Archives for December 2004

‘Trafford spent time on the Bills practice squad last season before he was released prior to this season. He has spent the majority of this year on the Eagles practice squad.’

‘Quarterback Carson Palmer of Cincinnati, cornerback Drayton Florence of San Diego and kick returner/cornerback Terrence McGee of Buffalo were named AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively, for the 13th week of the 2004 season.’

‘"The ball was being thrown to my brother on a ‘Big Dig’ route and I just ran down and jumped in front of it and caught the ball. I started to run down the field and as he started to close on me, Dwight Drane came up and hit my brother square in the face and knocked the snot out of him. I just ran the rest of the 60 yards."’

‘The Bills assigned tight end Rodney Trafford to fill in Campbell’s spot on the roster. Trafford was on Buffalo’s practice squad last year, but was released before the start of this season.’

Jonas Jennings was basically playing with one good arm against one of the league’s best pass rushers in Jason Taylor. Taylor was held without a sack in both games against the Bills this season.

‘Coordinator Bobby April may be assistant coach of the year.’

‘For a backup offensive lineman, silence is a sign of production.’

‘A panel conducting the search for a new coach met Tuesday afternoon and apparently agreed to include Clements among the top candidates to take over the Fighting Irish.’

‘Republicans might try to recruit former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly to run for Congress in two years, according to the buzz in Western New York political circles.’

‘The Bills, meanwhile, have already tied an NFL mark with five returns for touchdowns in a season. Nate Clements and Jonathan Smith have returned punts for touchdowns. The other teams with five were the 1951 Giants (four punts, one kickoff), 1952 Steelers (three punts, two kickoffs), and 1959 Cardinals (five punts).’

‘People in Buffalo believe the Bills have survived the worst and now, in the fourth year of Donahoe’s program, are heading for bigger and better things. “There was a lot of criticism. That’s part of the job,” Donahoe said from his office on Tuesday.’

‘After six games, it appeared Bills management had lost its mind by hiring Mularkey. The team was averaging barely more than 11 points after a 20-6 loss at Baltimore. Since then, the Bills have topped 35 points four times. Bledsoe is back to being a threat, especially against a Cleveland team that has allowed 100 points the last two games.’

‘It is not clear how serious Notre Dame’s interest is in Clements. The Irish likely want someone with head-coaching experience and a proven track record. But candidates who fit that description are becoming increasingly harder to find.’

‘Notre Dame officials will meet tomorrow with Tom Clements, the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator, according to an associate of Clements.’

‘And you know what else? The continued improvement from Evans helps Moulds more than just on the field. It’s competition, and the vet still needs to show the rookie he’s “the man”.’