
Buffalo Bills must win preview from Kansas City
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He needs to win. He needs it. This team needs it. But he needs it badly to sort of push that aside a little bit. This is the Buffalo plus podcast, brought to you by Connors and Ferris.
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All right, welcome Back to the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel, presented by Connors and Ferris, Mike Catalana. I'm Jenna Cottrell. That is Arrowhead Gaia Field here in Kansas City. The sun might be going in and out of this video, so it might look a little weird in terms of the color, but let's talk about this game. Huge game for the Bills in terms of what's at stake for their playoff hopes, as well as a huge game in terms of what's going on with this team right now. We're going to talk about five players or Bills personnel.
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Yeah.
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And we got to start with Sean McDermott.
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Look, I've never seen anything quite like this, the way this has transpired during the week. And look, we know Sean McDermott in the way, you know a coach when you cover a team professionally. And we are there a lot, and we are around the man a lot, and we talk to people around him. And I know this article was highly critical of him. You know, look, it's a reporter, does his job what he believes is right, talks to people. I don't think that's the feeling about Sean in the building. Doesn't mean some of those stories, as we know, Sean confirmed one of them, aren't true. He talked about that speech that he made and he owned up to it and his team knows about it. I think some of the other stuff is a lot is a lot to pin on a coach. I think Sean McDermott is respected by his players.
B
I agree.
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I think the majority of players who have been in Orchard park respect him. Do they agree with everything he does? No, we don't agree with him. We don't play for him. But there's a lot of things that just come up when you're a coach of an NFL team. The man is not perfect. Okay. But that article describes a person that I don't know of.
B
Yeah. My takeaway was the fact that Sean McDermott is constantly having to make decisions, and because he is head coach, all of those will be scrutinized and looked under a microscope and all of those things. And not everyone is going to agree with some of those decisions.
A
Right.
B
And I feel like for him, the piece in itself to me was just. It was very, like, laser focused. I felt like it was. It felt. It did. It did feel like it was somewhat personal. Somewhat personal. It felt. It felt personal. So I feel like for Sean McDermott, this is a huge game for him. But you saw the response from his team. And like, you talked about Micah Hyde speaking out other players as well, talking about standing behind Sean, wanting to be, you know, a part of the Bill's culture because of what McDermott has helped set in Orchard Park. So I think that's something, but I think it's huge for this game. This game means so much already for the Bill season. And then you add in this layer. I think it will be a galvanizing point for this team to go out tomorrow and play for Sean.
A
And I want to make this point again. They respect Shawn McDermott. There are players who disagree with things he does now, have disagreed before. That happens when you're a coach in this league. But I think they respect the way he goes about his business, even when he makes mistakes. So in these circumstances, they talked about accountability and all in that room. Many players believe he does take accountability. Is he perfect? No. Does he make mistakes? Yes. But I do believe he has this locker room. He has had this locker room for seven years. I don't believe he had a moment in his first year when he benched Rod Taylor that he could have lost this group really quick. And the players rallied around the team then and stuck behind the coach. And he's since taken him to the playoffs. The guy's got a lot of work to do. This season has been below standard. They need to go out there and win. He needs to win. He needs it. This team needs it. But he needs it badly to sort of push that aside a little bit. And it is impressive to see his current players stand up for him.
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I think the outside narrative is that McDermott has lost the locker room.
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That's wrong.
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And I. I do not believe that. I think talking to the players inside that locker room, they do not feel that way. Tomorrow would be the perfect statement if they go out and win and say, sean is our guy.
A
And listen, we always ask for comments at the end. Make your comments, say, you can say what you want. I am. We are not talking about perfection as a coach in this very building. The 13 seconds, huge mistakes were made. The guy makes mistakes. I just think that that portrayal of Sean was inaccurate. Not 100% inaccurate, but inaccurate in its tone. And I think it has done a bit of the opposite within the franchise. I think people are rallying around him, but we'll see how they play.
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That's the biggest part in terms of their play. A guy that we have our eye on for tomorrow is James Cook. Yeah, look, I think that there's the opportunity to run the ball in terms of what this offense can do for Josh Allen. We've seen him be the Josh Allen of old these last couple of weeks before the buy James Cook. Can he continue to kind of come into his own and progress and all these things. What do you think you'll see from him?
A
Look, it's an interesting thing with Cook because they have sat him down a few times and I think Kelly skipper, the runnings back, running backs coach appears to be that he's the guy in. When I say in control with the rotation of the backs. Now, maybe it does come from Sean McDermott at times that says after a fumble or after a drop pass, sit him down. I don't know. They need James Cook on the field. They also need him to handle his responsibilities, which includes pass blocking, which includes holding on to the football. But the guy is a playmaker and I think they need him on the field. So there's a mix between teaching lessons and winning football games. And I think James Cook maybe has learned whatever he's needed to learn. I think he's going to be a very valuable player for him on the field tomorrow.
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I do too. And I think too, I feel like this might be also the fact that the Bills don't have that technical, like, bell cow type of guy.
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Yeah.
B
James Cook obviously having. Shouldering a lot of the responsibilities, but obviously they've gone to Leonard or not Leonard Fournette. Obviously they've gone to Latavius Murray. Ty Johnson had some nice runs as well. Joe Brady talked about having some bloody runs early on to kind of set up the run game later. Um, so I expect James Cook, can we see him clean up the mistakes and be reliable. And I think that as this. As the season continues and now we're getting into crunch time, I don't expect there to be the fumbles or the mismanagement of the ball or the benching.
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That comes with it.
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I agree. I don't.
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Yeah, I. Yeah, at some point, he's your guy. You gotta live with it.
B
Yes.
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Some mistakes. And I think. I hope we're at that point because I do want to see him on the field.
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Agreed. Gabe Davis, we know what he did.
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Well, that. You know what's funny? As you were mentioning, I was thinking every time we mention 13 seconds, we think of obviously the end and what happened.
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Yeah.
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But I think back to what Gabe did that day.
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It was incredible.
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It's one of the Most incredible performances I've seen from a player in the Buffalo Bills in all the years I've been covering him.
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And that's saying something. And I don't mean that as like.
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I mean, we're talking about great Thurman games and Andre games and, you know, Bruce Smith.
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It was, it was incredible.
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Hall of famers, 200 plus yards and four touchdowns in a playoff game like that should go down in history. Instead, it's a footnote in a terrible loss for them. Yeah, and we've seen flashes of Gabe being really good again. He's played well here. He had a touchdown here last year. Yeah, they need him to not have those problems, not have the missteps with Josh, whatever, whatever reasons that's happening. And again, we don't know 100% who's at fault, but it seems to have been Gabe and Josh. It can't have that tomorrow.
B
It really frustrates me because you talk about that game in 13 seconds and how outstanding of a performance Gabe Davis had and you thought, hey, this is a guy that was a later round draft pick. Could he become, you know, the 1B of this bill's receiving core? And then the year after that, obviously we talked about, oh, it's the injury, it's a nagging ankle thing. And just to see where he is at now, it's, it is frustrating. The Bills obviously have a decision to make with him coming up as he goes into a contract year or goes into his deal ending. But I want to see the Gabe that we saw last couple times that we've been here. Yeah, wouldn't that be something? Because I feel like for Gabe, the word fool's goal or the phrase fool's gold kind of is coming to me where you think you have this guy and you found him and he's incredible, but we haven't seen that consistency out of him. Tomorrow can he start, you know, putting on a streak of being a more consistent guy? I don't know. I don't know. And have we already seen too much from him that we think that can't be the case? I guess for me it's like, look, the Bills need you to be good now, so be good, be there, be on the same page with, with Josh and get it together.
A
Because look, he can still get a contract from the Bills.
B
Absolutely. I'm not saying he doesn't, but he.
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Plays that way down the stretch. I think Brandon Bean wants to sign Gabe Davis.
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Yeah.
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You know, he has an affinity for Gabe. He's a guy, he's Drafted. He has done really well. I think he wants to see it happen. But there's a point where what does they say? Rubber meets the road, like its contract is up. They got to make a decision on him.
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Big time players make big time plays and big time moments. This is a big time stretch for this Bills team. Can you put it together?
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Look at you.
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I, I mean, it's cliche, but at the same point, like that's how it works.
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Let's go. Let's go. You're ready?
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Go. All right, defense, Defense. Let's talk about.
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I was going to say Jordan Poyer.
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Okay. I forgot.
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Jordan Poyer because, you know, we're not sure how they're going to try to match up with Kelsey. It's so different now.
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Do we know if Travis. Taylor Swift's going to be here?
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I don't know.
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I don't know.
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Let me check. I don't know. She texted me before. I'll. I'll check.
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Well, I think we talk about Jordan Poyer. I think you could also add in Micah Hyde. Obviously he's coming off the Eagles game where he made, he didn't make a play that ended up feeling like that.
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Was kind of, that was a big play.
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That was, that was, that kind of turned the tide for things. But yeah, for Jordan Poyer. What can he do? Taryn Johnson, like, what can they do to slow down Travis Kelsey? Obviously Kelsey isn't having the most phenomenal stretch of his career. The Bills or the Chiefs offense really has struggled as we know, but we know that Travis Kelsey can turn it on and he can be, he has been someone that has beaten up this Bills team. Can you contain him tomorrow?
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Well, the safeties have been disappointing this year.
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It's, it's, it's so, it's so tough because you obviously they've been with the team for seven years and you, you.
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Like standard is up here and they've.
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Been phenomenal all pro. Like they have been guys that have been those dudes on the field for Buffalo. But obviously this past season in terms of their performance, it has tailed off a bit and that's frustrating because that you thought immediately going into the season that is a strength of this team.
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And I, I don't think it's a weakness.
B
I don't think it's a weakness.
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I don't think it has been the strength that.
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It's not as much of a strength as it has been.
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And these guys have gotten older and I don't know if you noticed, but sometimes when they get A little older, you know, people start to slip a little bit. Yeah.
B
Look at you. Okay, can we tell people what you did?
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Go ahead.
B
We were walking the Baltimore airport. We had a camera. Mike had the camera. He had a cup of coffee. He had a bagel for breakfast. And he's like bobbling the coffee and he just pours all over himself.
A
Yeah.
B
It was comical.
A
And I. I calmly told you when you said to me, are you okay? I said, nope.
B
So as soon as I knew Mike was not burned by the coffee, I was giggled. I was. I must have looked psychotic. I told you I was off to the side by myself, nobody around me, eating my bagel and giggling like before you got back.
A
I just could not see what she does.
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It was so funny. Oh, my God. Are you okay? Nope. Okay. No, that's a little dramatic. It was, but like, are you injured?
A
It just was not your ego. There is video of that somewhere. You know, we're gonna have to get it from the Baltimore airport, but it was not a. Not a pleasant moment. But back to the secondary. And look, this Chiefs offense, I mean, honestly, it used to be a given. They score 30 plus, now they struggle to score 20. And I'm not saying the Bills are going to shut them down tomorrow, but they are not the offense they've been in the past. Their defense is outstanding. This defense can play. They can get after the quarterback. But I believe the way Josh Allen and the offense are playing, certainly the last two games, that I think the Bills are going to move the ball and they're going to score points. I think it's imperative for this offense. Honestly, I would take Kelsey out of the game as best I can because I don't think the other guys in this offense. And with Isaiah Pacheco not playing.
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Yeah, that's huge.
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That hurts them greatly in the backfield. And look, Mahomes is great. Andy Reid's a great play caller, but you need the guys and I don't think he's got them this year. So I think this defense needs to step up and play really well against the Chiefs. And they've done this on occasion out here a couple of times. And last year it ended with a Taron Johnson interception. So let's see what they do.
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Yeah, and Daniel Orloski even talked about this is the most beatable the Chiefs have been.
A
Yeah.
B
And I. It's the season tells it all. I know their records, obviously, and they're.
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Still going to win the AFC west and be. So we're not burying the Chiefs. It's just. They were almost like you felt like you played close to perfect to beat them, and now you don't.
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They don't look like the defending super bowl champs.
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Nope, not now.
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Not right now, but yeah. All right, let's talk in terms of.
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Greg Rousseau we were talking about on the.
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Yeah, I. I really.
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Go ahead.
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I think that he can find something. I really do. I think maybe.
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I think he flashed in Philly. I thought he made some plays there.
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I think I'm. I'm still. The maturation process. I'm like, I. I feel like he's just gonna. The light bulb's gonna go off type of thing. But I think, like you said, the. The flashes that we've seen, and I think the Bills, they need him to step up.
A
Yeah.
B
And obviously they drafted him really high. It's been an investment. It's been a project. But I think Greg can really take that next step, and the Bills need him to.
A
Yeah. I think I said to somebody today, at the end of the year, they only have Ed Oliver and Von Miller under contract, but they have Greg Russo still under contract. Right. He's got the one more year of his Rookie deal. Right. 21.
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I'm trying to think. Because that was the draft in Cleveland.
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Yes. 21.
B
Was that 21?
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21. He played 21. 22. 23. Oh, he's got two more years, so. Well, one more and then the fifth year option, so. Yes. And Greg Russo has been really good. They've needed him to be. Obviously, you know, they have gotten good play from their defensive ends and nothing out of Von Miller, and we don't know what's going to happen. The team says he's on the active roster. My guess is if they're saying that, then they're going to dress him and play. He's been ineffective. And then with everything that happened this week, you know, I've made my feelings. I don't think he should be in uniform and playing, but I think that's what the team is going to decide if he's going to play, make a play, because he hasn't made a play since he's been back. So let's see what happens Sunday. But they know they're going to get more out of Floyd and Russo, those guys. Ed Oliver's been good.
B
Yeah. Floyd has been such a surprise. He really has.
A
Yeah. Except the fact the guy always puts up numbers.
B
I know, but, like, in terms of. Okay, he. What is he coming off, like, almost nine sacks last year or something like that. We're like okay, this guy's been productive. But. But someone coming into Buffalo, you know, you think of the guys that they had already on the team, Von Miller, players like that. The impact that he's made has been impressive.
A
Somebody's going to pay him next year, gets the bills. Maybe it's somebody else, but I want to see. Give Shaq Lawson some snaps. Give A.J. epanessa some snaps. Those. Those guys have been more productive than Von Miller has. We'll see what kind of snaps he gets in this game.
B
Yeah, I'm curious to see that, because he has been ineffective.
A
Yep.
B
Essentially absent. Especially in those big moments where you need him to be the Von Miller of. Of his reputation. And he has not shown up. So we'll see about that.
A
We got barbecue to go get slaps.
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Barbecue, which we went. So the last time I was here was actually 13 seconds.
A
Yes.
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah. Dan and I were back last year, and the Bills won. We went to slabs. We've kind of made. That's the place.
B
I really like that place.
A
Yeah.
B
I'm not a huge barbecue gal, but if we're here. Oh, no, no, no. That's why I'm like. It's. It's amazing, but I think the last time I. The last time I had barbecue was probably last time I was here.
A
So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna get, I think, some burnt ends, and then I'm gonna get barbecue sauce and pour it all over myself to add with the coffee.
B
It honestly kind of looked like that scene from the office when Kevin has the chili.
A
Okay. It wasn't quite that.
B
Oh, no. Oh, no.
A
Oh, my God. I'm gonna be hearing about this for a while. Well, it was pretty bad. It was pretty bad.
B
Are you okay? Nope. You're like a toddler. Did you suffer any bodily injury? No, just my. Died. Yeah. Okay, well, plenty more coverage on the Buffalo plus channel. Please be sure to, like, comment your thoughts on this game, what players you're looking out for.
A
Pick the game for us, too. Yeah, we both have. We both. I got them. 27, 23. Belt.
B
27, 24 is mine. Oh. Oh. And I think Dan's is 24, 21.
A
Right. You're trying to get one ahead of me. Is that what this is? All right, we'll see what happens.
B
Okay. I think the weather's supposed to be nice for tomorrow.
A
Yeah, I mean, it's nice now.
B
It is nice. The wind. The wind.
A
This is like Orchard Park.
B
It's December.
A
It's always windy here. Yeah, it's always Windy.
B
Yeah. So definitely gonna need the gloves tomorrow.
A
We both got the hoodies. Almost.
B
Yeah. This is.
A
This is for Dan.
B
This is for Dan. I don't have my sport coat on.
A
Well, this is his shoulder.
B
I. I love Dan. I love Dan. Obviously, my best friend. His shoulders got to be so bunchy. And the elbows under the blade. I don't know how he does it.
A
No, Jenna, no, it's fine. That's fine. No, they work fine.
B
I just. Like, right now, I feel bunchy.
A
They're fine.
B
You know what I'm talking about where it's like the fabric. All right, yeah, whatever. We've veered off course.
A
Yes.
B
All right, Mike. I'm Jenna. Thanks for watching. We'll catch you next time here on Buffalo. Plus.
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Right.
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Date: December 9, 2023
Hosts: Mike Catalana and Jenna Cottrell
Location: Arrowhead (Kansas City)
Theme: An in-depth discussion on the pivotal Bills-Chiefs matchup, focusing on five key Bills (players and personnel) whose performance is crucial in this must-win game — with added commentary on the current climate surrounding the team, particularly head coach Sean McDermott.
This episode of Buffalo Plus pivots around the high-stakes Bills-Chiefs matchup, with the hosts identifying and analyzing five members of the Bills organization to watch closely. The conversation dives into challenges on and off the field, including scrutiny of head coach Sean McDermott following a critical article, the importance of offensive contributions from James Cook and Gabe Davis, and the role of the defensive unit versus a diminished Kansas City offense. The tone is straight-talking but infused with the familiar humor and camaraderie of the hosts.
“This season has been below standard. They need to go out there and win. He needs to win. He needs it. This team needs it. But he needs it badly to push that aside.” — Mike Catalana [02:51]
This episode provides an honest, nuanced look at the Bills’ pivotal matchup with the Chiefs, blending insider context with plain-spoken analysis. The hosts spotlight Sean McDermott’s challenged leadership, James Cook’s reliability, Gabe Davis’s need for consistency, veteran DBs facing Kelce, and the critical role of the D-line. Plenty of personality, straight talk, and practical analysis — vital listening for any Bills fan heading into a must-win game.