Archives for December 2003

‘”I think if Gregg was here, you would have seen a lot of the same changes. What you’ve got to do is adjust,” Schwartz said. “You have to constantly evolve in this league. There’s things people try to take advantage of; there’s trends in the league, different things that offenses are doing and different things that you have to take away.”‘

‘Buffalo needs this game to keep its skimpy playoffs hopes on life support. The Titans need it for peace of mind in the wake of last week’s four-turnover disaster vs. Indianapolis. If the Titans can reverse their turnover tendencies of the past few weeks, they should rebound, though it won’t be easy as Gregg Williams knows them better than most. Prediction: Titans 21, Bills 20.’

‘Moore sat out practice with a leg injury and is questionable. Moulds is probable as he was sent home sick.’

”’You don’t ever want to be in your position as far as the secondary to get looked at as being the worst in the league. You don’t want to be the worst in anything. But take it for what it is. It’s just a number,” he said. ”All that matters to me is the wins.”’

”’We didn’t give up where I think a lot of people might have,” said Gilbride, whose team prepares to play at Tennessee on Sunday. ”To me it’s more of a reflection of character, confidence.”’

‘Three other Buffalo players are listed as questionable: starting OG Mike Pucillo (toe); backup RB Sammy Morris (sprained knee) and backup DE Keith McKenzie (strained right quadriceps).’

‘Bonner was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Texas A&M Commerce signed by Seattle before being released by the Seahawks prior to the start of this season.’

‘”I kind of feel like I never left in some aspects, it’s the same people, the same system, and the same routine from week-to-week so I feel like I’m right back in the swing of things,” Brown said after Thursday’s workout with the team.’

‘Bonner takes the place of running back Nick Maddox, who was signed off the Bills practice squad to the Cleveland Browns 53-man roster.’

‘There’s an ever-so-subtle murmur that fans, adamant that coach Gregg Williams had to go as the Bills dropped four straight, think he should get another chance. After all, they reason, if the Bills win out, they would be 9-7 … a game better than a year ago. The implication is that dismissing offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, and possibly line coach Pat Ruel might be enough. But that conclusion is flawed.’

‘He needs 300 yards in the final three games to surpass last season’s total, which was fifth-best in team history. It won’t be easy. Check out the run defense rankings for the Bills’ final three opponents: Tennessee: No. 1; Miami: No. 3; New England: No. 4.’

‘Bills assistant coaches Jerry Gray, Kevin Gilbride, Les Steckel, Steve Jackson and Dan Neal all worked with Fisher in the Titans’ organization. Fisher said the familiarity of the staffs is a factor. “You do have to remind yourself that there is some familiarity,” he said. “Jerry did a great job while he was here and understands our offensive concepts, as did Gregg. . . . It’s going to be interesting what approach all four coordinators take in this game. The key early is going to be our ability to adjust.”‘

‘While Williams is 17-28 as Buffalo’s coach, Fisher was 19-26 his first 45 games after replacing Jack Pardee late in the 1994 season. Like Williams, Fisher lived through dire salary cap issues and even a relocation process from Houston to Memphis to Nashville.’

‘”He’s played well,” said coach Gregg Williams. “The last few weeks he’s filled in very admirably. He’s smart, tough, he’s got some nasty about him, and last week he led our team in knockdowns.”‘

”’For the most part, I’ve left that behind me and most people don’t even really ask me about it anymore,” Henry said. ”I think they feel good about what I’m doing.”’