Archives for December 11, 2005

‘”There wasn’t a lot of talking me into it, but when the opportunity came I said: ‘Okay, I’ll play two years.'” Eight years later and a stint in San Diego in between, Flutie is still in the NFL.’

‘What had he done wrong? Got into a sideline dispute with an assistant coach during the Bills meltdown vs. Miami last week, a game that they led 21-0 before losing 24-23. The 10-year veteran, one of the most respected of the team’s veterans, apparently complained of a leg injury and refused to go back into the game when ordered. There are suspicions, too, that he had loudly questioned some of the coaches’ play calling and was looking to make a point, that the injury was a ruse.’

‘Patriots 26, Bills 13.’

‘There’s a lot to weigh, almost all of it on the Bills side. There’s the Moulds suspension, the weather, how the Bills respond to blowing a 21-0 lead last week, whether or not the Ralph Wilson Stadium crowd turns on Buffalo. As for the Patriots, the Bills have allowed just 10 first-quarter points in Buffalo this year, and they’ve ridden that early edge to a 4-2 home record. New England has to stop sputtering in the first half. This will be a tough place to do it, and this will be a very hard game for the Patriots to win.’

‘The second-year receiver out of Wisconsin is fast becoming quarterback J.P. Losman’s preferred target.’

‘”This team was not ready to sit and wait for a young quarterback to figure it all out,” Losman said this week during a conference call. For a few days, Losman said he felt “embarrassed and upset and furious. After those first two to three days, I realized that I don’t know why I worried about my family being disappointed in me or my family and friends thinking I failed. When you worry about all those outside distractions, you learn to say just screw it and come out to play football.”‘

‘”Even just on tape, I’m not saying it’s a different team, but sometimes they just look so much at a higher level at home,” said Bill Belichick. “That’s impressive (and) very concerning. Of course, they came in here and pretty much controlled the game for 55 minutes in October.”‘

‘Since Losman returned to the lineup, after Kelly Holcomb’s concussion against Kansas City, wide receiver Lee Evans has blossomed. It’s one of the reasons Eric Moulds was disgruntled — Losman not getting the ball to him as much as Holcomb did — and won’t play this week. Over the last four weeks, Evans has 17 catches for 297 yards and five touchdowns after catching 18 for 234 and one in the eight weeks prior. The speedy receiver is dangerous down the field, and must be accounted for, which could open up the middle for Buffalo.’

Reliable Faulk is Patriots’ third man in (Boston Globe)

Givens gets his motor restarted (Boston Globe)

Kaczur, Graham won’t play (Boston Globe)

Billed as a mismatch (Boston Globe)

Taking crowns is old hats (Boston Herald)

Injuries still a pain (Boston Herald)

Getting caught in the riptide (Boston Herald)

Bills not the same at home (Metro West Daily News)

Numbers don’t tell the story (Metro West Daily News)

Three stay back (Metro West Daily News)

4-downs (Metro West Daily News)

It pays to rehearse for the unexpected (Providence Journal)

Analysis (Providence Journal)

Rookie Ventrone a big hit on Patriots’ practice squad (Providence Journal)

Curran’s quiz (Providence Journal)

Deep-threat wideout Lee Evans… (Providence Journal)

Title time again? (Woonsocket Call)

Seymour emphasizes consistency (Springfield Republican)

High Point For Losman (Hartford Courant)

Pats shuffle off to Buffalo (Brockton Enterprise)

Truth is, Pats have to get running game going (New Bedford Standard Times)

Sportsman honor something more (New Bedford Standard Times)

A win could be a clincher (Manchester Union Leader)

Hobbs not shy, on or off field (Lowell Sun)

Fate is in their hands (Nashua Telegraph)

With his hip healed, Colvin shoulders load (Portland Press Herald)

Behind the Scenes with…Cornerback Ellis Hobbs (Patriots.com)

‘Things are crumbling in Buffalo, where it’s starting to look like General Manager Tom Donahoe’s job may be in jeopardy.’

‘Safety Troy Vincent attempted to stem the barrage of questions involving the Buffalo Bills’ crisis du jour — this time it’s receiver Eric Moulds’ status — by asking whether anyone wanted to know what he thought of the team’s next game. Oh, yeah, the Bills host AFC East rival and two-time defending champion New England on Sunday. Not that anyone could tell in Orchard Park, where Team Turmoil appears to be coming apart, a reflection of a sputtering squad that’s 4-8, has lost five of its last six and in all likelihood will miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season.’