Archives for October 24, 2005

‘With all of the speed that we have with our wide receivers, and a second string cornerback in the game for Oakland, why are we not throwing the long ball? Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish are the types of players that can sprint right past the cornerback and get open, so why aren’t we getting them involved?

Mike Mularkey: We threw the long ball. We dropped one and dumped it down on another and got sacked on another. We haven’t been fortunate enough to get the ball out of our hands. At one point we called it and had to throw it out of bounds because they double-covered Lee on a play we tried to hit the home run. The long passes are called, we just haven’t been fortunate enough to hit one.’

‘Were you at all perturbed by Willis McGahee’s pre-game comments (claiming he was the best RB in the league and that he wasn’t worried about the Raiders – they should be concerned about him) since this could be seen as providing incentive to the opposition?

Tom Donahoe: My understanding is that Willis’ comment was in regard to who he felt was the best running back in the league, and he felt that he was. We think that this is a healthy attitude for our players to take and in no way were the comments intended to disparage the Oakland Raiders. The question really had nothing to do with the Raiders but it had to do with Willis’ ability and talent.’

‘Jerman has three starts in four games this season and is the team’s most experienced backup. Converted tight end Jason Peters is Buffalo’s only other backup tackle.’

‘With Ol’ Whitey calling every shot, the Bills have yet to make a single playoff appearance, much less host a championship game. And as they made painfully evident again on Sunday, they’re not all that much closer to such glory than when he arrived amid much fanfare in the early days of 2001.’

‘Take heart in the division standings, if you insist. It’s a fan’s prerogative. But this is no playoff team. You judge a team by the way it performs on the road, in difficult circumstances. The Bills have played three road games, two against average teams, and come up small all three times.’

‘Recalling one embarrassing fourth-quarter run by Jordan, he added, “They had 3rd-and-14 and ran a basic dive (for 17 yards) and we had no chance to even stop it.”‘

‘How chronic are the Bills’ downfield passing woes? They’ve thrown for fewer than 200 yards in 11 straight games. They haven’t had a 300-yard passing performance in 37 straight games.’

‘No one thought the Bills’ passing attack would resemble last year’s Indianapolis Colts, but downfield throws have been far too infrequent. What is particularly baffling is the Bills’ inability to take advantage of depleted secondaries.’

‘Forced to spread the ball around, Collins did just that. Six Raiders caught passes. “Kerry was outstanding,” Oakland coach Norv Turner said.’

‘”I thought the offense played well enough for us to win,” said Bills free safety Troy Vincent. “But defensively, we didn’t do a fine job at all by any stretch of the imagination. We’re not getting off the field, they’re scoring points, and they’re converting on third down. That all adds up to a loss.”‘

‘The Bills looked like one of the worst teams in the league Sunday…’.

‘Overthought it at 1-yard line by giving it to Shelton. Offense stuck in mud. Defense can’t get off the field.’

‘Raiders weren’t as bad as 1-4 record. Turner was ready for Bills’ zone dogs. Defense adjusted despite injuries.’

‘With Willis McGahee, the self-proclaimed best running back in the NFL, at their disposal, the Bills gave the ball to a rusty fullback Sunday on fourth and goal from the 1 with under seven minutes to go in the half. So, into the pile behind the right guard went Daimon Shelton, an eighth-year player from Sacramento State whose previous carry was five years ago for Jacksonville. Result: no gain, with linebacker Kirk Morrison and corneback Renaldo Hill combining on the stop for the Raiders.’

‘Such humility closed a week that began with McGahee’s boast. But not every Raider was bothered by the running back’s proclamation. Sapp, no stranger to controversial quotes, let McGahee off the hook. “If you don’t have confidence in yourself, who is going to have confidence in you?” he said, noting McGahee’s long comeback from a knee injury and the Bills’ trade of Travis Henry that cleared the way for McGahee to be the undisputed starter. “Somebody posed the question to him: Who’s the best back in the game? That’s like asking me who the best defensive tackle is. Who do you think? It’s just the way we run things. Is he supposed to say it’s somebody else?”’