162 yards and a TD. 

The bad: Jets journeyman quarterback Mike White, who had thrown for 405 yards in a stunning upset of the Bengals two weeks earlier, came crashing down to earth with four interceptions. The Jets fell to 2-7. 

What we learned: Not a ton. The Bills are capable of dominating an inferior opponent if they limit their turnovers and penalties. Weak defensive secondaries are road kill in the path of Allen’s deep-passing machine. Allen completed passes of 57, 49 and 43 yards.  

Week 11: Colts 41, Bills 15 

The good: Almost nothing for Buffalo. The Bills came out of the game without any injuries of note. 

The bad: Jonathan Taylor became the first player ever to score five TDs in a game vs. the Bills. He rushed for 185 yards on 32 carries, and the Colts amassed 264 total rushing yards. McKenzie fumbled a kickoff to hand the Colts a TD that put them ahead, 24-7. The game essentially was over. Allen led a nice drive to start the game but forced a throw that was intercepted on a third-and-18 situation. The Bills played like they were buckling under pressure.  

What we learned: With one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and a very stout defensive front, the Colts are not a good matchup for the Bills. The Bills were without Tremaine Edmunds and Star Lotulelei, which didn’t help. 

Week 12: Bills 31, Saints 6 

The good: Reeling from the loss to the Colts, Sean McDermott got his team refocused on a short week, and the Bills dominated an injury-ravaged Saints team. Allen completed 23 of 28 passes. Knox caught two touchdown passes. The Bills held the Saints to just 44 yards rushing on 25 carries.  

The bad: Cornerback Tre’Davious White suffered torn ligaments in his left knee on a non-contact injury in the second quarter. The Saints' attack was bad without offensive stars Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram and Michael Thomas and with journeyman Trevor Siemian at quarterback. They were shut out the first three quarters.  

What we learned: Knox is developing into a first-rate tight end. He hit seven TD catches for the season, setting a franchise record for the position. The offense regained its equilibrium against a quality New Orleans defense. 

Week 13: Patriots 14, Bills 10  

The good: The Bills had plenty of chances to win, despite the fact winds gusting to 40 mph almost completely negated their advantage in the passing game. The Bills had first-and-goal from the Pats’ 6 with 9:04 to play and first-and-10 from the Pats’ 14 with 2:30 to play and came away with no points on either possession.   

The bad: The stout New England defense held Bills running backs to 60 yards on 19 carries, forcing Allen to carry the entire offensive load. Meanwhile, New England rushed for 222 yards. Even though the Pats managed only two scores, they held the ball for 32 minutes. 

What we learned: There seemingly is no end to Bill Belichick’s genius. He had the guts to call 46 run plays and three passes. If the Pats can control the tempo of the game, their offensive line is a tough matchup for the Bills.  

Week 14: Buccaneers 33, Bills 27, OT

The good: Allen ran for more than 100 yards and scored three touchdowns, rallying the Bills from a 24-3 halftime deficit to tie the score at 27-27 on a Bass 25-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Allen rushed for one touchdown and threw two more scores, to Knox and Gabriel Davis, to close the deficit to 27-24 with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The bad: Tom Brady hit Breshad Perriman with a short pass that turned into a 58-yard game-winning touchdown after a tremendous second-half Buffalo rally forced overtime. Edmunds lost Perriman in coverage and trailed the whole way. Allen left the stadium with a walking boot on his sprained left foot.

What we learned: The Bills wouldn’t quit down 21 points on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions, and the comeback proved they could hang with any team in the league. Allen continued to gut through the game after injuring the foot in the second half. The loss, their second consecutive after alternating wins and losses the previous eight weeks, dropped their record to 7-6.

Week 15: Bills 31, Panthers 14

The good: The Bills snapped a two-game losing streak with a “get-right game” at home against the Panthers. Allen looked fine after leaving the stadium the previous week after a loss in Tampa with a walking boot on his left foot. Davis, starting in place of the injured Sanders, caught two touchdowns to give him four scores in his last three games. Singletary ran for a season-high 86 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Diggs became the second player in Bills history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in consecutive seasons, joining Stevie Johnson (2010-12).

The bad: Starting left tackle Dion Dawkins and guard Jon Feliciano missed the game after being placed on the reserve/Covid-19 list. Feliciano’s absence was announced hours before the game.

What we learned: While the Bills improved to 8-6, six of those victories, including this one, were against backup quarterbacks, making it difficult to judge just how good they were. While they trailed the Patriots by a game in the standings, they had positioned themselves to gain control of the AFC East, thanks to New England’s loss to Indianapolis the previous night. Buffalo would win the division by winning out.

Week 16: Bills 33, Patriots 21

The good: The Bills moved back into first place in the AFC East based on a tiebreaker (division record) and gained the inside track to repeat as division champions after splitting the season series with New England. Buffalo scored a touchdown on its opening possession, never trailed and never punted. McKenzie set career highs with 11 catches for 125 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The bad: New England again found success on the ground, with Damien Harris rushing for 103 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. The Bills turned the ball over on downs at the New England 1-yard line after three consecutive incompletions. Beasley and Davis missed the game after testing positive for Covid-19.

What we learned: The gutsy victory avenged an odd, nationally televised loss to the Patriots in the first meeting in Orchard Park. The Bills saved their season by reasserting their dominance in the AFC East. Buffalo leaned on its offense, which pieced together long drives all afternoon, controlling the ball and finishing with a more than 10-minute edge in time of possession.

Week 17: Bills 29, Falcons 15

The good: Allen ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter, scoring from the 1- and 4-yard lines to give the Bills a 14-2 lead. He became the first quarterback in NFL history with six or more rushing scores in four consecutive seasons. Singletary had his first career two-touchdown game, scoring from the 6- and 4-yard lines in the second half to put the contest out of reach.

The bad: Allen had his worst passing performance as a professional. He completed just 11 of 26 passes for 120 yards, tied a career high with three interceptions (in a span of four pass attempts) and set a career low with a passer rating of 17.0. The Falcons had a 15-14 lead at halftime thanks to an early safety on a fumbled punt return and 10 points off Allen’s turnovers.

What we learned: The Bills were able to win without Allen at his best, leaning on a rushing attack keyed by Allen (of course) and Singletary. The Bills’ third consecutive victory gave them a 10-win season for the third time in as many years, a feat last accomplished from 1990 to ’93. 

Week 18: Bills 27, Jets 10

The good: Diggs surpassed 100 catches for the second consecutive season and set a career high with his 10th touchdown catch of the season. Singletary scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. The defense racked up nine sacks, the most in a game in five seasons under coach Sean McDermott, and limited the Jets to just 53 total yards of offense.

The bad: Matt Haack struggled with punting for much of the afternoon, booting one botched kick that traveled only 7 yards. The offense sputtered for long stretches. Buffalo entered the fourth quarter clinging to a three-point lead.

What we learned: The Bills clinched their second consecutive AFC East championship, their first back-to-back division titles since the 1990 and ’91 seasons. It was the first time they clinched the division at home since 1995. The Bills’ defense finished the season ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total yards, passing yards and points allowed. The weekend’s results set up a wild-card playoff game against the Patriots in Orchard Park.

Stefon Diggs talks all the time about the how the Bills can’t ride the roller coaster. The Buffalo wide receiver says he has to stay steady all the time. It’s good and sound advice for the actual players on the field, and they seem to take to it. It is not realistic advice for fans, who live and (might feel they) die by every moment.

The Bills’ 2021-22 season has been an up-and-down ride. The 11-6 record perhaps doesn’t fully reflect how heart-pounding it felt for the eight-week stretch of alternating wins and losses. The team stayed the course, and fans clung on every twist and turn, as Bills fans always do.

For the 2017 season, the year the Bills ended the drought, The News created a Fan Meter to measure moments ranked on this scale: 1 (panic or gloom), 2 (worry or doubt), 3 (uncomfortable optimism) or 4 (excitement and joy).

We have broken out the Fan Meter again, so here’s a look at this season from the lens of fans:

Week 1

After all the optimism, after all the talk of running it back and the Super Bowl aspirations, the season started out on a deflating note. A dismal loss at home to the Steelers was a cause for immediate overreactions. The highly touted Bills offense scored just one touchdown in Week 1. Fans who spent all offseason gearing up for a year right where the 13-3 squad left off were left wondering: Am I ready to get hurt again? Meter reading: 2

Weeks 3 and 4

Ah, the great point-differential era. In the three games after the opening loss, the Bills outscored their opponents by a hearty 118-21. All 21 of those points allowed came in one game, as the defense shut out the Dolphins and the Texans. It was exhilarating, it was dominant, it was historic. But here’s the thing: It was also against three lesser opponents, with the Dolphins in particular about to head into a tailspin. A win’s a win, right? Fans for the most part pointed to the scoreboard, even if wary of the upcoming schedule. Meter reading: 3.5

Week 5

The Kansas City game felt like a chance to exorcise some demons, the AFC Championship Game loss still so fresh. In the end, the only thing that could stop the Bills was the weather, with a lightning delay making halftime about an hour longer. Weirder halftime delays have happened. But fans who stayed up until the roughly 12:35 a.m. ET ending were treated to the Bills posting an 18-point victory on the road, an early season statement win. Meter reading: 4

Week 9

Think of the song that makes you the saddest. Think of it, maybe even play it, and stare out the window dramatically for a few seconds before continuing reading. The Buffalo Bills lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars this season. If that still hurts to read, that’s OK. Football is weird, and every season brings a few head-scratching cases of, “They lost to them?” This was an especially bad case of that. It wasn’t even that Jacksonville somehow woke up and found all the answers they were searching for. The Jaguars scored nine points. They won an NFL game in which they did not score a touchdown against one of the most potent-when-it-decides-to-be offenses in the league. On Sunday, Nov. 6, the Bills offense did not decide to be potent. Fans were agonized as the rest of the league took note. Meter reading: 0.5

Week 11

Of the Bills’ six losses, five of them were decided by a touchdown or less. The lone outlier was when they were thrashed by the Colts. Running back Jonathan Taylor had five all-purpose touchdowns, throttling the Buffalo run defense. The Colts' 264 rushing yards were the most the Bills allowed all season. A win the previous week over the ever-flailing Jets did not absolve all the worries of the loss in Jacksonville. Now, against a far more formidable opponent, the Bills wilted, re-upping all the questions over what this team’s identity really would be. At that point in the season, the 6-4 Bills had just one win over a team with a winning record: Kansas City. Meter reading: 1.5

Week 12

Dawson Knox set a franchise record for touchdowns in a single season by a tight end in just nine games, and the defense held the Saints to just 1.8 yards per carry. But the win in New Orleans in prime time on Thanksgiving came with a cruel twist. All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White tore an ACL in the game, ending his season and sidelining a pillar of the Bills’ defense. Fans rushed to Twitter to offer their own ACLs to White, a surgery that is not suggested by doctors for living humans to take part in. The repeated “next man up” phrase felt a little obligatory at the start, even though the secondary would go on to finish the season strong. At the time, the loss of the All-Pro was just too much to digest. Meter reading: 2

Weeks 13 and 14

The Bills only had back-to-back losses once this season, at the hands of the Patriots and then Tom Brady. The former, the Monday night game at home, was weather-wrecked and a slower type of pain. The Tampa game alone probably hit every point of the meter in one contest. The slow start, the comeback, the eventual loss in overtime – this game could not have been good for Bills Mafia’s heart rates. But the players and coaches saw something in the second half to build on, leaving Tampa with the loss, but also with renewed drive. Meter reading: 2

Week 16

Just three weeks after the Monday night loss, the Bills got sweet revenge. The 33-21 win in New England was a declaration that last year’s sweep of the division was not a fluke. The Bills have staying power, and the next chapter of Bills-Patriots meetings will surely cause continued heartburn for viewers, but more exciting kind than previous decades, the kind where you feel alive and exhausted at the same time. Meter reading: 4

Final stretch

By the end of the season, the playoffs were inevitable, but the division was still up for grabs. The Bills controlled their destiny there, the win in the rematch with the Patriots putting them back on top. On paper, the last two games against the Falcons and Jets, both in Orchard Park, were not only winnable, but double-digit spreads. But after that midseason rough patch, the Bills really needed to show who they are. Sure, there were some hiccups – the Bills should have trounced both teams by even more. But winning out and claiming the AFC East title at Highmark Stadium was a sweet reward for the home crowd on a chilly day. Meter reading: 4

Sean McDermott planted the seed the day after Christmas.

During his postgame news conference following the biggest win of the season, the Buffalo Bills’ coach provided the type of insight that can sometimes be rare from the leader of an NFL team.

Josh Allen carries heavy offensive burden for Bills into playoffs

Allen arguably carried an even heavier load of the Bills’ offense in 2021 and produced one of the best quarterbacking seasons in Bills history.

A victory over the rival New England Patriots had reclaimed first place in the AFC East. When asked about the team coming together at the right time, McDermott went in a different direction with his answer. He expounded on the challenges his team had faced in the regular season to that point, especially when considering all that was expected of the franchise heading into the year.

“I think we continue to learn lessons with, in some ways, a young football team and a young leadership group,” he said. “It’s hard to follow up a season like last year with a similar season the next year. That’s part of the challenge and so I’m just very proud of the way the guys have persevered.”

It’s true that after a 13-3 regular season and a trip to the AFC championship game in 2020, things were supposed to be easy for this year’s version of the team.

What we learned from each Bills game on way to the playoffs

In every win and loss, there was good and bad and a lesson to be learned.

The Bills were a popular preseason Super Bowl pick. They were supposed to waltz to a second consecutive divisional title, but the reality has been something far different. After back-to-back losses to the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Weeks 13 and 14, the Bills dropped to 7-6 for the season, perilously close to falling out of the playoffs entirely.

To their credit, however, they fought and clawed their way to a second divisional crown. Despite doubling their regular-season loss total from a year ago, the team ended the year with a four-game winning streak, the last of which came Sunday over the New York Jets.

“You know, last year, damn near we had smooth sailing,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. “We barely lost. We barely had slow days. Things weren't off cue. But I feel like this team, we have built a little more character this year. ... We took our lumps. You've got to take your lumps like a man. You got to take your ‘L’s good and you got to take your wins good, so I feel like this team does have a lot more character and we know what we've got to do to win. We know the stuff we shouldn't be doing in game to cost us the game.”

Indeed, the journey to the postseason – which begins Saturday when those same Patriots visit Highmark Stadium for an AFC wild-card playoff game – has been full of adversity. Some of that is the same type as every NFL team goes through, and some of it has been self-inflicted and unique to the Bills.

“When you have success, there is pressure to repeat it, and you also set a standard,” center Mitch Morse said. “So for us, that standard has never changed, regardless of wins and losses this year. You know, there's only one winner in this league, right? It was a special year last year. Every team is different. Every team's identity is different. Every team's trials and tribulations are different, but we do know what we're capable of. We've done it before, but that doesn't mean anything to help you the next year. If anything, there's a target on your back.”

Reading the Fan Meter: It was an up-and-down season for Bills Mafia

The News created a Fan Meter to measure moments ranked on this scale: 1 (panic or gloom), 2 (worry or doubt), 3 (uncomfortable optimism) or 4 (excitement and joy).

A tough start

That was apparent right from the start of the season. Sept. 12, 2021 promised to be a fun day in Orchard Park. The Bills were set to welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to town for the season opener – in front of a capacity crowd.

Highmark Stadium was closed to fans during the magical 2020 season, save about 7,000 or so who were lucky enough to attend the two postseason games. The opener was the first time a crowd 10 times that size could both celebrate 2020 and cheer on a team expected to do big things in the current season. The Bills had 17 players who started in the AFC championship game in the lineup against the Steelers, and if you count running back Devin Singletary and defensive end Mario Addison, even though they weren’t on the field for the first play against the Steelers, that number jumps to 19. That’s remarkable continuity.

Only the Steelers spoiled the party. Pittsburgh’s 23-16 victory sucked the air out of the stadium.

As they exited their postgame news conference, safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde sent a message to the media, and by proxy, fans at home.

“Don’t panic,” Poyer said, unprompted.

“A lot of games left,” Hyde added.

In that moment, it was clear. The 2020 season was over, and what the Bills accomplished then meant little to how this season would play out.

“I think that last year so many things went right, but at the same time, I don’t think people saw all the wrong things,” Hyde said last week. “Like, we failed last year. There were times we didn’t play our best ball, we just so happened to win. Last year was its own season. The longer I’ve been in this league, the more I realize, every season is tough. It doesn’t matter if the same guys come back – kind of what I was saying in training camp – a lot of the guys came back, but it’s not going to be the same season. You’re going to have injuries. You’re going to have Covid. You’re going to have distractions. You’re going to have so many other things, so it’s going to be a rollercoaster of a year, no matter what.”

To their credit, the Bills appeared to learn that lesson early. After the loss to the Steelers, they ripped off four straight wins, the most impressive of which came in the AFC championship game rematch at Kansas City. A 38-20 win over the Chiefs showed that Super Bowl hype before the season was justified.

Erik Brady: Weather was a factor too in only other Bills-Patriots postseason meeting

“The snow-covered gridiron reduced the effectiveness of the power running of (Cookie) Gilchrist,” The New York Times said in its report, “but did not seem to hamper Ron Burton or Larry Garron,” the Patriots’ running backs.

A Week 6 loss in Tennessee, however, pumped the brakes on that a bit. Still, the Bills were in a good position going into their bye week, and a Week 8 win over Miami improved the team's record to 5-2 and things looked back on track.

The low point

Then, the you-know-what hit the fan.

The Bills lost to the Jaguars in Week 9, which still doesn’t feel like a real sentence to type. Suddenly, all our preconceived notions about this team went out the window.

“You become used to winning. You kind of think winning is easy and finishing games is easy, when it’s not that easy,” defensive tackle Ed Oliver said. “What we had to learn was how to finish games, how to play all the way through games. How to handle adversity, how to handle sudden change, things like that.

Why Bills' late-season surge to win AFC East began with overtime loss in Tampa

“I feel like that Tampa Bay game kind of got us back to where we needed to go, as far as having confidence, playing free, and playing like we know what we can play,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said in late December.

“When you were as good as we were last year, you get accustomed to not just winning, but winning. A lot of guys from last year’s team is on this year’s team, so we just had to figure out how to put it all together.”

Last year, the Bills went 6-1 in games decided by eight points or fewer, including the postseason, with the only loss coming to the Arizona Cardinals on the “Hail Murray.” So there were challenges, even as time marches on and they’ve been forgotten. This year, they are 0-5 in such games, so the wounds are fresh.

The loss to the Jaguars started a stretch of the season in which the Bills went 2-4 – hardly Super Bowl caliber. During that stretch, All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White was lost for the season to a knee injury. That’s easily the most significant injury the team has had to deal with over the past two years.

At the time, plenty of comparisons were made to the 1989 Bills. For those who need a history lesson: The Bills in 1988 somewhat surprisingly advanced to the AFC championship game – like the 2020 team did – before losing to the Bengals 21-10.

The following year, the Bills struggled to a 9-7 record in the regular season and were one and done in the playoffs, losing to the Browns. That team became known as the “Bickering Bills,” because of infighting among players and coaches.

'We know each other extremely well': Bills prepare for third meeting of season with Patriots

“They beat us at home, we beat them at [their] home. It's a playoff game, Buffalo, New York, on Saturday night,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said. “I mean, it's just really everything you asked for in a football game, football season, this type of game right here.”

At the time, it was fair to question if history was repeating itself. Let’s face it – the Bills have not been strangers to controversy this season. The team is believed to have one of the lowest vaccination rates in the NFL, and that issue has lingered since the start of training camp. Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei and offensive tackle Spencer Brown missed a loss against the Colts while on the Covid-19 list. Would that outcome had been different had they played?

Wide receiver Cole Beasley – the poster child for vaccine hesitancy in the NFL – tested positive before the crucial rematch against the Patriots, as did receiver Gabriel Davis, leaving quarterback Josh Allen without two of his top weapons.

The Bills, though, found a way to pull that game out, which went a long way toward getting their season back on track.

“We were able to put our heads down and continue to work through all the (stuff) that was going on around us,” Hyde said. “Every year has its own issues. I’m blessed to be in this locker room with these guys, these players, these coaches. With the expectations that we had coming in and trying to preach to the young guys and trying to preach to even you guys, like, it doesn’t matter what we did last year. We’ve got to do our own thing this year. I think that’s what we’re all realizing.”

Steve Tasker, the former special teams great and current co-host of the Bills’ official radio show, was a member of that 1989 team. He sees a key difference in this year’s squad.

“The thing that makes this team different is the leadership is the same from last year to this year,” he said. "In ’88, it was the old guys on the team who were the leaders. In ’89, it was a transition year, and at the end of the year, it became the best players on the team who were the leaders, not the old guys. This team has been led by the best players from the get-go. I think that makes a difference. There is a continuity and an ability to build on what they did last year and learn from it, rather than trying to find their way with a new culture like the Bills did back then. I think the culture they’ve created here kind of heads off any of the problems we had in 1989.”

“This team has always responded,” Hyde said. “There was never a time we were in the locker room pointing fingers at each other, saying, ‘Offense you’ve got to do this, defense you’ve got to do that.’ In our locker room, we just held it together. We understood at times we weren’t playing our best football – defense, offense, special teams – as a whole team. Whether it was players or coaches, whatever. We stuck to it. We always tried to flush the game before, move on to the next game and respond. When you have a football team that’s able to do that, you have coaches that are preaching that, you have leaders on the team that are preaching that, I think you’ll be fine. Obviously, the point of being in this league is winning football games, but you can also lose games and learn a lot about yourself, and I think that’s what we did this year.”

Lessons learned

McDermott has first-hand knowledge of the challenges that come with following up a great year. He was the defensive coordinator in Carolina when the Panthers went to the Super Bowl in 2015, only to finish 6-10 the following year. The same thing happened in 2004, when McDermott went to the Super Bowl with the Eagles as an assistant defensive backs coach, only to see the team miss the playoffs the following year.

A compulsive notes taker, the coach has relied on those lessons learned from those two seasons when things have been at their most trying in 2021.

“It’s hard to come back the next season, for a lot of reasons. And yes, the notes are long,” he said. “More than anything, these are lessons now first-hand that our team has experienced, not just by hearing someone talk about it, but now going through it themselves, and that we will use with us and carry forward with us as we move forward. I’m extremely proud, though, on the other hand, of how we’ve been able to navigate through it.”

McDermott joked recently that if he had hair, it would be more grey after this year.

“But I think that shows wisdom, though, too,” he said. “You learn a lot going through seasons like this. Every season's hard and that's life in the NFL. Some are harder than others, and that's what makes it, I guess, more enjoyable on the other hand, when you can work your way through it and have a successful season like we've been able to do.”

McDermott has talked before about peaking at the right time, and a four-game winning streak to end the regular season would suggest his team is doing that. Of course, true success will be defined by more than what happens Saturday. Teams that can take the lessons learned from earlier in a season and apply it to their current situation are the ones who have a chance to play the best in the biggest moments.

“Every year’s a different year, a new situation,” Allen said. “That’s our standard that we try to hold up to here is playoff caliber. And around the building, we’ve already got things changed to now it’s championship caliber.

“Being as consistent as possible three years in a row, it’s not easy. Winning isn't easy in this league, and you need to celebrate it when you can. But at the same time, we’re not just hoping to get into the playoffs. That’s not our goal. Our main goal at the start of the season is to give ourselves a chance to win the Super Bowl, and yes, to get to the Super Bowl, you’ve got to make the playoffs. So, we’ve accomplished that goal, but we have loftier ones ahead of us.”

The first step will be taken Saturday.

The Buffalo Bills had one of their cleanest injury reports of the season heading into Saturday's AFC wild-card game against the New England Patriots. 

Of the players on the active roster, no one was listed with an injury designation on Thursday's practice report. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (knee) and defensive end Efe Obada (ankle) were full participants all week. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs had his usual end-of-week veteran's day of rest Thursday.

Injury report: Two key Patriots did not practice Wednesday

Starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn (ankle) and key linebacker Jamie Collins (hip and ankle) did not practice.

Between injuries and Covid-19 cases, Saturday will be the first time the Bills have had all their receivers available since Week 14 in Tampa Bay. 

"I think symmetry is real and important for any team or, in this case, position group," coach Sean McDermott said Thursday. "Those guys being able to have the same energy, whether they're getting the ball or not, and adding to our team, I think is huge for that group in this game."

McDermott said Sanders could have "potentially" been used in Week 18 against the New York Jets, but the Bills weighed the risk of not having him for the playoffs before deciding to keep him inactive.

Matt Haack, Bills forget past punting woes ahead of frigid wild-card game

With rough weather on deck, the Bills will need a clean day on special teams against the Patriots in Orchard Park.

The Patriots, meanwhile, have 13 players listed as questionable heading into the game.

Those players are: center David Andrews (shoulder), defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), linebacker Jamie Collins (ankle), defensive back Cody Davis (wrist), defensive back Kyle Dugger (hand), kicker Nick Folk (left knee), defensive lineman Lawrence Guy (shoulder), running back Damien Harris (hamstring), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (knee), linebacker Brandon King (toe), wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (thigh), safety Adrian Phillips (knee) and tackle Isaiah Wynn (hip/ankle). Wynn did not participate in practice Thursday, the other 12 were limited.

The Bills practiced outside at Highmark Stadium on Thursday. 

"The biggest thing we wanted to do is always, I believe in getting out to where you're going to play the game, to be in that environment ... all the while not trying to put too much physiological stress on the players too early in the week, and trying to balance that as well," McDermott said. "I think we're done a good job of tiering it into Saturday at this point."

When the Bills practiced inside Wednesday, they did so with the heat turned off and doors open to keep it cold inside while still getting the most out of practice. Saturday is expected to be freezing, but not as windy as the last meeting in Orchard Park between the Bills and Patriots. The equipment staff also froze some footballs to better replicate those conditions for players. 

On Wednesday, the Patriots practiced in Gillette Stadium, rather than their practice fields. 

Asked why, coach Bill Belichick said, "It's not frozen."

Rest assured, Bills Mafia has been chewing nails since the Bills lost to Kansas City in the AFC title game last season. Not only have they played their way back to the postseason this year, they’ll take the field knowing that playoff home teams that fell in their conference title game the previous season are 44-8 straight up and 34-16-2 against the spread overall. That includes 26-3 straight up and 21-6-2 against the spread when coming off a win of six-plus points. And yes, we realize that six of the Bills' victories this season have come against teams that were using a backup quarterback.

As for New England, after their 7-0 win streak straight up and against the spread, the Patriots are just 1-3 straight up and against the spread in their last four while nearly mirroring their dismal 1-4 start to begin the season.

The Pats were outgained by 406 net yards against the five playoff teams on their schedule this season, while the Bills out-statted six playoff teams by 325 net yards.

Here's the clincher: NFL playoff home favorites that were in the playoffs the previous season are 15-3 straight up and 14-5 against the spread since 1996 when facing an opponent coming off a loss, including 6-0 against the spread when coming off a loss of more than eight points. (The Patriots lost to Miami by nine last Sunday.)

Prediction: Bills over Patriots by 13.

Marc Lawrence previews the NFL from a Vegas perspective. You can follow him online at PlaybookSports.com or @MarcLawrence.

The Buffalo Bills have Motor, mojo, momentum and the Mafia as they storm into the NFL playoffs.

The Bills started off well in their division-clinching win over the lowly New York Jets, scoring on their first two possessions for a 10-0 lead they never relinquished. After a short stint in the second quarter idling on the tarmac, Buffalo jammed into gear and took off again.

Then it just snowballed.

The Bills won the AFC East for the second consecutive year and now plow into the playoffs with Devin “Motor” Singletary leading a resurgent run game — their mojo back as a top contender — the most momentum and longest win streak of any team going into the postseason — and the over-the-top Bills Mafia ready to literally take them over the top.

The defensive stats for both the 17^th game and the entire 2021-22 season are mind-boggling.

Against Gang Green, Buffalo gave up 53 yards total on offense. Recorded nine sacks. The Jets had 5 net yards through the air. Four first downs. Went 1-for-14 on third downs. The only chunk the stingy Bills gave up all day was a 40-yard toss-up TD that Micah Hyde coulda shoulda woulda intercepted easily. He just misjudged the ball and ran by it.

The Bills defense finished their record-breaking season at No. 1  in seven major categories, including the two most important — points allowed, and yards allowed — plus yards allowed per play, passing yards allowed, passing yards allowed per play, third down conversion rate, and first downs allowed.

Say it aloud, DEEEEEE-FENSE!!

The offense did enough to win in the biting cold. The running game is tuned up for the postseason, driving for 170 yards with Singletary grinding for 88, and Josh Allen 63 at 12.6 yards a gallop.

With the return of left tackle Dion Dawkins and insertion of left guard Ryan Bates, the offensive line has meshed together down the stretch into a tight, soulful unit as in sync as a five-man vocal harmonizing dance group.

Now the Bills are onto, and hoping to go deep into the playoffs with the Bills Mafia in full throttle behind them.

And as if it could not be better, it is also Patriot Week for the third week in the last seven.

New England rookie quarterback McCorkle Jones has been bottled up most of the last quarter of the season, including both previous games against the Bills.

In a playoff atmosphere, must-win game last week that the Pats needed for a chance at the division title, McCorkle fizzled again against Miami. His arm, game and temperament are not suited for the arctic temperatures, and Jones will likely struggle mightily again this Saturday night with the high expected in single digits.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is always dangerous as an evil mastermind, but his team is clearly outmanned and outgunned by the Bills. No team entering the playoffs has both their offense and defense rated in the top five.

Buffalo will be extremely hard to beat in the freezing cold, at night, at home, in Highmark Stadium, in front of their well-oiled fanatics.

The fired-up Bills Mafia — and the Bills' Motor, mojo, and momentum running on all cylinders.

The Playoffs. The Patriots.

It don’t get no or mo’ better than this.

Pete Rosen is a screenwriter in Los Angeles, lifetime Buffalo fan, and may be found blathering daily at twobillsdrive.com.

Blame the weather. Again.

Or blame New England coach Bill Belichick. Again.

I’m kidding. Sort of.

But in a strange way, the horrendous windy weather conditions at Highmark Stadium for the Buffalo Bills’ 14-10 loss to the New England Patriots on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Dec. 6 in a game Belichick had his offense run the ball 46 times and pass only three times made Bills-Pats III a more attractive prime-time matchup.

That and the expected Bills-Pats rivalry in the future are two reasons the duel between Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Pats rookie quarterback Mac Jones is being played at 8:15 p.m. Saturday on CBS affiliate WIVB-TV.

CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle and analyst Charles Davis, who called Bills-Pats II, Buffalo’s 33-21 road victory on Dec. 26, are back for the rubber match.

Bills fans may dread the possibility of a negative wind chill temperature Saturday in what is expected to be another rough weather day in the stands, but the NFL may view it as a positive viewing experience for people warm in their homes.

“I hope the weather is not quite as crappy,” said Mike North, the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning and scheduling before explaining the NFL’s thinking.

“That Saturday night window is important to our fans, important to our network partners and obviously New England and Buffalo just seem like they are heading for another 10 years of rivalry for that division so (we) felt good about putting that game in prime time.

“New England-Buffalo rematch in prime time, obviously a strangely historic game a month ago … New England and Buffalo intertwined all the way through this season, let’s settle it again in the playoffs in prime time.”

In a wide-ranging conversation, North explained the NFL scheduling puzzle that ended up with the Bills-Patriots game on Saturday night and where a potential second Bills playoff game could land the following divisional playoff week.

North explained the puzzle starts backwards with the choice of the Monday game from 12 wild-card playoff teams before scheduling the Sunday and Saturday games.

Monday

North explained the last game of the three-day weekend actually had to be picked first and it had to be between a No. 4 and No. 5 seed in one of the conferences so the teams winning Saturday or Sunday awaiting their next opponent could know as much as they could about who would be their next opponent in the Jan. 22-23 divisional weekend.

North said a Monday game between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds will help the two winners of the games involving the 2-7 and 3-6 seeds on Sunday know what they are doing on divisional weekend “as soon as their wild-card games are over.”

“They will either play each other, or (No.1 seed) Green Bay on Saturday (the 22nd) or they’ll play the winner of the Monday game on Sunday (the 23rd).”

“If you play a 2-7 or 3-6 game on Monday, nobody knows anything in that conference until after the Monday night game,” explained North.

The decision was made to have the No. 4 NFC seed Los Angeles Rams host the No. 5 seed Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

“It’s obviously a good game,” said North. “We hope. There is some interesting history coming right out of Week 18 where they still were in contention for the division championship.”

Sunday

North explained that the two other NFC wild-card games had to be played this Sunday to avoid giving a winner two potential extra days of rest over the Monday night winner for the Jan. 22-23 playoff weekend.

The resulting Sunday NFC games feature big draws Tampa Bay with Tom Brady and Dallas are available for Sunday.

The game between the No. 2 seed Buccaneers and the No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles is being carried at 1 p.m. on Fox, which suggests the NFL thinks it is the lesser of two attractive games even with Brady’s involvement.

The 4:30 p.m. game on CBS looks to be more attractive because It features two big market draws – No. 6 seed San Francisco and the No. 3 seed Cowboys.

The NFL settled on No. 7 AFC seed Pittsburgh and No. 2 seed Kansas City for NBC’s Sunday Night Football even if some people might consider it a less-attractive matchup than the San Francisco-Dallas game. After all, Kansas City beat the Steelers, 36-10, on Dec. 26.

“Kansas City is a proven ratings draw for the NFL,” said North. “Pittsburgh-K.C. sounds like a football game. They just played a month ago on a big CBS doubleheader window and got 28 million viewers and it wasn’t really close. Plus you have to add in obviously the likelihood that this is (Pittsburgh quarterback) Ben Roethlisberger’s last game. All of that combined puts Pittsburgh-Kansas City, plus Dallas, plus Tampa all on Sunday. That sounds like a pretty good day for our fans.”

Saturday

With only the two AFC playoff games to be scheduled, the game between the No. 3 seed Bills and the No. 6 seed Patriots on CBS apparently is viewed as the bigger prime-time draw for reasons above.

That left the final piece of the puzzle as the No. 5 seed Las Vegas Raiders versus the No. 4 seeded Cincinnati Bengals at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC.

The Divisional Round, Jan. 22-23

The six winners advance with the No. 1 seeds in the NFC (Green Bay) and AFC (Tennessee) to play doubleheaders at 4:30 and 8 p.m. on Jan. 22 and 3 and 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 23. One game from each conference will be played both days.

The Rams-Cardinals Monday night winner will play an NFC opponent on Jan. 23 to give Monday’s winner six days rest.

“The beauty in the AFC is that you are not trapped into anything, whereas on the NFC side you have to play the winner of the Monday night game the following Sunday,” said North.

If the AFC goes according to seeding, the No. 3 seeded Bills would play at the No. 2 seed Kansas City in the divisional round. The Bills would have either seven or eight days between games depending on whether the game would be played on Jan. 22 or 23. Since it is playing this Sunday night, Kansas City would have only six or seven days between games if it beats the Steelers, depending on whether their next game is Jan. 22 or 23.

“AFC championship rematch,” said North of the K.C.-Buffalo possibility. “Sounds like a great Sunday game on divisional weekend. I’ve heard from many, many people that the divisional weekend is their favorite weekend of the NFL.”

Conference Title Weekend

The AFC and NFC title games are on Jan. 30, with the AFC game played at 3 p.m. on CBS and the NFC game at 6:30 p.m. on Fox.

The Super Bowl is carried by NBC on Feb. 13.

“Nobody is ever happy with any decisions we make," North cracked, "but hopefully they are all equally disappointed."

The Buffalo Bills will look for any edge they can find Saturday in the wild card game. 

With rough weather on deck, the Bills will need a clean day on special teams against the Patriots in Orchard Park. They've had consistency in some cases throughout the season, with kicker Tyler Bass being reliable. Other decisions are still being made.

Bills safety Micah Hyde said Wednesday he’s not sure yet who will be on for punt returns come Saturday.

“I’m really not sure, and, ultimately, I want to win,” Hyde said. “So if comes down to me or it comes down to whoever else, I have faith in everyone else, too.”

Hyde handled punt returns with running back Matt Breida on kick returns when the Bills hosted the Patriots in windy Week 13. Hyde also took over punt returns from Isaiah McKenzie toward the end of the second quarter Sunday against the New York Jets. McKenzie muffed his first punt return of the game, losing a yard.

Injury report: Two key Patriots did not practice Wednesday

Starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn (ankle) and key linebacker Jamie Collins (hip and ankle) did not practice.

Hyde compared punt returns in Buffalo to when he played baseball in Ohio in February when it was still freezing. Regardless of exact conditions, he thinks this aspect of the game is underrated in how difficult he can be.

“I would say that punt returning is one of the hardest things in sports,” Hyde said. “Just because you’ve got the weather element, you’ve got the ball all the way up in the sky, you’re the only one back there to catch it. But it’s an awesome feeling. It’s an awesome feeling knowing that you can make a huge play.”

Elsewhere on special teams, the Bills are confident in Bass, and he’s earned it. The second-year kicker was 28-of-32 on regular-season field goals, and perfect on extra points. The most recent of his four misses was in the Monday night game against the Patriots, wide right from 33 yards out, but into the wind. His other three misses were on attempts of 49 yards or more. Bass has been consistent, even in tougher conditions.

“Yeah, tremendous amount of confidence in Tyler,” coach Sean McDermott said. “He's had a nice year, and the work that he's done with (long snapper) Reid (Ferguson) and (punter) Matt (Haack) has been outstanding in a lot of ways.”

McDermott has mentioned the chemistry between specialists throughout the season. It why McDermott looks at “the total package” – punts and holds included – for Matt Haack when evaluating games.

'We know each other extremely well': Bills prepare for third meeting of season with Patriots

“They beat us at home, we beat them at [their] home. It's a playoff game, Buffalo, New York, on Saturday night,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said. “I mean, it's just really everything you asked for in a football game, football season, this type of game right here.”

The fifth-year punter, who signed a three-year contract with the Bills ahead of this season, is coming off a game where he’d like a few punts back. After two games where he did not punt, he punted seven times in eight drives during a chunk of the game where the Bills offense struggled to stay on the field against the Jets.

All seven of his punts Sunday were into the wind, averaging 33.9 yards per punt, with a long of 53. After the game, McDermott said he thought there were multiple factors at play, and that Haack “had a bad day, combined with the wind.” Monday, McDermott added how the wind affected every detail of the punt.

“Even with the snap, the snap and the drop with the wind and how significant the wind was, the wind can move the snap, and it can move even the drop,” McDermott said Monday. “So those were tough conditions to punt in for Matt. But I'm super proud of how he worked through it.”

Haack had a streak of short punts in the second quarter, including a 21-yard punt immediately after offsetting penalties erased a 28-yard punt. His next attempt after that went 22 yards before bouncing out of bounds.

The shortest of the day, though, was a seven-yard punt in the third quarter, which could have been a lot worse. After bobbling a snap that seemed off, Haack was able to recover the ball, scramble left and still get a punt off, though with Jets players in his face. While maintaining responsibility for the play, he did note the wind was a factor, catching what was a clean snap coming out.

Erik Brady: Weather was a factor too in only other Bills-Patriots postseason meeting

“The snow-covered gridiron reduced the effectiveness of the power running of (Cookie) Gilchrist,” The New York Times said in its report, “but did not seem to hamper Ron Burton or Larry Garron,” the Patriots’ running backs.

“It was,” he said of the wind. “It's actually a great snap. It's coming right at my left side of my hip, the left side of my body, and about the last two or three yards, the wind got it just right and pushed it out to the left. I didn't have time to be able to shuffle over to get in front of it, so I thought I could reach and grab it. The point hit my hand just right and bounced right off. So, obviously, it's something that can't happen, and I take full responsibility for. I mean, I should be able to catch that. It's definitely harder, the wind makes it tough, but it’s something I should have been able to handle.”

The Jets took over at the Buffalo 22, but were only able to get a field goal out of it.

On his next punt, his last of the night, Haack punted 43 yards to pin the Jets on the two-yard line, with Taiwan Jones downing it. He had three earlier punts of 42-yards or more, but to end on that note was helpful.

“It was valuable. I think I had three or four punts that, actually, I was happy with in that game, going into that gusty wind of – I don't know what it was – 30 miles or whatever,” he said. “Obviously, the ones that people remember are the bad ones. Those are the ones that stick out, and those are ones I gotta fix. But the way I took that game, I was frustrated, obviously. I’m my harshest critic. So I expect a lot out of myself, and I don't want to let my team down.

“But to be able to finish on a high note like that and put together some good punts, I think it's big. It shows I didn't let those few bad mistakes into the whole game. I understood, in those moments, that game wasn't over, I’d probably have to punt again, and I had to put my team in good position to win.”

Why Bills' late-season surge to win AFC East began with overtime loss in Tampa

“I feel like that Tampa Bay game kind of got us back to where we needed to go, as far as having confidence, playing free, and playing like we know what we can play,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said in late December.

In the first meeting between the Bills and Patriots this season, Haack punted five times, averaging 46.6 yards per punt. Patriots punter Jake Bailey averaged 42 yards across six punts. That game was 36 degrees with 27 mph winds at kickoff and varying throughout the game. Sunday’s game against the Jets was 34 degrees and had 21 mph winds at the start with, again, fluctuating speeds.

Saturday’s playoff game is expected to be less windy, but significantly colder, perhaps even below zero with wind chill at the start of the game.

Haack compares it, in a way, to hitting a baseball or golf ball when it’s freezing, the bat or club stinging after. A frozen ball straight to the foot isn’t just harder, it also changes the feel of the motion itself.

“I'd imagine it’d feel like kicking a rock – I don't kick rocks, but that's how I imagine,” Haack said. “Cause normally on a warm day or indoors, the ball isn't frozen, so when your foot hits it, the ball compresses. When it's cold, it doesn't, so that contact, that compression on your foot doesn't happen, so you feel every bit of that ball.”

While the Bills practiced inside Wednesday, Haack and the other specialists still practiced in the stadium to keep getting reps in as close to Saturday’s forecasted weather as possible. Wednesday’s conditions were a little different though, both warmer and windier, but Tuesday brought a closer feel, temperature-wise.

“I was out there yesterday (Tuesday) in the stadium punting, and the wind chill was negative 2 or something,” Haack said. “So, we put ourselves in that environment during the week as much as we can.”

The Bills did sign punter Jamie Gillan to the practice squad on Dec. 24, and he has been on the practice squad since. It seems to be a move more for insurance than for roster turnover. McDermott said Tuesday it’s due diligence at any position.

Haack finished the regular season averaging 42.9 yards per punt. Bailey of the Patriots is averaging 47.3 yards this season. 

Even after the last game, Haack feels that the Bills are confident in him. He aims to carry that into Saturday’s frigid matchup.

“My teammates see how I work at practice and the things I can do, and coaches see that, and I think they believe me. They were showing me a ton of support during the game and after the game,” Haack said. “So just sticking with it, really. Trusting my technique, trusting my ability and that definitely helped having guys rally around me.”

The New England Patriots have a handful of injury questions as they began preparations Wednesday for Saturday’s wild-card playoff game.

Starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn (ankle) and key linebacker Jamie Collins (hip and ankle) did not practice.

Eleven Patriots were limited. They included standout defensive tackle Christian Barmore (knee), who was carted off the field in Miami on Sunday; safety Kyle Dugger, who missed the Miami game with a hand injury; and linebacker Dont’a Hightower (hamstring), who also missed the Miami game.

Also not practicing was starting cornerback Jalen Mills, who went on the Covid-19 list Tuesday.

"We'll see how it goes and we'll follow the protocols," coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday.

Only one Buffalo Bills player, wide receiver Cole Beasley, was limited in practice. That was due to a veteran rest day.

. . .

The New York Giants announced they completed an interview for their open general manager job with Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen. Shoen has been with the Bills the past five years. Adrian Wilson, Arizona Cardinals vice president of pro personnel, also interviewed Wednesday. Cardinals VP of player personnel Quentin Harris and Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Ryan Poles will interview Thursday, the NFL Network reported. 

The Chicago Bears also have requested permission to talk to Schoen about their GM opening, the NFL Network reported Tuesday.

. . .

Asked about Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, Pats QB Mac Jones said: "Between those two ... they have a lot of experience. Almost as long as I've been alive."

Hyde and Poyer combine for 18 years in the NFL. Jones is 23.

Losing to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots Saturday would be like the groundhog declaring six more months of winter for Western New York.

The wind off Lake Erie would be colder. The short winter days would seem darker. And it’s not because the Bills clearly should beat the Patriots in the AFC wild-card playoff game. The Bills are 4-point favorites. Pretty slim.

'We know each other extremely well': Bills prepare for third meeting of season with Patriots

“They beat us at home, we beat them at [their] home. It's a playoff game, Buffalo, New York, on Saturday night,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said. “I mean, it's just really everything you asked for in a football game, football season, this type of game right here.”

But after two decades of being dominated by the greatest coach of all time – and, let’s be honest, we could stretch it to three if we include the Super Bowl XXV loss to the New York Giants – it would be so tough to swallow. Bills fans are used to losing to the Patriots. Having the season ended by Belichick, at home, when the Bills have the better quarterback? Ouch.

Yet, this column is not setting out to spoil your day. If the Bills beat the Patriots, it pretty much makes the entire season. Two victories over Belichick in the same year – and sending the Pats packing in the playoffs? That would be a great way to remember the 2021 campaign.

Obviously, the Bills’ Super Bowl aspirations still are legitimate. The AFC tournament is a crapshoot. They could run the AFC playoffs four times over and come up with four different winners this season.

'Crazy NOT to want to go': Bills fans brace for bitter cold playoff game

This week's playoff game may turn out to be one of the coldest games the Bills have ever played. Temperatures are expected to be in the single digits at the 8:15 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

If the Bills go to Kansas City and lose in the divisional round next week, you could stomach that. The Bills slayed the Chiefs in October. Sure, they can win there again. But everyone knows the Chiefs are great. The Bills would be underdogs on the road against Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

So there’s no middle road Saturday for Bills Mafia. Ecstasy or agony.

Here’s one thing we can take to the bank: This game is not likely to play out exactly like the last meeting.

Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense skewered the New England defense three weeks ago. Nine possessions, 33 points, no punts. You can bet Belichick is going to do something different with his defense to try to prevent that kind of game.

“I think the big thing any time you play a team a second or third time, or whatever it is, it’s a new game,” Belichick said on a video call with reporters Wednesday. “We’re starting from scratch. Don’t think or assume the game is going to go like another one did. Be ready to play it out, play it as you see it, and make the necessary adjustments and decisions that come up in this game.”

Erik Brady: Weather was a factor too in only other Bills-Patriots postseason meeting

“The snow-covered gridiron reduced the effectiveness of the power running of (Cookie) Gilchrist,” The New York Times said in its report, “but did not seem to hamper Ron Burton or Larry Garron,” the Patriots’ running backs.

“Yeah, they’re incredible that way in how they can change things up and what Coach Belichick does to stay a step ahead,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “So, we obviously have our work cut out for us.”

The suspicion is we’re going to see a little more dime defense – six defensive backs, rather than five – than we did from the Pats in Foxborough, Mass. Three safeties, three cornerbacks. This isn’t anything new. They used safety Kyle Dugger a bunch as a linebacker three weeks ago. But maybe a little less of big linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who’s better vs. the run than the pass. Who knows what's going through the Hoodie's brain right now? Both Hightower (knee) and Dugger (hand) have been limited by injuries.

Inviting the Bills to run the ball and getting stops in the red zone is a proven Pats strategy, whatever the tactics. That would succeed in shortening the game, which is to the Pats’ advantage. The Pats need to defend the middle of the field better in the passing game, too.

The good news for the Bills is the wind is expected to be light. But with temperatures near zero, the Pats probably will try to force as many throws outside the numbers as they can. Make Allen and his receivers get tough completions.

How are the Patriots going to keep Allen from hurting them with his running? That’s a good question. The Bills QB ran 12 times for 64 yards three weeks ago.

Why Bills' late-season surge to win AFC East began with overtime loss in Tampa

“I feel like that Tampa Bay game kind of got us back to where we needed to go, as far as having confidence, playing free, and playing like we know what we can play,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said in late December.

“It’s the Patriots at home, in division, that’s something that you dream about, and it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around too often,” Allen said. “Like somebody alluded to earlier, like 19-something was the last time we played the Patriots in the playoffs.”

That would be 1963, Josh. But the Bills weren’t as good that season as they are today, and there weren’t decades of history hovering over the game.

“Energy is going to be high, and the juice will be high, and we gotta be ready for that moment,” Allen said.

This is not going to be easy. It took an A-plus game from Allen to win in Foxborough. Belichick is a master at keeping it close against good quarterbacks.

Go back to Week 4. Tampa Bay at New England. The defending Super Bowl champs held the Patriots to 1 yard rushing. One! Belichick played the entire offensive game left-handed, so to speak. The Pats lost the turnover battle 2-0. Tom Brady held the ball 34 minutes. ... And the Bucs still needed a 48-yard field goal with 2 minutes left to eke out a 19-17 victory. It was one of the great coaching performances of the season – in defeat.

This is going to be nerve-wracking. This is why we love the NFL. It’s going to be so sweet ... or so bitter.

The Buffalo Bills have played 34 playoff games in their history. The first came against the Boston Patriots. And the next will come against them, too.

The franchise is called New England now, but don’t let that fool you. They’re the same old Pats, still tormenting the Bills over all these years.

Bills Mafia can only hope the next playoff game goes better than that first one, in 1963: Patriots 26, Bills 8. You think this season’s Bills struggled to run at times? Those Bills gained all of seven yards on the ground on that snowy day at War Memorial Stadium.

That was all the more astonishing because just three weeks earlier, Bills fullback Cookie Gilchrist set the all-time pro rushing record for a single game. He had 243 yards on 36 carries against the New York Jets at the Rockpile on Dec. 8 – and 7 yards on eight carries against the Pats on the same field on Dec. 28.

“We intended to run a lot more,” Bills coach Lou Saban said after. “But on a field like that, you could run all day and not catch up.”

As it turned out, the Bills couldn’t catch up with the pass, either. Jack Kemp started at quarterback. Daryle Lamonica replaced him. Kemp came back in. And nothing worked. Kemp threw one interception. Lamonica threw three.

“Blame it on the quarterbacks,” Kemp said. “We are either the heroes or the bums.”

The Bills and Patriots had each finished the regular season at 7-6-1. This was a one-game playoff to decide the East Division title – and decide who would get to play in the American Football League championship game against the powerhouse San Diego Chargers, who had won the West Division with an 11-3 record.

Things went badly for the Bills right from the start: Elbert Dubenion fumbled the opening kickoff, and the Patriots recovered. The Pats did not cash in, because the Bills intercepted a Babe Parilli pass, but then Gino Cappelletti hit a 28-yard field goal and Larry Garron scored on a 59-yard Parilli pass. Score after one quarter: Pats 10, Bills 0.

“Ten points on that field,” Saban said, “was like a mountain.”

Cappelletti added two more field goals in the second quarter, and Gilchrist missed one for the Bills from 39. (Yes, position players did those things then; Lamonica was the Bills punter that day, and Cappelletti played wide receiver for the Patriots.) Score at the half: Pats 16, Bills 0.

Then came the game’s lone moment of glory for the Bills: Lamonica hit Dubenion for a 93-yard touchdown. Duby hauled it in at the Bills’ 45 and sped untouched the rest of the way. Then Lamonica tossed a two-point conversion to John Tracey, which made it a one-score game. Score after three quarters: Pats 16, Bills 8.

Alas, the Pats closed it out easily with another Garron TD catch and another Cappelletti field goal, and that was that. Final score: 26-8.

“The snow-covered gridiron reduced the effectiveness of the power running of Gilchrist,” The New York Times said in its report, “but did not seem to hamper Ron Burton or Larry Garron,” the Patriots’ running backs.

A week later, in San Diego, the Chargers pounded the Pats, 51-10. Chargers running back Keith Lincoln was a one-man show with 349 total yards: 206 as a rusher, 123 as a pass receiver, and 20 as a passer.

A year later, in the next AFL title game, in Buffalo, Lincoln looked as if he might be on his way to another boffo performance. He had 47 yards on three rushes and 11 more on a pass reception as the Chargers led, 7-0, in the first quarter.

Bills fans know what happened next. Linebacker Mike Stratton walloped Lincoln in the midsection as he was catching a swing pass. This broke Lincoln’s ribs – and the Chargers’ spirit. The Bills won, 20-7. The play is immortalized in Bills lore as the Hit Heard ’Round the World.

Robert L. Smith got a picture of it a split-second before impact. It just might be the most famous photo in Bills history. Chances are, if you are of a certain age, you have seen it dozens of times. There’s an untold story about that photo coming soon.

In the meantime, it will be Bills vs. Pats in the playoffs for the first time in 58 years. And 58, as chance would have it, was Mike Stratton’s number.

On the heels of a second straight AFC East crown for the Buffalo Bills, chances are high you need to restock your beer fridge for this weekend as the Bills take on the Patriots on Jan. 15. And you’re going to need a lot of beer on hand as you watch the Bills finally expel the ghosts of New England once and for all.

Luckily for all of us, there is not a shortage of Bills-themed brews to fill our glass come kickoff.

There are the staples of course: Let’s Go Pils (from Community Beer Works), A Little Bit Lager Now (Hamburg Brewing), Pills Mafia (Thin Man), Make Me Wanna Stout (Big Ditch Brewing) and Circle the Wagons (Resurgence Brewing). But this list digs a little deeper to find beers to fuel numerous table dives, multiple renditions of the “Shout!” song and screams of “Let’s Go Buffalo” at the top of your lungs.

So, as you settle in for wild-card weekend, consider reaching for these Bills Mafia-approved brews as Josh Allen slings another touchdown to Stefon Diggs.

Kickin’ Bass, First Line Brewing

First Line Brewing teamed up with Bills star kicker Tyler Bass on Kickin’ Bass, a session IPA brewed with all Citra hops. It’s hazy, but drinks light, with an initial punch of citrus and subtle stone fruit that finishes dry. A portion of proceeds will go toward P.U.N.T. Pediatric Cancer, which provides local families facing pediatric cancer financial, practical and emotional support. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery location: 4906 S. Buffalo St., Orchard Park (740-8621).

Allen Town IPA, Steelbound Brewery & Distillery

Buffalo has become Allen Town, so naturally, an IPA of the same name would be on this list. Steelbound’s Allen Town IPA is light bodied and easy drinking at 6% with notes of hops, citrus and dry tropical fruit. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery locations: 6600 US-219, Ellicottville (699-2042) and 243 W. Main St., Springville (794-3555).

Number 17 and Number 14, Brickyard Brewing Company

Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs are numbers 17 and 14 on the field and No. 1 in our hearts. Number 17 is brewed with El Dorado, Simcoe and Chinook hops and features a clean, dry finish with a touch of bitterness forged from years of heartbreak. Meanwhile, Number 14 is the perfect accompaniment – a soft and creamy IPA with notes of peach-forward stone fruit and citrus. Nothing beats Allen to Diggs. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery location: 436 Center St., Lewiston (754-7227).

Victory Monday, Rusty Nickel Brewing Co.

What to drink in honor of Bills Victory Monday is a question I’ve asked myself many times this season. Well, Rusty Nickel has answered that conundrum with a new brew of the same name. This New England IPA, which features notes of orange citrus and tropical fruits with a pillowy soft body, is the perfect choice not only come game time, but also for the following Monday. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery location: 4350 Seneca St., West Seneca (608-6155).

Fandemonium, Thin Man Brewery

When you can’t decide between an East or West Coast IPA to satisfy your thirst, grab Thin Man’s Fandemonium mixed-pack IPA series that features one of each. 12+83=6 Old School IPA is a classic West Coast IPA brewed with Chinook, Mosaic, Citra and El Dorado. 17+14=6 New School IPA is a haze monster brewed with Citra, Vic Secret and Mosaic for maximum juiciness. Fandemonium gives you the best of both worlds. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery locations: 492 Elmwood Ave. (923-4100), 4401 Transit Road (633-9630), 166 Chandler St. (393-4353).

Bill’s Vintage Sweater, Community Beer Works

We all have a favorite sweater or other piece of clothing to wear come game day, right? It’s not just me, I hope. CBW celebrates this timeless superstition with Bill’s Vintage Sweater Oat Cream IPA, a soft and smooth hazy IPA with juicy hops and flaked oats. Grab your dad’s old Bills Starter jacket and crack a few cans of this nostalgic brew. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery location: 520 Seventh St. (759-4677).

Championship Caliber, Flying Bison Brewing

Is there a better named Bills-themed brew than this Flying Bison golden ale – especially this season? Championship Caliber is 5%, goes down incredibly easy and checks all the boxes – light, crisp and crushable. Availability: Cans, draft. Brewery location: 840 Seneca St. (873-1557).

Sean McDermott was a defensive quality control coach on Andy Reid's staff in Philadelphia in 2003, when the Eagles opened the season with back-to-back losses to Tampa Bay and New England, then boarded a turbulent flight to Buffalo, where they turned their season around.

The Eagles defeated the Bills and won 12 of their final 14 regular season games to clinch the NFC East title, the No. 1 seed in the conference and advanced to the NFC championship game.

The fulcrum on which their fortunes turned was clear.

“We were struggling earlier in the year then and we came and took this flight,” McDermott said. “It got pretty touch and go. But I felt like we came up here and won that game and we had a bit of a different course of the year from there. So it’s just things that I think bring us closer together, they’re shared experiences really that can do that, that can galvanize the team and just bring it that much closer together. It just comes in different forms, probably every season.”

These moments are often apparent in retrospect.

In 2020, after the Bills lost on the last-second “Hail Murray” in Arizona, they won their final six games of the regular season to clinch the AFC East title and advanced to the AFC championship game.

This season, after back-to-back losses to New England and Tampa Bay, coincidentally, the Bills won their final four games against Carolina, New England, Atlanta and the New York Jets to repeat as division champions and set up a first-round playoff game against the Patriots on Saturday night in Orchard Park.

The Bills’ fortunes turned on Dec. 12 in Tampa.

After a strange and embarrassing 14-10 home loss to New England the previous week on "Monday Night Football," in which the Patriots attempted only three passes because of intense wind, the Bills tried to flip the script a week later on the road and didn’t hand the ball off to a running back in the first half against the Buccaneers. Buffalo trailed the defending Super Bowl champions by 21 points at halftime. But the Bills incorporated a more balanced attack in the second half and rallied to tie the score before losing 33-27 in overtime, dropping their record to 7-6.

'We know each other extremely well': Bills prepare for third meeting of season with Patriots

“They beat us at home, we beat them at [their] home. It's a playoff game, Buffalo, New York, on Saturday night,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said. “I mean, it's just really everything you asked for in a football game, football season, this type of game right here.”

“We had a good talk at halftime. Guys responded well. I know the score is what the score was,” quarterback Josh Allen said before hobbling out of the stadium with a walking boot on his sprained left foot. “But I'm (darn) proud of our team and how we fought in that second half and that's who we are. That's the team I've grown to love and to know really. Guys that are just resilient guys that want to fight for each other.”

Bills center Mitch Morse was emboldened by the performance.

“Every loss is tough, but the resiliency of this team is pretty amazing,” Morse said after the game. “We also know that there's a sense of urgency, like every week, but we're really in crunch time here. We know what we got but we have to put something together if we want to keep taking steps to achieve our ultimate goal.”

Bills safety Jordan Poyer echoed those comments.

“There are no moral victories in this league,” Poyer said that day in Tampa. “A loss is a loss and it's tough. But the resilience we had to stay in the game and continue to take one play at a time and fight back, it says a lot about guys in the locker room. Yeah, tough loss. But we can build some momentum off of how we played in the second half and carry it over into next week.”

McDermott said his players showed “an incredible amount of heart and guts” and suggested that fans watching at home could feel the passion through their TVs.

“I know we could feel it on the sideline,” McDermott said. “It was really fun to watch. And that’s how the Buffalo Bills play.”

The coach changed the following Wednesday’s practice to a walkthrough, going lighter on his group, at least physically.

Mentally, they locked in.

“The time is now …” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “We understand that it’s time to punch that ticket. And we have our game faces on.”

Wide receiver Gabriel Davis was in the midst of catching four touchdowns in three games.

“You have to understand what you did right, and then you have to know that now that’s your standard,” Davis said. “To come out in the second half and do what we did was special, and I’m proud of all the guys for stepping up to the plate and taking on the adversity.”

The Bills snapped their two-game skid – their first back-to-back losses since Weeks 5 and 6 of last season – with a 31-14 home victory in a “get-right game” against Carolina.

“Confidence is one (heck) of a drug in the NFL,” safety Micah Hyde said after thumping the Panthers.

Then the Bills upended the Patriots, 33-21, taking control of the division in the rematch in New England.

Buffalo clinched its second consecutive AFC East title – a feat it hadn’t accomplished since the 1990 and ’91 seasons – with decisive home victories against the Falcons and Jets.

“I feel like that Tampa Bay game kind of got us back to where we needed to go, as far as having confidence, playing free, and playing like we know what we can play,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said in late December. “Having confidence out there, and when things don’t go right, let’s make it right. Let’s figure it out. Good things are gonna happen, bad things are gonna happen. Don’t dwell on the bad, let’s keep rolling, keep rolling with the punches. And I feel like that’s the kind of team we had last year.”

Diggs said this season’s resurgence coincided with the Bills “letting the players play, putting the ball in your playmakers’ hands, all of us, and you just let us make it happen. Take the pressure off the coaches. It’s the Joes, not the Xs and Os.”

The Bills have put greater pressure on opposing quarterbacks while taking some off their own as Allen has not been sacked in the last three games and the running game has blossomed.

Buffalo’s defense ranked 26th in the NFL with 23 sacks after the loss in Tampa, and McDermott bemoaned the lack of pressure, especially from the front four, heading into the next week’s game against Carolina.

The Bills finished with 42 sacks, which ranked 11th in the league.

That’s 19 sacks in four games, including the nine-sack outburst against the Jets, the most in a game in McDermott’s five seasons as coach.

Defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been a big part of the resurgence. The ninth overall pick in 2019 has 3½ sacks in the last three games.

Oliver and fellow defensive tackle Harrison Phillips celebrated at the podium after the Jets game after learning the Bills’ defense finished the season No. 1 in total yards, passing yards and points allowed.

The Bills also pressured opposing quarterbacks on 29.1% of dropbacks this season, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL. The statistic takes hurries, knockdowns and sacks into account.

“We wanted to finish off this season and try to earn that No. 1 defense in the NFL,” Phillips said “So all of the guys, we trust one another, all 11 of us out there. We’ll defend a blade of grass.”

While Allen didn’t miss a game because of his sprained foot, the Bills also appear to have changed their offensive approach over the last month, lightening the load on their franchise quarterback by relying more on Devin Singletary and a traditional running game down the stretch.

Singletary had 547 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 112 carries through the first 13 games of the season, an average of 8.6 carries and 42 rushing yards per game.

In the last four games, his workload more than doubled and his production soared.

Singletary has 323 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 76 carries, as well as a receiving score, during the Bills’ four-game winning streak. He has averaged 19 carries and 81 rushing yards per game.

“For me, it was just, 'Make something happen when I get an opportunity – whatever it may be,’” Singletary said of turning a short catch into an 11-yard gain on the Bills’ second play from scrimmage in New England.

Singletary carried Patriots safety Kyle Dugger 8 yards for a first down, knocking linebacker Dont’a Hightower on his backside along the way.

The Bills’ running back, like his teammates, wasn’t going down without a fight.

Just like in their season-defining second-half comeback in Tampa.

“There’s many teams that would have folded in that position,” Allen said after rallying the Bills from 21 points down but losing in overtime to the Bucs. “We’ve got guys that want to win. We want to be great. And with how we responded that second half, that’s the team that we’ve got to be going forward. We understand that. And we know that. And I don’t expect anything else.”

When the Bills toppled the Patriots in New England three weeks ago, they couldn’t count on it being the final word between the two teams this season. Already, there was the idea that they could face the Patriots again quite soon.

Safety Jordan Poyer admitted that it felt somewhat inevitable.

“I had a feeling we would probably see them again,” Poyer said Tuesday. “It’s very fitting.”

In winning the rematch, Buffalo has now won three of the last four. But evenness of splitting this season and the intensity it brings are part of why Poyer finds the next meeting, this Saturday in wild-card weekend, to be apropos.

“They beat us at home, we beat them at [their] home. It's a playoff game, Buffalo, New York, on Saturday night,” Poyer said. “I mean, it's just really everything you asked for in a football game, football season, this type of game right here.”

The No. 3 Bills and the No. 6 Patriots are well-versed in each other, with 124 games to show it. The Patriots hold a 77-46-1 series lead, but Buffalo is no longer trapped under it. As the Bills prepare for Saturday, the focus is on a fresh slate.

“Each game is its own game, particularly against a team like this, that couldn't be more true,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said Monday.

It’s a sentiment shared by players, who know how quickly the Patriots can morph.

“Yeah, I think playing them a couple of weeks ago, you kind of have a feel of some of the things they do,” Poyer said. “But they change so much.”

“The one thing you can expect is the unexpected,” center Mitch Morse added.

The two teams have met one other time in the postseason: 58 years ago, prior to the Super Bowl era. It was in the 1963 AFL Eastern Division playoff, back when the opposing team was still called the Boston Patriots. The teams split their two earlier meetings, but the Patriots won the third, 26-8 over the Bills.

Now, as the two teams get ready for this year’s rubber match, it’s in a condensed timeframe. Saturday will be the third meeting in seven weeks for the rivals.

“I guess you can say it’s a little fresher, but they do such a good job of switching things up that it’s hard to get a beat on it,” quarterback Josh Allen said Tuesday. “You can’t put your trust in something and bank on something happening because earlier that’s when things get switched up. And you gotta find a way to make a good play and not make the bad one.”

The time between the Week 13 and 16 meetings with the Patriots was the shortest that Allen has played the same opponent in the NFL. The Bills played the Jets twice in a four-game span his rookie season, but he was inactive for the first contest. In 2018 and 2019, he played the Dolphins twice in five weeks. But the Patriots, helmed by Bill Belichick, adapt to their opponents better than perhaps any team.

In prepping for his eighth meeting with the Patriots – Allen was inactive for the Bills’ first game against the Patriots as a rookie – he knows not to get comfortable, even when familiar.

“No, you always gotta adjust for him,” Allen said. “The second you start thinking it’s a sure thing, that’s when it gets the rug swept under your feet and you’re thinking wrong coverage and throwing a ball to a backside corner which you didn’t think was there.”

Allen threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the last meeting the Patriots. The win in New England was part of a four-game win streak to end the regular season, during which the Bills worked toward a more consistent run game.

Morse thinks the Bills have done a solid job in recent weeks of being more two-dimensional, even though the strength of the offense is still the passing game. But the evolving run game will be needed to go deep into the postseason.

Morse says the idea that playing a team so many times in a short window doesn’t mean much, and especially against New England.

“I think, for most teams, it would be the same sentiment, but I think the Patriots kind of wrote the book on it,” Morse said. “For them, they’re exceptional at it. So it’ll be a great challenge, and it’ll be a great test for us as players and coaches to relay information, be fluid as the game progresses, understand the ebbs and flows when you face a good team like the Patriots.

“And you’ve got to compete, and you can’t shut off your mental faculties, 'cause that’s when this team will exploit you.”

Any familiarities, of course, go both ways.

“Playing a team three times in the season, we know each other extremely well,” Allen said. “They know us, we know them, so it's whoever can adjust quicker.”

The Buffalo Bills enter the playoffs in remarkably good health, and the New England Patriots have only a couple of injuries to monitor this week leading up to Saturday’s game.

Buffalo held only a walk-through practice Tuesday and listed nobody as injured. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who has missed the past two games with a knee injury, participated fully. He looks on track to play, bringing the receiving corps up to full strength.

The only other player listed by the Bills was backup defensive end Efe Obada, who missed Sunday’s game against the Jets with an ankle injury. He participated fully.

The Patriots placed starting cornerback Jalen Mills on the league's Reserve/Covid-19 list, which doesn't necessarily mean he will miss Saturday's game. New England also activated slot cornerback Myles Bryant off the list. 

The Patriots have one significant injury. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore, a first-round draft choice who has had a good rookie season this year, left the Pats’ game in Miami Sunday on a cart with a knee injury. The Patriots did not practice Tuesday but released an “estimated” practice report. Barmore was listed as limited.

Two other key New England defenders missed the Miami game. Safety Kyle Dugger sat out with a hand injury. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower sat out with a hamstring injury. Both were projected to be limited Tuesday. Speculation in New England is both have a good chance to face the Bills on Saturday.

A slew of other Patriots were listed as limited but each of them played vs. Miami.

Morse's wife gives birth

Bills center Mitch Morse has had a busy week. After helping the Bills beat the New York Jets Sunday evening, Morse flew to his home in the Kansas City area to be with his wife, who went into labor Monday. Caitlin Morse gave birth to the couple’s second child.

“We ended up having a boy, yesterday at about 5 p.m.,” Morse said after Tuesday’s walk-through practice. “So very exciting, and it's just been such a roller coaster of emotion. All highs. So, very excited. My wife was such a trooper, can't give her enough credit for what she did. And she was very patient with me, understanding of the schedule. It was a tough morning this morning having to get here. So kudos to her, she did all the heavy lifting.”

The child is named Deacon James. Morse made it back in time for Tuesday’s practice.

“It was a special day and I was glad to be able to share that with my family,” Morse said. “A very unique situation, very fortunate and pretty blessed 24 hours both professionally and personally.”

Asked how tired he felt, Morse said: “We’re in the reserve tank. But it’s great, riding the high.”

Bears want to talk with Schoen

Bills Assistant General Manager Joe Schoen has been sought for an interview by the Chicago Bears for that team's general manager job, the NFL Network reported. Schoen also has been requested for an interview by the New York Giants. The Bears also have requested interviews with Bills coordinators Leslie Frazier and Brian Daboll.

Saturday night's showdown in Orchard Park against the New England Patriots is making Buffalo Bills fans wanna shout.

It's also gonna make them shiver.

The playoff game may turn out to be one of the coldest games the Bills have ever played. Temperatures are expected to be in the single digits at the 8:15 p.m. kickoff at Highmark Stadium – between about 5 and maybe 10 degrees. Factoring in wind chill, it will feel like 5 to 10 degrees below zero, according to the National Weather Service office in Buffalo.

"Will I be out there anyways – yes, yes I will," tweeted one fearless Bills fan who calls himself Matt the Bearded Photog. "Because I’m crazy & this team and #BillsMafia is family. You do crazy things for the ones you love. Go Bills!"

But seriously, this is not the game for you and 12 best friends to spell out "LET'S GO, BUFFALO" on your shirtless bellies.

The conditions Saturday night, according to meteorologist Jim Mitchell, will be similar to what Buffalo experienced Tuesday. It's going to warm up a bit during the week but then temperatures will plunge – just in time for the big game.

It shouldn't be record-breaking cold, he said. 

"It's winter in Western New York," he said. "It's nothing crazy."

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

A Bills game like no other: Buffalo 13, Indianapolis 7 (OT)

But it will be cold, even dangerously cold, if you're not dressed appropriately for the arctic conditions.

His advice: "Bundle up."

The coldest game in Bills' history was played 28 years ago to the day of Saturday's playoff game, when the Bills beat the then-Los Angeles Raiders 29-23 in the 1994 divisional playoffs at what was formerly known as Rich Stadium.

The temperature was zero for that game, with a wind chill of minus-32 degrees, but that formula has changed since then.

It was so cold that day that the Bills training staff had trouble keeping Gatorade cups filled because it kept freezing. The press boxes got so fogged up that the team needed a large squeegee and some de-icer to clear off the 10-foot windows.

While tickets to Saturday's game had not sold out as of Tuesday afternoon, there were plenty of hardy Bills fans vowing that there's no place they'd rather be.

"Are you sure you want to do it?" Joslin Lofton asked her husband, Damian, after looking at the weekend forecast for Western New York.

They looked at each other and nodded.

"You just have to tough it out," said Joslin Lofton. "We're coming. We're coming!"

Joslin Lofton, a federal government worker, grew up in Lackawanna and has lived outside of Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years now.

Her family used to get season tickets and drive back to town for all of the home games, but they haven't done so in a couple of years. This season, they went to one home game and a few of the away games. But when the Bills clinched a berth, Joslin Lofton said, there really was no question.

"It would be crazy NOT to want to go," she insisted.

Lofton will come prepared, she said. She is bringing a pair of UGG boots, a Bills onesie and lots of handwarmers.

"Lots of layers and probably a couple of cocktails, too," she said.

Also making the trek home to Buffalo will be Jason Tartick of Nashville, Tenn. Tartick, who graduated from Williamsville East High School, might be best remembered from his stint in the 14th season of "The Bachelorette." He currently hosts a podcast called "Trading Secrets."

Tartick has made a point of going to one post-season Bills game every year since the team finally ended its playoff drought in the 2017 season, he said, and started making plans even before it clinched, he said.

Tartick recently learned a few good tricks on staying warm at a sub-freezing football game. His fiancee – yes, there was a happy ending  – bought him tickets to the Jan. 2 Green Bay Packers game against the Minnesota Vikings. It was on his bucket list to go to a game at Lambeau Field.

"It was so cold that my beer froze," he said.

Local fans taught him to bring two squares of foam – one to sit on and one to put his feet on. They also advised wearing plastic bags under your socks and to buy extended-time hand and foot warmers.

Jon Cross, of Lake View, said he isn't worried about the cold. As a police officer, Army vet and a lifelong Western New Yorker, he has handled worse conditions.

Cross and fellow season ticket holders plan on tailgating just as they normally would.

"Hopefully, we'll have a big fire going in the parking lot," he said.

When the tickets to the playoff game became available, there was no question he would go, Cross said.

"There was never a doubt. No hesitation," he said.

His wife? She's a little concerned. She's making plans to wear extra long body warmers.

"She'll be wrapped in those things," he said.

But as Bills fans, he said, he couldn't imagine a more exciting game.

A playoff game.

At home.

In a stadium filled with fans (unlike last season).

On a Saturday night.

Against the Patriots.

In the bitter, bone-chilling cold.

"It's the perfect recipe for Bills fans," Cross said. "We kind of embrace it."

Welcome to a playoff edition of the Bills Mailbag. Let’s get right to your questions …

Ed in Tonawanda asks: Do you think Isaiah McKenzie will have a bigger role on the offense given his success last time against the Patriots? Do you see the Bills extending Mitch Morse after this season? I'm hoping Brian Daboll is less conservative than he was against the Jets – weather permitting.

Darrell S. asks: I've always considered the Josh Allen-to-Cole Beasley connection to be similar to the Tom Brady-to-Julian Edelman connection: A dynamic first-down machine that cannot be stopped even if you know it’s coming. I think it's time to give the Pats this farewell gift – don't you?

Jay: Playing time for McKenzie and Beasley could depend on what coverage the Patriots elect to play. If they use a man-coverage scheme, it would make sense for the Bills to play McKenzie more given the big game he had in Week 16. If the Patriots elect to go to a zone, Beasley has traditionally been excellent against that kind of coverage.

As for Morse, that’s an interesting question. He has one year remaining on his contract, with a big cap hit of $11.25 million. The Bills could lower that number one of three ways. They could simply release him, which would leave behind a dead money cap hit of $3.75 million. They could ask him to take a pay cut, although Morse took a $2 million trim last year and might not be all that keen on the idea after a strong season. They could also try to extend his contract, which could move money into future years. Before the season, I would have bet big money on Morse being a cap casualty. Now, I’m not quite as sure. It seems highly unlikely he’ll be back at his current cap number. I could see the Bills extending him to lessen the financial burden in 2022 – if that’s something he would be interested in doing.

Wild-card weekend: Your guide to the Buffalo Bills' showdown with the Patriots

John Jarzynski asks: When I last checked, the Bills were 24th in the league in run after catch. What can this be attributed to? Any chance the league will redefine what a fumble is? One player holding the runner while the second player punches at the ball is not a football skill.

Jay: The Bills finished the season ranked 19th in yards after catch, according to the website pro-football-reference.com. A big part of that is their average depth of target. The Bills finished tied for sixth in that category, at 8.2 yards per attempt. It stands to reason the further the ball is thrown down field, the less yards after the catch are available. Of course, there are other factors. At times, quarterback Josh Allen can be more accurate with his throws, giving his receivers a chance to run with the ball after a completion instead of having to jump or slide to make a catch.

As for redefining what a fumble is, in the scenario you’re talking about, the only solution would be for officials to declare forward progress stopped in a quicker fashion. My guess is players on both sides would not want to see that happen. Offensive players are never going to stop fighting for yards, and defenses will continue to try to pry the ball free because, well, it sometimes works. I have no desire to see officials try to "redefine" anything in a league that still can't answer what a catch is.

Al Runkel asks: My question is on the opening coin flip. I’ve never seen them do a coin flip multiple times, like the three times they did in the Jets game. I asked friends who watched the game on TV (I was at the game) if the commentators said anything about it. They all said it wasn't shown. So, this is how conspiracies are started. Why did they flip the coin three times? Did they flip it till the Jets won the flip? Color me happy that they finally found an offensive line combination that works in pass and run blocking. Funny that the season's starting guards are now backups. Question, why did it take so long?

Jay: I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, Al, but even this one is too tinfoil hat for me. I think the coin just didn’t, you know, flip. NFL Films captured video of the three attempts. 

Third time was the charm during this coin toss 😅@JoshAllenQB | @StefonDiggs pic.twitter.com/9TVZsxSlnn

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 10, 2022

As for your second question, it’s a fair one. Part of the change on the line came when the coaching staff inserted rookie Spencer Brown at right tackle. It’s understandable that they weren’t ready for him to start on opening day. That moved Daryl Williams inside. The other guard spot has been a revolving door, but Ryan Bates has made the most of his opportunity and secured the job. I’d say he deserves credit for that, although it’s fair to ask if the coaching staff maybe should have given him a chance sooner. It’s somewhat surprising that it didn’t happen, because the coaching staff hasn’t been shy about making changes up front. About that …

Ed Helinski asks: It’s good to see Ryan Bates getting an opportunity to play regularly. It seems that he brings stability and has been a catalyst for the offensive line. In your estimation, what does Bates bring to the table for the Bills’ offense? Where can I register for the Ryan Bates Fan Club?

Jay: Guard is a tricky position to evaluate, especially considering I’m not a coach and I have no idea what Bates’ individual responsibility is on each play. With that said, he’s seemed to pass the eyeball test. Josh Allen hasn’t been sacked in the past three games and the Bills are running the ball better than they ever have. All that would suggest the offensive line is doing its part, and Bates has contributed to that success. As for the fan club, I think you just volunteered to become the president.

Doug Pagano asks: In the first two meetings between New England and the Bills, the Patriots averaged about 5 yards per carry for 371 yards. Do you think the Bills should try using five defensive linemen when the Pats bring in a sixth offensive lineman and fullback to try to limit the run and force them to pass with their rookie quarterback?

Jay: That’s unlikely. Rather, I could see the Bills playing more of a traditional, 4-3 defense, which they’ve done in both games against New England. In the first meeting, linebacker Tyrel Dodson played more snaps than nickel cornerback Taron Johnson. Dodson was in the game because A.J. Klein was on the Covid list. In the second game, Johnson played 45 snaps, but Klein still played 19. There were entire games this season where the Bills stayed exclusively in their nickel defense, so that number for Klein was actually significant. If the Patriots go with a heavy package designed to run the ball, expect Klein to be in the game more often. Also, don’t rule out reserve nickel cornerback Siran Neal seeing some time. He played 13 snaps in the second meeting, and gives the Bills some more size than Johnson. A fifth defensive lineman is not a lineup I’d expect to see much.

Brenda Alesii asks: Hall of Famer Kurt Warner recently said that Josh Allen still misses too many throws because of his technique, adding that he misses too many reads. As a result, Warner doesn’t think the Bills can win the Super Bowl. Think he has a point?

Jay: Warner has forgotten more this week about playing quarterback than I’ll ever know, but my initial reaction to that is, can’t he say the same thing about every quarterback at times? It’s true Allen doesn’t always do things by the book, but that’s what makes him a special player. I’m not saying the Bills will win the Super Bowl this year with Allen, but I absolutely think he’s talented enough to one day do it, and saying anything else comes across as a hot take. Under Allen, the Bills have won back-to-back division titles and last season advanced to the AFC championship game. They’re close.

Matt Leader asks: Given the frigid forecast for Saturday, I’m wondering how the cold impacts a quarterback’s ability to throw and a receiver’s ability to catch? On a related note, are you aware of any rules that prohibit players from using synthetic warmers on the field? I’ve got to think quarterbacks playing in cold weather conditions would load their pouch with as many Hothands as they’d carry if it was allowed.

Jay: We asked Stefon Diggs that question this week. Here was his response: “I tell (Josh Allen) to take some off it. … I dropped a touchdown the other week in Atlanta. He was zipping that ball. I was like, 'Look, give me a little easy one.' He just got a strong arm. He can't help it. So, I make fun of him all the time, like, ‘You don't even throw the ball that hard,’ and then next thing you know I drop one in the end zone. I'll be like, 'Yeah, give me a little floater next time.' ”

Allen, as well, was asked whether the cold changes his approach, specifically the velocity with which he throws his passes. Here’s his response: “I think the second you start messing with mechanics and stuff, especially this late in the season, it only tends to make things worse. You just got to trust guys out there, you got to trust yourself and what you’re seeing and what you’re throwing, and go based on that. It’s going to be hard for both teams to catch the ball and it’s going to be hard for both teams to hit and break tackles.”

As for hand warmers, the pouches some players use have those in them, so to my knowledge, there’s nothing preventing them from being used.

David Rynkowski asks: Can you explain how a top-three defense in the NFL has no Pro Bowl selections, while the offensive line, which does not seem to be able to open holes for a running game, has a Pro Bowl selection?

Jay: Not exactly, but I’ll try. The injury to Tre’Davious White very likely cost the Bills’ defense a Pro Bowler. Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde have had seasons worthy of consideration, but it’s entirely possible they took votes away from each other, and the AFC safeties chosen – Kevin Byard, Derwin James and Tyrann Mathieu – are all fantastic players. It’s possible Poyer and/or Hyde are having better seasons than at least one of them, but the Pro Bowl has always been a bit of a popularity contest, and Mathieu probably wins that nationally.

At inside linebacker, the Colts’ Darius Leonard was a lock, and the Raiders’ Denzel Perryman is second in the AFC in tackles. Is anyone going to fight all that hard that Tremaine Edmunds or Matt Milano have had a better season than Perryman did?

I was surprised Dion Dawkins made the game, but I also don't watch every other left tackle enough to have a strong take on it either way. The Pro Bowl voting is flawed. The players themselves hardly even vote, and pay almost no attention to whom they’re voting for. Fans are naturally going to vote for players on their favorite teams. That leaves it up to coaches, and who knows how much time they spend on it during their 23-hour workdays?

It’s tempting to say the Pro Bowl doesn’t matter, but with incentives tied to the game, it absolutely does. It would be good if the league came up with a better way of identifying who the best players truly are in a given year, although I’m not exactly sure what that would look like.

Greg Nichols asks: I am quite reluctant to question play calls. I'm not the professional involved. Yet, in a crucial fourth-and-1 or fourth-and-goal situation, if Josh Allen takes the snap and launches himself like a missile over the top of the blockers, I'm not seeing how that could be stopped. Knowing No. 17's mentality, he would not be reluctant to do it. Injury risk? He puts himself in greater jeopardy at other times. Agree, or no?

Jay: Agree. Although, it should be pointed out, that if you and I can see that, Greg, it’s a good bet the thought has crossed Bill Belichick’s mind a time or two, as well. Nevertheless, it does seem like that would produce the needed yardage more times than not, so it is a bit odd why the Bills haven’t done more of it.

Ken R. asks: Why does the NFL allow teams to announce who they would like to interview from other teams before the Super Bowl is played? I would think this is a distraction even though the candidates still in the playoffs say they are focused on the next game. The Bills could find themselves without offensive and defensive coordinators along with an assistant GM almost immediately after the Super Bowl.

Jay: The Bills proposed a rule last year to delay the hiring process for new head coaches until after the Super Bowl, for the reason you mention, Ken. Instead, the league went the other way, allowing assistants from teams to interview even while the regular season is still taking place. That rule barely made a ripple, however, and the timeline has remained much the same this year. That being said, coaches are fired right after the regular season ends, and reports of interview requests filter in shortly thereafter. So far, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier are reported to have interviews lined up with both the Dolphins and the Bears. I 100% agree that has to be some sort of distraction. They are doing all they can to prepare for the postseason, while at the same time pursuing their dream job. I totally don’t understand why the NFL doesn’t ban coaching interviews – and hires – from being made until after the Super Bowl. That way, all candidates and teams are on equal footing. Teams understandably want to get a person on the job as soon as possible, but we’ve heard far too much about how candidates on teams that make it to the Super Bowl suffer because teams don’t want to wait that long. It would benefit all involved to have a hiring freeze until after the Super Bowl. The NFL, being the hype machine that it is, is also missing an opportunity to make headlines in the days that follow the Super Bowl.

Paul Basinski asks: Good to see the Bills’ running game has peaked at playoff time. Also in Buffalo's favor versus New England is the way the defense has played much of the year. Do you agree that how far we do (or don't) go in the postseason rests with Josh Allen? If so, what's the best game plan to maximize his strengths and minimize some of the nagging weaknesses he continued to show this season?

Jay: Of course the biggest factor in the Bills’ postseason success is Allen. That can be said for every team’s quarterback. As for the game plan, I’ll leave that to Daboll, who gets paid millions to come up with it. The chess match against Belichick’s defense will be a fascinating one, to be sure. As you pointed out, Paul, the Bills have discovered a run game at the right time, which should help to take some of the pressure off Allen. The big key, in my mind, is the turnover battle. If the Bills can take care of the football, they have to like their chances of Allen outscoring New England rookie quarterback Mac Jones.

Jim Majors asks: During the Jets game, I noticed Josh Allen’s pre-snap verbiage at the line of scrimmage included Peyton Manning’s famous “Omaha!” Why not “Cheektowaga!” or “Tonawanda!” Also, think of the potential advertising dollars that the Bills could reap, if he injected “Mighty Taco” or “Duffs” into his line calls. Please weigh in with your thoughts on this important matter. Sincerely (with tongue planted firmly in cheek).

Jay: If we’re going the marketing route, I propose “Read Jay Skurski daily in The Buffalo News,” although I admit it’s a bit wordy. It might confuse the defense, though.

Thanks to everyone for the questions. As a reminder, I try (within reason) to answer all that I get, and some that didn’t pertain exactly to this week’s game were held for later. You can submit questions to me via email, jskurski@buffnews.com, or via Twitter, @JaySkurski. Enjoy the game.

Things were not going to plan Sunday for the Buffalo Bills.

After racing out to a 10-0 lead over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium, the offense went into a deep freeze.

A streak of four consecutive possessions before halftime lasted four plays or less, before a field goal at the end of the second quarter pushed the Bills’ lead to 13-7.

Things didn’t start out much better in the third quarter, as the first three drives failed to produce any points. The last of those ended with a 7-yard punt, which set up the Jets for a field goal to cut the Buffalo lead to 13-10 and had everyone in Western New York asking, “The Bills can’t really lose this game, can they?”

On the home sideline, Stefon Diggs wouldn’t have any of that kind of talk. The Bills’ star receiver gathered his offensive teammates for a huddle before they went back on the field.

“He knew we were better than that, and it was time to show it,” wide receivers coach Chad Hall.

Since Diggs was traded to Buffalo during the 2020 offseason, he’s produced in a way no other receiver has over their first two years with a new team. Diggs has made 230 catches in the regular season, setting an NFL record (the old one of 223 was set by New England’s Wes Welker in 2007-08) and combining with quarterback Josh Allen to form one of the best duos in the NFL at their respective positions.

“When those two really good players, or any two good players can get on the same page like those two have, I think it's it's fun to watch,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “Usually the results are good. I think their best football, personally, is ahead of them because of the rapport that they continue to build on a daily basis in the way that those two are developing in their own right. They've been a great duo for us.”

For as impressive as everything Diggs has accomplished on the field has been, however, it’s his development off the field that has perhaps most impressed Hall.

“He first led by example, to kind of find his way, but he's become such a great, vocal leader,” Hall said. That goes for “way more than the receiver room. He's a captain. He goes up and down that sideline more than anybody else we got who is a captain, talking up the defense, rooting for them, getting on the O-line and then congratulating them.

“Just like last week, we were in a funk, just on his own, he called the whole offense up on the sideline and demanded what we needed. Then we go down and score. He's just got that presence.”

After Diggs’ pep talk, the Bills’ offense scored touchdowns on its next two possessions to close out a 27-10 victory and clinch a second consecutive AFC East championship.

“It comes from a really positive place, which is helpful for everybody, the whole team. He demands a lot, he expects a lot from everybody, and he holds people accountable,” Hall said. “It would be different if he didn't do the same, but he expects even more and demands even more out of himself. So people see that, people know that, so when he speaks, people listen.

“I don't know if it’s out of character for a receiver. Leaders are leaders and captains are captains. He's a leader. They come from all positions. … When it's time to go and we need a boost offensively or defensively, he's usually the one who does it. That's a credit to him. You need those vocal leaders. It's not an easy thing to do. Sometimes people don't want to do it, but you've got to do it. Our team needs it. He's been a blessing for us.”

Better than advertised

Whenever a team considers bringing in a new player – be it through the draft, free agency, waivers or trade – it has to ask itself a few questions. No. 1, how will that player fit in the scheme? Specifically for a receiver, how do their skills pair with the quarterback’s strengths? No. 2, how will that player fit in the locker room? The Bills place a high value on work ethic and what they call “football character,” meaning a love for the game is a must.

Clearly, Diggs checked those boxes when the team sent a first-round pick to Minnesota, along with assorted other draft picks, to acquire him.

Until he actually arrived, though, it would have been impossible to know the relationship would blossom in the way that it has.

“When you get new players on our team whether it's by draft or free agency … it's a clean slate for everybody,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said. “Then it's your job as a leader to develop a relationship with your new players. Once you've developed that relationship, that's when the trust falls into place. Trust is important in our business. That leads to respect, it leads to accountability, and there's good give and take, because you can have sincere and truthful conversations. I think when you respect somebody and you treat them the right way, that goes a long way.

"He's done everything we've asked him to do. He's incredibly smart. He's obviously gifted. The old adage, ‘The more you can do, the more you can do,’ and we certainly ask him to do a lot.”

In exploring what has made Diggs so effective in Buffalo, trust is the word that came up more than any other. It’s clear Allen has it in his receiver, and perhaps just as importantly, Diggs has it in his quarterback.

“I think I've played with like four or five quarterbacks, so I've had experiences just building new relationships,” Diggs said. “Running routes for multiple guys different ways, doing it their way, adjusting, getting to know guys, because the more you kind of get to know a guy off the field, the better you'll play on the field, in my opinion.”

By now, it’s been well established that Diggs’ divorce from Minnesota wasn’t exactly amicable. He wanted the ball more, and wasn’t shy about making his feelings known. To his credit, Diggs learned from that situation and applied it to his current situation.

“As far as building that relationship, off the field, it's imperative in any situation, especially that receiver-quarterback,” Diggs said. “I've had a multitude of quarterbacks, so it's like this, ‘All right, how do I approach this situation, especially when I first got here?’ No other than I did before, but it was a fresh start and you never know what's going to happen – sometimes it goes extremely well and sometimes it doesn't.

"I'm pretty sure (there were) more people that didn't want it to go well than to go well, so to see it come out on the back end and be like, 'Yeah, things are good.' It was meant to happen that way.”

A good sign of Diggs’ relationship with Allen was shown last week. After he made nine catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, the quarterback was asked how often his receiver was texting him during the week to make sure he knew he needed six catches, which would take Diggs’ season total to 100 and unlock $1.55 million in contract incentive that will come in the form of increases in his 2022 and 2023 base salaries, $750,000 and $800,000, respectively.

“What bonus money?” the quarterback deadpanned after the game. “To be honest, he didn’t send me any. I sent him a couple. Everybody who plays this game, obviously they love the game, but there's also the payment aspect of it and when you’ve got a guy in that type of situation, I'm not saying I'll try to force him the ball but I might have given him a little extra second his way on some of these routes and just give him some opportunities tonight. But if it was anybody in that situation, I would have tried to do the same thing.”

That type of approach from a team’s quarterback goes a long way in the locker room.

“I feel like I'm blessed to be in the position that I am,” Diggs said. “I'm thankful for God and everybody involved, my coaches, my quarterback, and everybody – my other receivers that helped me get open as well. … The accolades along the way, it's always going to be fun, but just got to continue to push, continue to get better, and, you know, hopefully, break some more records.”

'He's that alpha'

Diggs has been durable during his time in Buffalo, playing in all 33 regular-season games and three postseason games. That includes playing through a torn oblique at the end of last season.

“He works his butt off,” Hall said. “He made sure he was available for every single game, and that's half of it. That's a credit to him, and then there's the ability to go out there and make plays. That's what Stef has done his whole career.”

Diggs’ final numbers – 103 catches, 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns – could have been even bigger, Allen said.

“Throughout the year, I know he didn't have as many targets and receptions as he did last year and maybe that was a little bit by design just to try to keep him fresh in the hopes that we have an opportunity to be in the playoffs,” the quarterback said. “He looks really good and I want to try to throw it to him as much as much as possible because with the ball in his hands, you never know what's going to happen.”

Bills fans will be anxious to find out Saturday night when the New England Patriots visit Highmark Stadium for an AFC wild-card playoff game. Diggs is 3-1 against the Patriots in his Bills career, and has 26 catches for 373 yards and four touchdowns in those games.

“The relationship is important, and I think they have one on and off the field,” Daboll said of Diggs and Allen. “They've worked extremely hard these last two years, throwing and catching, talking during the meetings and being on the same page. They'll continue to do that. For a short time, obviously he's been a productive player here the first couple years on a new team. It's him, along with all the other people that are surrounding him, but obviously Josh plays an important piece to that, as does Stef.”

Hall said the communication between Diggs and Allen extends beyond just the week. During games, they see things similarly, according to Hall, and that in turn will lead to them altering their approach, when necessary.

“They have that feel,” Hall said. “Josh has the ability to read Stef’s body language. I think that all goes together. Josh is just so talented and also so likeable, and again, the communication they have is special. I think that's what helps set them apart. Josh is a really talented player and gets along with everybody. He's got that kind of charisma, and so does Stef, really.

"Stef is really smart, really likable, and he loves to compete. I haven't been around a guy who loves to compete and is more serious about competing and winning than him. He wants to win every single play. That's just his attitude. You love him for it. He's that alpha. He's that dog.”

The Patriots downgraded starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn to out for Saturday's playoff game against the Bills.

Wynn (hip/ankle) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. The Patriots held a walkthrough Tuesday, and he was estimated as a limited participant. 

Wynn was one of 13 Patriots listed as questionable on Thursday's injury report. The other 12 were limited in practice Thursday. Wynn left the Patriots' regular-season finale last Sunday against the Dolphins after just nine plays.

The Patriots will now be without Wynn, a 2018 first-round pick, as they prep for the third meeting between the two rivals in seven weeks. New England fully relied on the run game in the last weather-afflicted game in Buffalo. Quarterback Mac Jones had just three attempts in windy Week 13, completing two. The Patriots had 222 rushing yards, with the offensive line helping the team march downfield. 

After Wynn left the game so early, the Patriots had Justin Herron, a 2020 sixth-round pick, fill in and he could be tapped again. Herron has started 10 games in two seasons. New England could also move veteran tackle Trent Brown from right to left, and use Mike Onwenu to play right tackle.

Roster moves

The Bills have elevated defensive tackle Eli Ankou and linebacker Joe Giles-Harris from the practice squad for Saturday's game, the team announced Friday. 

The Patriots elevated cornerback De'Vante Bausby and D'Angelo Ross, defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale and wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson. The Patriots elevated the two cornerbacks with Jalen Mills not being cleared to come off the Covid list by Friday's 4 p.m. deadline. 

ESPN going live in morning

Bills fans looking to spend a full day in Orchard Park will have some company in the morning. 

ESPN reporter Dianna Russini tweeted Friday that Bills fans can come by two ESPN shows in the parking lot Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.

"We will be going live for SportsCenter and Saturday NFL Countdown," Russini said. "Come find us!"

Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs were an even bigger TV draw in Western New York this 11-6 regular season than they were a year ago when they finished 13-3 and made it to the AFC title game.

The Buffalo Bills’ 17 games in a season that began with Super Bowl expectations averaged a 47.4 rating, up 13% from the 42.1 average for 16 regular season games last season.

Four Bills games topped a 50 rating, with the 54.5 rating for the 29-15 victory over Atlanta the highest-rated game locally since meters came to this market in April 2000.

By comparison, no regular season game last season hit a 50 rating, though a few came close.

The gain is even more impressive when you consider there were about 65,000-70,000 fans this season in Highmark Stadium for nine games who were home in front of their TVs a year ago because Covid-19 prevented fans from attending games until a limited number were allowed for two home playoff games.

A rating point in Western New York represents 5,285 households.

To put the Bills ratings in more perspective, less than a handful of prime-time network entertainment programs average a 10 rating in Western New York.

The NFL put out a release this week noting that its games during the 2021 regular season ranked as the top 16, 48 of the top 50 and 91 of the top 100 telecasts on TV.

That's why the networks recently agreed to pay about $8 billion a year to carry the games, which is reportedly 75% more than they paid in the previous deal. 

Of course, inquiring minds want to know what kind of draw Allen and Company were for the games that were carried in the big national TV windows on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and CBS.

It is a mixed report card.

NBC: The Bills’ 31-6 victory over New Orleans on Thanksgiving (rather than on Sunday night) was the third most-watched game on NBC’s schedule.

The Bills’ 38-20 win over Kansas City on Oct. 10 was NBC’s 10th most watched game. It was No.8 on Sunday night, which places it in the middle of the pack in a 17-week season.

NBC noted that the Buffalo market was the No. 4 rated market for “Sunday Night Football,” up from 10th last year. The fact that the Bills were on two NBC games helped raise the average. 

CBS: Tampa Bay’s 33-27 overtime victory over the Bills in the late 4:25 p.m. window on Dec. 12 in week 14 ranked sixth among the 10 national Sunday game windows on the network this year. It didn’t help that Tom Brady and the Bucs seemingly had a commanding 24-3 halftime lead before the Bills staged a comeback that sent the game into overtime.

The NFL games on CBS averaged 21.588 million viewers for those 10 national Sunday game windows, which the network reported is more than any regular prime-time program on the network this season.

ESPN: The Bills’ 14-10 loss to New England on “Monday Night Football” in a home game played in historically bad weather on Dec. 6 ranked No. 6 on the "MNF" schedule but comes with an asterisk. The game had the best viewership of a game that wasn’t simulcast nationally on ABC. (It was carried locally on ABC affiliate WKBW-TV).

The Bills’ 34-31 "MNF" loss to Tennessee on Oct. 18 in a game decided when Allen couldn’t get a first down near the goal line ranked No. 11 out of 17 "MNF" games.

"MNF" had its best regular season since 2010, up 16% from 2020 and 13% from 2019.

Every game this season was carried on ESPN, five games were simulcast by ABC and 10 games featured the Eli and Peyton "Manningcast" on ESPN 2.

Scheduling Speculation: This is for those people planning next weekend and asking if the Bills would play Saturday Jan. 22 or Sunday Jan. 23 if they beat the New England Patriots Saturday night.

I don’t know. But here’s my educated guess.

If the Bills win and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” I would think the Bills-Chiefs AFC title rematch would be played in the divisional round on Sunday Jan. 23.

If the Steelers upset the Chiefs and the Bills beat the Pats, I would think No. 1 seed Tennessee would play Pittsburgh on Jan. 23 and the Bills would play this Saturday’s winner of the Las Vegas-Cincinnati game on Jan. 22.

If seedings hold in the NFC after wild-card weekend, No. 1 seed Green Bay would play the winner of the Monday night game between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Jan. 23 and Tampa Bay and Dallas would play on Jan. 22 if seedings hold this Sunday.

Tampa-Dallas would likely be the 8:15 p.m. game on Jan. 22 because of two factors – Tom Brady and the fact Dallas is still considered by some to be America’s team. The Cowboys were involved in five of the most-watched games this season.

That would mean a potential Bills game with either the Raiders or Bengals would likely be a 4:30 p.m. Saturday game.

I would think a potential Green Bay-Los Angeles game would be at 6 p.m. Sunday on Jan. 23 because of the Aaron Rodgers factor and the size of the L.A. market.

That would mean the potential Bills-Chiefs game would be at 3 p.m. Sunday Jan. 23.

Remember, these are all guesses that don’t count on upsets – which are bound to happen in this crazy season – so don’t hold me to it.