Archives for September 14, 2009

‘When scanning through the major preseason NFL publications, it was rare to find an analyst forecast even a .500 record for Buffalo. Among Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and ESPN: The Magazine, none had the Bills finishing better than 6-10. All three of those well-respected magazines projected a second, last-place AFC East finish in a row.’

‘Stupar returned to the practice squad on Sept. 6 after being released a day earlier. The 6-3, 254-pound Virginia product spent the first 12 weeks of the 2008 season on Buffalo’s practice squad before being promoted to the 53-man roster on Nov. 28.’

‘The move was necessary to bolster the tight end position as Derek Fine is out for tonight’s game due to a hamstring injury. It would have left the Bills with just a pair of healthy tight ends for the game in Derek Schouman and rookie Shawn Nelson.’

‘Patriots 33 Bills 13.’

‘”Xavier has been running like he’s been running all year in our OTAs and our preseason,” said Jauron. “He’s run well, found the holes, stayed low, showed power, moved some people. He’s made some people miss. I’ve been really pleased with Xavier Omon.”‘

‘”Any given day, anybody in the National Football League can be beaten, and it just takes us to go out there and execute, play our game and just put our best foot forward,” said Bills safety Donte Whitner. “And that’s what we plan to do.”‘

‘So you never know, especially when the season hasn’t even begun yet. If I keep this up, I might even convince myself that they’ll actually pull it off.’

‘Patriots, 34- 17.’

‘If coming to this venue where they have never won in seven visits, to play in front of a national cable TV audience on ESPN against a team they’ve beaten once in the last 17 tries, was all that was confronting the Bills, they’d be undeniable underdogs.’

‘Are the Patriots as good as everyone seems to think they are? New England is the overwhelming choice by experts to win the AFC East. Seems reasonable with Brady returning, and offensive weapons such as Randy Moss, Wes Welker (who may not play tonight), and Laurence Maroney, plus coach Bill Belichick. But the defense is missing five starters from a year ago including leaders such as Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and Rodney Harrison. So there are a few questions, just not enough to make them worry about the Bills.’

‘Away from the field, Moss wants to be left alone. Away from the field, Owens has his own reality show on VH1 ensuring fans get enough T.O. in their diet, whether they want it or not. Yet, these two men do share one trait. Both likely are bound for the hall of fame. And hall-of-shame bound.’

‘You can’t win in the NFL when the wolves are at the door, or even when you act as if they are.’

‘The man who has crowned himself “the eighth wonder of the world” dared to envision the unfathomable. Preparing for his first trip to Foxborough since 1998, Owens embraced the possibility of leading Buffalo to victory over a Patriots team that has thwacked the Bills 11 straight times by an average margin of 20 1/2 points.’