Archives for September 26, 2005

‘Blame the officials. It’s a lot easier than swallowing the hard, objective truth – which is that Gray’s celebrated defense might be the most overrated unit in the NFL, one that talks about making history when it should be worried about making tackles.’

‘The guy ought to be illegal because what’s a defense to do?’

‘”You can run deep a lot, but at the same time you can run short routes against press coverage and make plays that way,” he said. “You catch the ball and then you make one guy miss, and now you’ve got a big play, so you really don’t have to throw it deep every time. We’ve got to find a way to make plays down the field and we have to do it on a consistent basis because it’s frustrating the way it’s going right now.”‘

‘Game Balls: Are there enough to go around for the Falcons? Vick, Dunn and Duckett for sure. Let’s give out a few to the offensive line for helping gash the Bills’ defense, and the patchwork secondary for not giving away anything deep.’

‘Bills are missing old No. 93. Bills got gashed too often up middle. Leaving too many gaps on slants. Now Spikes is out. Ugh.’

‘Bills won’t want to watch a replay of this DVD. Dunn, Vick, Duckett all averaged 6.3 a carry or better.’

‘With the team’s lease on Ralph Wilson Stadium due to expire in 2013 – and with an escape clause leaving open the possibility that the team could leave any time – Western New York needs to be prepared to talk about major renovations, or a new stadium.’

‘”I’ve never been on a team this good and lose to two teams in a row (Tampa Bay and Atlanta) where we were capable of winning,” Losman said. “It’s frustrating. I’ve always been on a team with lesser talent or smaller guys or whatever. This is not the case. We need to get the job done.”‘

‘I don’t want to kick a unit when it’s down, because the stomach-churning loss of Takeo Spikes in the second quarter was beyond crucial, but the defense has not been doing the job they claimed they could do. They are not taking the load they promised they would shoulder when the Bills brass handed the starting quarterback job to Losman. This defense knew they would have to be dominant for the Bills to win ballgames, and the only thing they have been is overrated.’

‘”I always talk about not living on your merits. This is what we are. The last two weeks we haven’t played well and that’s who we are. We’d like to believe we’re a better team, but we have to show it. It’s one thing to talk about it and another to line up and get it done.”‘

‘Losman, the first-year starter tabbed over veteran Drew Bledsoe to get the Bills to the next level, can’t hit open receivers short or long on a basis consistent enough to make defenses cringe. He’s produced two touchdowns on eight trips inside the red zone and Sunday he proved that he is no longer turnover or sack proof.’

‘”The hamstring wasn’t an issue,” Vick said. “I just tried to block it out and put it in the back of my mind. I tried to just come out and make the plays that I am capable of making. Earlier in the game, I wasn’t trying to do too much. As the game went on, I started to feel better and the hamstring wasn’t an issue.”‘

‘”No question about it, he has struggled with his accuracy,” Jaworski admitted. “He obviously can throw the football with anyone. Losman has all the God-given talent to be a terrific quarterback in this league, but it’s a combination of offensive line, a running game and receivers. Eventually it will all come together.”‘

‘Bills DT Sam Adams: For a man who weighs about 350 pounds, he’s awfully tough to spot on the field right now. Of course, part of the problem is that he’s on the sidelines far too much trying to catch his breath. The Falcons gouged the Bills with the run and the bulk of the yardage came right up the gut.’

‘Coaching: The offense re-established the run, but two touchdowns in three games isn’t cutting it. Coach Mike Mularkey and offensive coordinator Tom Clements continue to outsmart themselves with their suspect play calls and personnel moves. Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray went down swinging against Vick and his unit is likely to get worse, not better, without Spikes. D’