Archives for September 19, 2004

‘Former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman will be honored with a league-wide tribute this week, as every team will don a #40 on their helmets in honor of the fallen hero.’

‘Mularkey’s ascent in the coaching ranks has been rapid, especially when you consider he started at Concordia (Minn.) College in 1993. He spent seven seasons as a position coach with the Buccaneers and Steelers, was promoted to offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, and three years later was hired as Bills head coach at the age of 42. "He’s a real innovative guy, a real sharp guy, " Gannon said.’

‘"I want to be the best safety that I can be in this defense," said Wire, who will start at strong safety this afternoon when the Bills (0-1) face the Raiders (0-1) in Oakland. "That’s the most that I can offer and what’s expected of me. I feel I bring everything I have when I go out on that field."’

‘Can you remember the last time they completed a touchdown pass of at least 25 yards? It was in last year’s Jacksonville game, in the second game of the season.’

‘”We are going to push it down the field and we’re going to take our shots,” said Gannon. “I think we have a little different personnel than a year ago. You look over the preseason and the first two games of the season, and you can see we do have some people who can really get vertical and stretch the defense.”‘

‘During games, Wyche works in a booth upstairs connected via headset to offensive coordinator Tom Clements, who calls the Bills’ plays. When he’s with the quarterbacks, say on the field before a game or at practice, Wyche has a miniature amplifier he can wear on his belt. So far, he really hasn’t had to use it.’

‘People close to Mularkey say he said no to the Raiders because the Bills made it clear that Mularkey was the front-runner among the seven candidates they interviewed.’

Running into Black Hole (Oakland Tribune)

Mularkey lands in Buffalo (Contra Costa Times)

Bills (0-1) vs. Raiders (0-1) (Contra Costa Times)

Raiders still ironing out the kinks (San Jose Mercury News)

Raiders’ need to strike balance puts emphasis on run game (San Francisco Chronicle)

Raiders (0-1) vs. Bills (0-1) (San Francisco Chronicle)

Strong, silent type (San Francisco Chronicle)

There’s money in it if Woodson plays big (Sacramento Bee)

Raiders vs. Buffalo (Sacramento Bee)

Gannon, Mularkey share common roots (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Rice adjusting to role (Springfield Republican)

‘”I looked up in the stands and this kid was probably 8 years old and he was giving me the finger, and he was standing next to his dad,” Villarrial recalled. “You can expect the unexpected at this place.”‘

‘"I look at things this way," said Williams, who will hold his sixth youth football camp in Rochester next summer. "The average NFL career lasts 2.5 years, so I’ve almost tripled that. That makes me pretty lucky."’

‘Meanwhile, first-year Raiders’ coach Norv Turner is delighted by the intimidating reputation of his team’s home field. “It’s hard to play here,” he said, “just like it’s hard to play in Pittsburgh or Buffalo. We’ve got to make it a homefield advantage. We have a great start with our fans … they’re fabulous and they’re different, but we have to do what it takes at home to ignite them.”‘