Archives for September 2006

‘Through three games Buffalo’s offense has managed just three touchdowns in nine red zone trips for a 33 percent success rate. As rock solid as kicker Rian Lindell has been thus far this season (6-6), settling for field goals is something that’s already begun to frustrate the Bills who reside on the offensive side of the ball, particularly after their most recent loss to the Jets.’

‘”What else is there to do on a Sunday?” fan Sal Khayad, of Toronto, said Sunday morning as he filled the coolers in his trunk with ice. Khayad and his friends, who have had season tickets for the past two years, say the drive is worth it. “We love the Bills. The NFL is the only game that matters,” he said.’

‘Coach Gene Tundo of Orchard Park High School has been named the Buffalo Bills High School football “Coach of the Week” for the fourth weekend of the 2006 season (September 23-24).’

‘Look for more losses in games they should win and maybe some wins in games they should lose. It will be fun to watch, even if they tear your heart out sometimes like they did this past Sunday.’

‘Dick Jauron channeled back in time and brought out the Mike Mularkey playbook. The Bills were running very well but kept going to the passing game and then tried trick plays instead of pounding it out when it was working. The fake field goal attempt wasn’t a bad call but the Jets were ready for it so it needed to be executed better. Running a bootleg from the one shouldn’t be the play when you should be able to pound it in there with your feature back. Throwing so much in the 2nd half was a mistake. Grade F: Poor performance.’

‘The offense had four possessions inside the Jets’ 20-yard line, but it came away with only one touchdown. The offensive line had breakdowns, which allowed the Jets to get plenty of pressure on quarterback J.P. Losman, who was forced to leave a collapsing pocket several times. Even when the Bills reverted to some trickery, the Jets were not fooled.’

‘"We were using the same moves and blitz packages we used last week, but it was one, two and the ball was out of there," said defensive end Ryan Denney, who knocked Pennington down just after the ball was released. "It’s frustrating as a defensive lineman. It’s almost like you’re helpless. You get a good pass rush on your guy and the ball’s away. They did a great job of taking us out of our blitz package and taking the pass rush out of the equation."’

‘However, it certainly would have helped matters if the defense could have come up with a big play somewhere along the line.’

‘The Jets made stellar defensive plays to thwart two other critical calls by the Bills.’

‘Then there’s the run defense. The stats you alluded to look good – 3.1 yards per attempt. But when the Jets needed to run, they did, as in two short TD bursts and Pennington’s critical fourth-down sneak. Enough’s enough. Losses always bring out the cynic in us, and to me, the coaches need to take some blame for what happened Sunday.’

‘"Of course you want to get things rolling, but it’s a long season," he said. "There’s still a chance to win this division and make some noise."’

‘Buffalo’s undoing was three turnovers and some too-cute play calling on the part of Dick Jauron and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. The fake field goal, a fourth-down out pass against the wind, and a naked bootleg on third-and-goal left plenty of material for second-guessers.’

‘The Bills were wishing Sunday’s game was a Monday night affair, then there would’ve been the camera angles instantly available to know that Jets’ LB Victor Hobson stepped out of bounds on his 32-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown in the third quarter. The first and apparently only replay available before the Jets kicked the PAT, rendering a challenge impossible, was from the opposite end zone. On that one, Hobson’s feet were blocked from view by Bills’ 328-pound offensive tackle Jason Peters who was trying to make the tackle. Coach Dick Jauron said that was the only angle the Bills had in the press box. It wasn’t until later that a view from the Bills’ end zone clearly showed Hobson stepping out of bounds at the 3-yard line.’

‘Security officers arrested 16 fans inside the stadium, numerous others were ejected for inappropriate behavior.’

‘It also looks like his teammates are beginning to respect him more. But until he gets the job done with the game on the line, whether it’s fair to gauge him that way or not, Losman will still be considered a work in progress who may or may not be “the man” in Buffalo.’