Archives for November 2008

‘”They’ve been practicing, they’ve been getting all the information,” defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. “They have gotten some work. They haven’t gotten as much work as you would like for them to have against an opponent like the Patriots, but obviously they’ve gotten some work, so we’ll see how they respond.”‘

‘”Obviously throughout his career he’s put up large numbers and sacks and has made a reputation for himself as a pass rusher, which he is, and teams have to be aware of that,” Kelsay said of Schobel. “So maybe that he’s gone, maybe they’re able to get out of certain double teams, maybe take a back out of the backfield instead of keeping him in to block, chip, or keeping a tight end in. But it definitely opens things up for the offense, I’m sure, because you don’t have to worry about a pass rusher.”‘

‘Mularkey is getting an A-plus from Falcons’ fans and media.’

‘The only thing better than great coverage on a pass is preventing the pass from being delivered in the first place, and corner and safety blitzes will throw off New England’s throws at the source. Cassel is a mediocre implement among a fine toolset being used by a craftsman in Bill Belichick who occasionally cuts corners, and the Bills should be so relentless in the pursuit to disrupt the substitute that the 5-3 Patriots are unable to even discern that Whitner isn’t part of the stampede.’

‘Bills 23, Patriots 20.’

‘"I feel like I’m playing well," the 310-pounder said the other day. "I definitely want to improve, I’m my own worst critic and I want to be out there playing better than I am right now, but I don’t think I’m playing bad. As a pro you’re always trying to improve on things."’

‘The Bills rank 23rd in the 32-team NFL in TD percentage inside the red zone this season. In 24 trips inside opponents’ 20-yard line, Buffalo has 11 TDs (.458) and eight field goals for a scoring percentage of .792 (ranked 27th).’

‘”Going back to years past and things that have happened, we had opportunities and let them slide . . . ,” said Evans, the Bills’ leading receiver, though he dropped that thought in mid-sentence and shrugged. The four consecutive Super Bowl losses in the early 1990s, the late-season rush to the 2004 playoffs that fell short with a last-week loss, even that victory against Dallas last season that inexplicably melted into another head-shaking defeat . . . they are all part of the package up here. So Evans knows the way the first half of the 2008 season has unfolded is a bit disconcerting. Four straight wins pumped life into these ferociously proud and unpretentious fans, but three sloppy losses in four games have left them wondering just what to make of the team’s 5-3 record.’

‘”They are very sound and also explosive,” he said. “They ran a fake punt last week against the Jets, had a big day returning punts against Seattle, and we’ve seen – whether it was [Terrence] McGee or [Leodis] McKelvin or whoever – [they’ve] had plenty of success returning kicks, too.”‘

‘”It’s always a big deal facing that group,” Izzo said. “Year in and year out they’re at the top of all the statistics. They always present a lot of problems. They really can win the game. You can’t say that about a lot of special teams groups.”‘

‘”It’s just not Marshawn; it’s Jackson as well,” New England defensive back Ellis Hobbs said. “They have that 1-2 combination going right now. To be a guy only in his second year in the league, Marshawn has definitely made an impression on the league, as well as Jackson. Those two together and individually are great running backs. You have to get eleven hats to the ball when you are playing those guys.”‘

‘”He appears to be calm on the field, doesn’t appear that you rattle him very easily; he’s got really good size to see down the field; it appears that he’s got good vision of the field. It looks like another smart personnel move, and they’ve done a really nice job developing Matt, so I’m impressed by him.”‘

‘”He’s smart with (the ball),” Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas said. “He takes what defenses give him and doesn’t try to force the ball. When you do that, good things come with it.”‘

‘”The past has very little to do with anything in the future,” fullback Heath Evans said. “You can learn from mistakes made and the success you’ve had, but it still comes down to how well did you perform on that given Sunday. There’s not a lot of confidence from the past.”‘