Archives for December 25, 2005

‘The Bengals, already division champions for the first time in 15 years, were playing for a possible first round bye. They let it get away from them, though.’

‘”Roscoe had one on third and long and they blitzed and left Roscoe open and he made a play,” said Holcomb. “That’s what you can do with that little guy if you can get him out in open field and get the ball in his hands. The one to Josh down the seam was key. He kept the drive alive and that’s what you have to do in this league to win ballgames. I think that was the most crucial throw that I had.”‘

‘”It definitely makes Christmas better,” Bills center Trey Teague said. “It’s just nice to feel good after a game. We’ve been struggling. And to come in and beat a team that’s a division champion, it feels good. We haven’t felt good in a long time.”‘

‘”It’s completing the ball,” Holcomb said. “That’s what a coach told me a long time ago. Just try to complete the ball and make the defense work, and that’s what I try to keep in my head. The offensive line did a heck of a job today. A couple of times I got sacked, but it was my fault. They did a great job. I was able to scan the field and they did a heck of a job opening up holes. We didn’t have many rushing yards (67), but the way they played I’m really happy.”‘

‘Mularkey was right. None of us American cynics expected the Bills to put up much of a fight Saturday. You figured they’d be sprinting for the bus and the Christmas revelry against a high-flying Bengals team that had clinched the AFC North title a week earlier and was still hungry for a first-round playoff bye.’

‘”On the returns, the chips were just falling our way,” he said. “We were trying to make the plays that we needed to finish the game.”‘

‘Who said they were on the verge of quitting on the season?’

‘Bills took it to them early. Coaches were aggressive. Bomb worked. Onside kick worked. Players were inspired.’

‘Kickoff coverage unit was third in NFL but got smoked by McGee.’

‘"Our special teams take every game as a challenge regardless of where the opponent is ranked," Bills coach Mike Mularkey said. "They feel like they have an identity and they back it up. They have done it literally every week."’

‘If Holcomb played all his games at Paul Brown Stadium, he’d be enshrined in another Ohio city – Canton.’

‘However, this past week in practice Losman reportedly was throwing the ball fine and was elevated from third-string inactive to backup. If he’s the quarterback of the future, why didn’t he play in this game? It’s not like Holcomb did anything to warrant the start based on his performance against Denver.’

‘He tells his scouts, “Linemen, boys. We draft nothing but linemen this year.”‘

‘Bills CB/KR Terrence McGee: What a day for the little man, who made NFL history by becoming the first player to score a touchdown on both a kickoff return and interception return in the same game. His 99-yard kickoff return rejuvenated the Bills, and his 46-yard interception return put the game away. He had five kick returns for 220 yards. Too bad the Pro Bowl voting wasn’t done this week.’

‘Give credit to Mike Mularkey and his staff for having this team ready to play. It was not a good situation for the Bills. They’re on the road on Christmas Eve, out of the playoff picture, on a five-game losing streak and playing a team that had a lot to play for. And the Bills whipped them. Mularkey has taken a lot of heat, but he gets full marks for having the Bills solid in all three phases.’