Archives for December 2006

‘Willis McGahee scored on a 57-yard run, Lee Evans had a 77-yard TD catch and Nate Clements returned an interception 58 yards for the Bills.’

‘The Bills used an opportunistic defense and a quick-striking offense to upset the Jets, 31-13, at the Meadowlands. After two strong games, Jets quarterback Chad Pennington accounted for three turnovers that created more points (14) for the Bills than he was able to manufacture for the Jets, who fell to 7-6.’

‘The Bills totaled 174 yards on the ground and were led by Willis McGahee who amassed 125 yards on just 16 attempts. It was a tale of two quarterbacks as J.P. Losman threw two touchdowns and played mistake-free ball while Chad Pennington was intercepted twice and lost a fumble after a sack. Buffalo defensive end Aaron Schobel had a tremendous game for the visitors, registering nine tackles including three sacks and a forced fumble.’

‘Willis McGahee overcame an upset stomach to rush for 125 yards and a touchdown as Buffalo stunned the Jets, 31-13, at Giants Stadium. McGahee, a notorious Jet killer, passed the century mark for the fifth straight time against New York (7-6), despite missing a good portion of the first half with the illness.’

‘Buffalo (6-7) looked more like the playoff contender than the Jets (7-6), winning for the third time in four games. It was the third time in Bills history, and first since Sept. 24, 1989, at Houston, that they had three plays of over 50 yards in a game. It was also the first time since Dec. 5, 1965, also at Houston, that the Bills had a rushing TD and passing score of over 50 yards in a game.’

‘The Bills got 14 points off turnovers and got three touchdowns of 50-plus yards en route to a convincing 31-13 victory over the Jets at the Meadowlands. Buffalo (6-7) kept their mathematical playoff hopes alive with the win, pulling to within a game of the second place Jets (7-6).’

‘New York running back Kevan Barlow was inactive for the second consecutive week. He had been splitting playing time with Leon Washington and Cedric Houston, but coach Eric Mangini has gone to a two-back rotation the past two games. Fullback B.J. Askew was also among the inactives for the Jets.’

‘Neill is a member of the Buffalo Bills’ seven-player practice squad, so the rookie defensive end has not yet suited up for an NFL regular season game. “They still have me preparing every week like I’m going to play, as far as learning the game plan,” Neill said. “But obviously, unless somebody got hurt during the week of practice I know I won’t be playing on the weekend. So it’s definitely a lot different than being at Rutgers, preparing each week really to take just about every defensive snap in the game. Now I really have to prove that I can play well in practice, because I don’t have the opportunity to play on Sunday right now.”‘

‘McGahee has averaged 28 carries and 134 yards over his last four games against the Jets. McGahee has only two 100-yard rushing games in his last 18 starts. Both have come against the Jets.’

‘Jets, 20-19.’

‘The Bills are being held to a higher standard now. If they’re truly a team on the rise, they need to show it over the final month. Young, winning teams often look back to the end of the previous season and say, “That’s when it really began to turn around.”‘

‘”It’s always going to be a reflection of the coach,” Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma said last week. The Jets under Mangini have won three of their last four games and are now 7-5, keeping them very much alive in the AFC playoff race. They buried the Green Bay Packers in the first half last Sunday and rolled to a 38-10 victory on the road. Suddenly, people have taken a liking to the rookie coach and have given him a new nickname: Mangenius.’

‘So now, back to reality and what this season was really about: Fortifying the wobbly foundation Tom Donahoe left behind, and beginning to build – again – for the future.’

‘CB Nate Clements – The sixth-year veteran probably has one more big multi-year, multi-million contract in him, and he’s angling hard for it these last few weeks. Clements has been rock solid the past month both in coverage and run support and is playing perhaps the best as he has ever played in Buffalo.’

‘What’s a typical week like as a practice squad guy? “The coaches script the opponent’s offensive plays and we run about 40 or 50 off cards. If it’s a real important week, the defensive coach will pull you over in the hallway and say, ‘This is how we want it done.’ Every week coach (Dick) Jauron gives out an award to a practice squad guy who did the best job that week, so that’s motivation, and you’re in front of the coaching staff every day and it’s a chance to show them what you’re made of.”‘