Archives for December 20, 2004

‘They need to take care of business and get some help. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not impossible.’

‘Coaching: A. Mularkey has team flying high. Gray’s plan to attack Kitna worked great. April using personnel to perfection.’

‘The Bills’ defense extended its amazing streak of not allowing a touchdown in the third quarter all season.’

‘"Let’s not get it twisted. We are an 8-6 team just giving ourselves a chance to line up in postseason," Vincent said. "We’re definitely not what we were in September, but we’re 8-6, trying to get in."’

‘Can you say hot? Never before have the Bills scored 30 or more points in five straight games.’

‘"This time, I looked up and said, "Man, I hope nobody’s behind me,’ " Spikes said after the Bills’ 33-17 win. "But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let anybody catch me."’

‘If Buffalo wins its final two games and New York loses its final two (at home against New England and at St. Louis), the Bills would win a tiebreaker (best record in common games) over New York. The problem for the Bills is they will lose tiebreakers with Denver, Jacksonville and Baltimore.’

‘"You’ve got a guy who’s got 80 catches and 1,100 yards," said Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. "You’ve got to play great defense on him. You let a guy like that get going and he’s got a lot of confidence and their team feeds off him. When he’s not making the catches then all of a sudden there’s some pressure (on their team)."’

‘"He came back and played with it," Mularkey said of McGahee. "He just felt like it was not 100 percent and I didn’t want to try it right now."’

‘Let’s imagine the Bills go to San Francisco and smoke the 49ers on Sunday and come home with a 9-6 record, needing a win, and perhaps a little help, to secure a most improbable playoff spot after an 0-4 start. Let’s imagine first-year Bills coach Mike Mularkey needing to beat his old team to get in. Let’s imagine Steelers coach Bill Cowher needing to beat his old protege to avoid a potential trip to Foxboro, the last place the Steelers want to play with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Let’s imagine Cowher having the chance to tweak his old boss – Bills president Tom Donahoe, who had an icy relationship with Cowher in Pittsburgh – by knocking Buffalo out of the playoffs. Now you’re seeing why naughty can be so much fun.’

‘. “He dragged two guys back into the ball, blocked the punt and recovered it in the end zone,’ said Bills special teamer Josh Stamer. “It’s just amazing. He has a great combination of strength and speed.”‘

‘"We’re fighting for the same things the Bills are and they came in here and won the football game," said Lewis. "It means we’re not as far along as I would hope we would be. I think that’s the biggest thing that was evident today. We had an opportunity to win the football game and do things, to get off to a good start and we let them right back into the football game. We kind of imploded from there."’

‘"It came so quick and I just caught it and thought ‘I’m off to the races,’" Spikes said. "In 2001, I got an interception here against the Ravens and running it back 66 yards and I was looking up at the Jumbotron and saw someone running behind me. This time I did the same thing this time, and I said I hope Chad (Johnson) isn’t behind me or somebody fast. But I didn’t care, because nobody was going to catch me."’

‘There’s a reason why Spikes has never ventured anywhere near the postseason. It’s because, in games that count the most to that end, the Bengals invariably play like they did Sunday. They’ve been doing it now for 14 years.’

‘The Bills offense managed one big play but it came right after the Bengals had taken a 7-0 lead.’