Archives for August 27, 2008

‘”I haven’t been told anything as of right now and I’m kind of going to see how it goes tomorrow,” said Edwards. “We have meetings tonight and I’m sure I’ll know more about it by that point. And again, I’m trying to get better and I’m trying to get healthy. I’m very, very concerned with our game a week from Sunday, and that’s kind of where I’m at right now.”‘

‘That leaves the Bills with three tight ends — starter Robert Royal and veteran free-agent additions Tim Massaquoi and Courtney Anderson — heading into the preseason finale against Detroit on Thursday.’

‘”It’s going to be a significant amount of time that he’s going to miss,” said Jauron. “But as you know he hasn’t been put down in any way shape or form. So we’re counting on him to come back.”‘

‘The formula could work for coach Dick Jauron, himself an old cornerback. It’s an old-fashioned way of winning: Control things with the defense and the return game, then top it off with just enough offense. But there must be stability, all the pieces in place, all players working at the top of their game. And that includes one of the most treasured gifts an NFL team can have — a really talented left tackle.’

‘I could tell by the coaches’ interaction with me, or lack thereof, that I was getting released. It was different than it had been the previous season and earlier in training camp. More distant. I even asked the Bills general manager at the time, Tom Donahoe, if he could try to find a trade partner for me. It was that obvious that my time in Buffalo had come to an end and I was hoping to find a new home. More than a new home, I needed a job.’

‘Football fans bound for the Buffalo Bills-Detroit Lions preseason game are expected to cause traffic congestion on the international bridges Thursday, U. S. Customs and Border Protection officials warn. Many Lions fans are expected to cross Canada to come to the game.’

‘The state will continue to squeeze traffic down to one lane in each direction on Southwestern where it crosses Route 219, about a mile east of the football stadium. The bridge reconstruction work is expected to continue through Sept. 22.’

‘”Our base philosophy is that we’d like to get there with four,” said Fewell, the team’s defensive coordinator. “That’s why defensive ends are really important; that’s why we base a lot of our personnel decisions on speed, agility and quickness.”‘

‘Extending the regular season to 17 games – the logical next step – ostensibly would create uneven home-and-away schedules and an unfair advantage in a league that prides itself on competitive balance. Therefore, the scenario has launched speculation that the 17th game would be played at neutral sites, preferably international, in an effort to create new buzz and marketing opportunities for a league that lags behind Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL in cultivating global appeal. It could just be that the deal the Bills struck with Toronto is part of an overall league plan to see how the idea flies, both in terms of interest and logistics, before the NFL moves full speed ahead.’

‘”Once it gets warmed up and the blood starts flowing through there I feel like I’m getting back to close to 100 percent, which is where I want to get back to,” he said. “The sooner I can get there the better.”‘

‘While Corner’s best moment stood out, it was only one of a large assemblage of quality plays from a defense that permitted 32 rushing yards and just over 17 minutes of possession while stopping 6-of-8 third downs from being converted. Everyone looked at least pretty good.’

‘"It has been a little bit tough, but Poz is a great player and he deserves to be in there," said DiGiorgio. "I was just there to back him up and fill his spot last year, and I thought I did a pretty decent job doing that. But I’m just taking my role on this team, I know what it is, and when my name is called I’m going to go out there and produce and fulfill my duties on special teams. They’re looking for me to be a leader on teams, so I have to step it up."’

‘The Bills come off their bye week Oct. 12 with five straight conference games starting with one of the AFC’s top teams, San Diego, then a three-week stretch against their three division rivals with two of the games on the road, followed by a Nov. 17 home game with Cleveland. By the end of those five weeks the Bills will know what they are.’

‘If you’re wondering about the Bills’ potential 27 victims between today and Saturday, start with backup punter D.J. Fitzpatrick, No. 4 QB Matt Baker, running back Bruce Hall, fullback Jonathan Evans, wide receivers Scott Mayle, Felton Huggins and CJ Hawthorne, offensive linemen Christian Gaddis and Robert Felton, tight end Courtney Anderson, defensive ends Corey Mace, Shaun Nua and Derrick Jones, linebackers Jon Banks and Marcus Buggs, cornerbackls Kennard Fox and Dustin Fox and safety Jon Corto. And that’s only 18, so you get an idea of the decisions facing Jauron and his staff.’

‘Edwards, who has completed 10-of-16 passes for 122 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the preseason to date, could play briefly against the Lions before yielding to backup J.P. Losman.’