Archives for August 13, 2006

‘It’s still very early, but an offense that ranked among the most impotent in the NFL last year didn’t show many signs of improvement in its first dress rehearsal of the season.’

‘”I think it’s a plus, particularly when you know he’s a qualified person,” Levy said Saturday prior to the Bills’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. “Everything I know about Roger Goodell has been a plus. I got to know him over the years when we go to league meetings, and I thought he was a very bright guy. It seems like a smooth transition for someone who is prepared. My personal reaction – it is a good hiring. I was happy it happened.”‘

‘Kelly Holcomb was named the starting quarterback for Saturday’s preseason opener with Carolina but his performance did nothing to help him earn that job full time.’

‘The team’s 2006 unveiling showed little improvement over the 2005 edition.’

‘Schulz is five years removed from his final season in the NFL and he’s made an easy transition into his second career, the one on which he expected to embark directly before the Buffalo Bills drafted him out of Eastern Washington University in 1992. An academic All-American while majoring in business administration at EWU, Schulz has been a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch for nearly three years.’

‘"The punting unit’s gotten a lot of work tonight. The team looks all right, although not as all right as I’d hoped for," says Theal. "But we’re going to get the losses out of the way in the preseason and go undefeated in the regular season."’

‘Holcomb would prefer the tape of his four series of action be burned. After a tough week of practice at St. John Fisher College, the 10-year veteran still looked unsteady in Buffalo’s new offense under Steve Fairchild, and completed just 2 of 4 passes for 16 yards and one very big error.’

‘For a small-market club like Buffalo, the issue is of vital importance. It’s what will ultimately decide if the franchise can remain in Western New York. With Goodell’s hiring, the issue is now on the front burner.’

‘O’Billovich isn’t the only one, but he’s one of the high-profile guys to stalk the sidelines at Buffalo Bills training camp in Pittsford, hoping to find a diamond to take back across the border.’

‘He is firmly entrenched as the starter at weakside linebacker, and all the starters were being pulled at that point. And despite the early exit, he finished as the Bills’ second-leading tackler with four. “It was just good to get out there and get some real live action,” he said. “We didn’t game-plan, so it was just a matter of going out and reading your keys, and just getting out and playing.”‘

A flying start (Charlotte Observer)

Early returns promising for Carolina defenders (Charlotte Observer)

Offense was pretty, but defense still gritty (Charlotte Observer)

Checking out the Panthers (Charlotte Observer)

Photo Gallery (Charlotte Observer)

Super Start (Gaston Gazette)

Quick and effective (Rock Hill Herald)

Williams looked good once he warmed up (Rock Hill Herald)

Cats shut down Bills (Winston Salem Journal)

Entrenched (Winston Salem Journal)

Panthers notebook (Winston Salem Journal)

Williams learns valuable lessons in NFL debut (Fayetteville Observer)

Cats corner Bills (Fayetteville Observer)

Panthers Sights and Sounds (Fayetteville Observer)

Panthers write a good start to ’06 season (Columbia State)

Looking like a rookie (Charleston Post and Courier)

History is overrated in the NFL (Charleston Post and Courier)

Panthers hold off Bills (CarolinaPanthers.com)

Photo Gallery (CarolinaPanthers.com)

‘Kelly Holcomb and JP Losman struggled in the Buffalo Bills 14-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night.’

‘Buffalo’s quarterback troubles appeared no closer to a resolution. Kelly Holcomb and J.P. Losman both struggled in Dick Jauron’s first game as coach.’

‘Buffalo scored its lone points of the half in the second quarter on a 50-yard field goal by Rian Lindell as time expired. The Bills followed with a three-yard touchdown run by Gates with 10:26 left in the third quarter and Lindell added a 45-yarder for the final margin, as both teams failed to put up any points in the final period.’

‘Disappointed with your performance tonight? "Yeah obviously. It’s not the way you want it to start out. When you give those guys seven points. In a preseason game you don’t want to let your teammates down. I read the coverage wrong and thought I had something that I didn’t have and the guys stepped in front of it. I’m disappointed. I wanted to play better, but I couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm. We got a first down and then we had a holding penalty. It was tough going to start the game."’