Archives for October 2006

‘There was plenty of blame to go around.’

‘Hargrove will be added to the rotation behind Aaron Schobel, Ryan Denney and Chris Kelsay and while he’ll be used primarily at end, Jauron didn’t rule out moving him inside to defensive tackle on passing downs.’

‘Because the Bills had to commit strong safety Donte Whitner at the line to help out against the run, there were fewer players in coverage. That allowed quarterback Jon Kitna and wide receiver Roy Williams to appear as though they were playing catch against cornerbacks Terrence McGee and Nate Clements. Williams caught a career-high 10 passes for 161 yards and a 28-yard touchdown.’

‘”Bill Kollar coached him there and thought a lot of him,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said. “He’s got great work ethic, which fits in well with us. He’s got speed to the ball, athletic ability. “He’s a young player, 23 years old, so he has a future in front of him, a good one. We think that he’ll fit into our rotation. We look at him primarily as an end, but I wouldn’t rule the inside out.”‘

‘As I said at the top, the Bills losing this game shouldn’t surprise anyone. I predicted they’d be a five-win team at the start of the year, then I got a little giddy there after they beat Minnesota and altered my thinking. What a dummy! Common sense is smacking me between the eyes now after watching Sunday’s game. The Bills are what I originally thought they were: A team that will be picking in the top 10 of the 2007 draft.’

‘Cornerbacks Terrence McGee and Nate Clements have fallen off their pedestals faster than Floyd Landis. They may be the two most overrated players on the Buffalo defense, and that’s saying a lot considering the team also employs Aaron Schobel, London Fletcher and Larry Tripplett.’

‘Perhaps this just adds more fuel to the thought that the Bills should have either drafted or signed a legitimate offensive tackle in the offseason. This would have at the very least given Gandy some competition during camp.’

‘”I really honestly think the world of Tony,” Linehan said. “He’s a real likable guy. He’s got a lot of talent. He’s been fighting with the level of consistency that we command and want to reflect as part of our program.” That “level of consistency” applies both on and off the field.’

‘If Buffalo’s coaching staff was as smart as they’re given credit for, they’d move Williams into a No. 1 nose tackle role. That’s really the only change that can be made on the current roster as far as the D-line is concerned.’

‘Going into the Bills game, the Patriots would clearly appear to be in the driver’s seat in the AFC East. Being an old hand at this point, surely Belichick is well-aware that each win brings his guys closer to home-field advantage in the playoffs. Together with history and the all-too-close meeting with these same Bills in Week 1, desire will be high on New England’s side of the field this Sunday.’

‘Overall though, the Bills loss to the Lions was uncommonly frustrating, because the Bills basically were pushed around up front by a 0-5 team. If the Bills weren’t totally embarrassed by this game, then something is wrong.’

‘”It’s disturbing,” receiver Peerless Price said. “To me, personally, it’s more disturbing than losing to Chicago. Chicago just beat us. This game, we felt like we had opportunities to make plays and win. And we didn’t do it.”‘

‘And, again, the score was deceptive. The Lions never trailed, twice were up by 10, outgained the Bills in yardage 394-242 and all afternoon made Buffalo quarterback J.P. Losman look like the struggling, uncertain player he was a year ago.’

‘”They were a better football team than their record, but I don’t really know if everybody (else) took that to heart coming into this game.”‘

‘Gandy would be best playing inside. He struggled a lot a year ago, but with left tackles not easy to find in the draft or free agency, the Bills did not address the position. GM Marv Levy’s next order of business will be finding a left tackle, which could allow Gandy to kick back inside where he is better-suited to play, and give the Bills more depth inside. Until then, the Bills may have to max-protect more than they would like, forcing backs and tight ends to help their struggling line with blocking assignments.’