Archives for September 2006

‘Buffalo ranks 31st in total yardage and 31st in passing through two weeks, statistics that to a large degree reflect the coaching staff’s contentment to run the ball in trying to protect sizable leads against the Patriots and Dolphins.’

‘”They told me I had a 50-50 chance of survival,” Ferguson recalled. “I felt like I had been blindsided.”‘

‘Your starting debut against the Miami Dolphins couldn’t have gone much better with four tackles and a sack and no deep passes allowed. I noticed you didn’t have any sacks in college. “That sack was the first of my career. The hole opened so wide, I had a clear path to (Daunte) Culpepper and I just made sure I got him down.”‘

‘It’s been more than just the rookies that Fletcher has assisted, according to Jauron. “I think he helps everybody,” the coach said. “Everybody has a great deal of confidence in him.”‘

‘Mike Williams was the biggest Bills’ bust since Phil Dokes, but in Jason Peters, the Bills have found a serious anchor – the kind of guy the coaching staff feels comfortable running behind in short-yardage situations. Notice how many times the Bills ran right against Miami? At one point, they did on six straight plays.’

‘”Pretty much nobody expected anything from us,” Bills guard Chris Villarrial told the Associated Press this week. “We have something to prove, that we can play. We want to be a contender. It’s anyone’s division right now.”‘

‘What exactly will happen with ownership of the Bills franchise when 86-year-old Ralph Wilson goes to the big gridiron in the sky is not known. There are no clear lines of succession, all muddied up by inheritance issues, creating the old Bills-to-Toronto pipe dream.’

McCareins Is a Wide Receiver Often Caught in the Middle (New York Times)

Rush weak (New York Post)

Fortune .500 (New York Post)

The Coles truth (New York Daily News)

Back in Buffalo, wing OK (Newsday)

Jets already face must-win game (White Plains Journal News)

Coles connecting again for Jets (Newark Star Ledger)

Jets Gameday (Newark Star Ledger)

Jets try to Overlook their past (Bergen Record)

”’Coach Calcagni saw I could run and I was elusive in the open field, so he initiated the move to wide receiver,” Reed said. ”I just wanted to play and contribute any way I could, and they believed I could make the switch; it all worked out pretty good.” Did it ever.’

‘The Bills’ special teams’ ascension to the top of the NFL coincided with the arrival of coach Bobby April in 2004. He brought a greater commitment to that aspect of the game, something that hadn’t existed since General Manager Marv Levy was the Bills’ head coach. A special teams guru for 15 NFL seasons, April drills his players on everything from proper blocking techniques to staying in their lanes when covering kicks to being fundamentally sound tacklers.’

‘When the St. Joe’s graduate and New York Jets tight end steps on the field Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, he will be looking to beat the team he grew up rooting for.’

‘State officials and the Buffalo Bills are discussing a possible $20 million package of state-funded improvements for Ralph Wilson Stadium that could be announced before Gov. George E. Pataki leaves office at the end of the year. Details haven’t been finalized, but part of the money would be used to help pay for relocation of the stadium’s press box.’

‘The two organizations and the Bills’ alumni association are donating $3,000 to the GC [God’s Children] Cowboys to help replace equipment and food stolen by thieves this week.’

‘”We’ve had to deal with crowd noise the last couple of games,” said quarterback J.P. Losman. “It’s fun to play away, but there is nothing like being home. It’s a nice comfort. Now we can take advantage of things and, hopefully, the fans will come up big for us.”‘

‘”We couldn’t find three in a row together anywhere but the top row. We were blown away. We couldn’t believe how fast some of the seats went.”‘